Reflective Journal: Personal Skills Development and Growth Plan

This reflective journal explores a student's self-assessment of their skills and career aspirations while working as a sales assistant at Primark. The journal details a skills audit, identifying areas for improvement such as problem-solving and decision-making. The student outlines a career and progression plan, setting goals to become a senior sales manager within ten years, and includes a SMART plan with measurable progress indicators. The journal also discusses skills development records, work-based feedback, and the application of organizational principles related to culture and structure to achieve company goals. The analysis includes the importance of aligning personal development with organizational objectives, emphasizing the role of skills in both individual and company success. The student uses the reflective journal to track their progress and to identify areas for improvement.

Reflective Journal
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5
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Introduction
Main objective of this report is to better analysis the personal skills on an individual. It was
analysis that skills will play an essential role in the growth and development of an individual. By
analysis the skills an individual is able to effectively analysis its strength and weakness thorough
which it can take better decisions for improving their weakness into strength (Dong, 2021). It
was analysis that for achieving higher growth in the organisation skills will play an essential role.
By developing personal skills an individual is able to effectively manage the work of company
and get promoted to higher level. This report is based on the self-reflection and include various
plans and activities such as career & progression plan, skills audit, self-appraisal & action
planning. Other than this it will include the skills development record & work-based feedbacks.
This report will also include organisational theories and principles based on culture and structure
which will help in achievement of organisational goal.
Main body
Task
While working with Primark Company as a sales assistant, I realise that there are various
skills that I need to develop for better achieving the goal of organisation. I m a hardworking
person who is more reliable & flexible. I realise that I will enjoy working in team and able to
effectively coordinate with my team members in organisation. Along with this I have excellent
practical skills which will assist me to timely complete the task which is assigned to me. I am
fully organised person because of my effective time management skills. This skill will help me to
achieve the target before the specific time period. Other than this I am willing to learn new things
and enhance my knowledge base as because I am a fast learner and adopt the change as per the
requirement of workplace. Before working with Primark Company I was working with Westfield
as a sales manager and also gain five year of work experience in children’s homes organisation.
It is the place from where I will learn various things and also develop my knowledge and skills.
But while working with Primark Company I realise that there are various skills that I will need to
develop. This is because lack of these skills will affect my performance in organisation and I am
not able to achieve the task. Such as a sales assistant I will require to deal with different types of
customers and for providing better customer service I will require to analysis the problems faced
by customers. From there I realise that my problem solving skills are not that much good. Other
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than this I also feel difficulties in taking correct decision. I realise that because of lack of skills I
am not able to achieve my target on time which will affect my future growth. For better
analysing my skills gap I will develop various plan such as career & progression plan, skills
audit, self-appraisal and action planning, skills development records etc. which are mention
below:
Career & progression plan
Current
Position
Destination Gap analysis SMART plan Measure
progress
Currently I am
working with
Primark
company and
have a work
experience with
two more
organisation. I
have good
communication
skills and also
graduating with
excellent grades
specialising in
work with
children.
I want to become
a senior sales
manager in a
reputed company
in the next 10
year.
I realise that
there is a big gap
between my
actual position
and my
destination
position. Which
is occur because
of my lack of
skills and
knowledge.
Specific- I want
to earn a position
of senior sales
manager of a
reputed
company.
Measurable- I
will apply for
different open
position for the
sales manager of
reputed
company.
Achievable- I
will regularly
update my
resume with
relevant
qualification.
Relevant- For
achieving my
goal of being a
sales manager I
I will regularly
keep tracking my
progress and I
analysis that my
performance will
improve day by
day and I will
effectively chive
the goal one day.
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will update my
resume with
relevant
qualification so I
can apply for
open position for
the manager.
Time-based- I
will achieve this
goal in within
next 10 year.
Skill Audit
Personal audit is also known as skill audit it is a method which help me to determine how
well I do a skill in my daily activity. It will include a rage of competencies which are require to
function in a specific work capacity. By skills audit I am able to effectively analysis my poor
abilities so that I will better deal with developing theses kills and get the benefits. Skills audit
chart of my skills are mention below:
Skills Personal audit questionnaire 1 2 3 4 5
Communication
skill
Is I am able to effectively
communicate with clients in
order to chive customers trust.
*
Time management
skill
Able to achieve the assigned
target on the specific time period
*
Ethical behaviour Is I am able to retain excellent
morals and standards at job and
able to assist the company to
maintain a good workplace
environment.
*
Problem solving
skill
Good to adopt the change and
timely provide the better solution
*
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for the challenging problem.
Decision making
skill
Is I am able to make appropriate
decision which help an
organisation to achieve better
growth.
*
Self-appraisal & action planning-
After analysing my skills through skill audit I realise that my problem solving skill and
decision making skills are not so good. These skills will create barrier in the path of my success.
I realise that because of lack of problem solving skill I am not able to face the challenges which
will also affect the growth of organisation. On the other had I realise that for successfully
achieving the target and as a sales assistant: customer service I will require to take some decision
for better management and aching the task. But lack of these skills will not only affect my work
performance but also affect my future growth. From above discussion on my skill audit I realise
that my communication skills, and time management skills are very good which will assist me to
effectively provide better customers services to company customers, and also achieve the target
on time but I realise that because of lack of problem solving and decision making skills these
skills will are also waste. I realise that for effectively achieve my career plan I will require to
develop these skills as quick as possible. For developing my problem solving skills and decision
making skill my action planning is below:
Action planning
Skills or objective to
be achieved
Action require to
achieve my objective
Resources I need Time frame
Problem solving skill For developing my
problem solving skill
I will take various
online lectures on
problem solving and
also read various
books to
organisational
For I need to develop
this skill is books on
problem solving,
laptop for online
classes etc.
3 month
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theories which will
assist me to better
understand the
problem and timely
achieve the goal.
Decision making
skill
For developing my
decision making skill
I will start
participating in
decision making
process of company
and try to learn from
my seniors, along
with this I will start
taking online classes
for decision making
which will help me to
take better and timely
decision that are
helpful in achieving
organisation
objective.
For developing my
decision making skills
I will require to
interact with my
seniors and participate
in decisions making
and also require
laptop for attending
online classes.
3 months
I realise that skills audit will assist me to better analysing my strength and weakness. It
will assist me to identify which skill I need to developed. While on the other hand with the help
of action planning it will show than I will efficiently develop my problem solving and decision
making skills. I analysis that by developing these skills I am able to effectively face and manage
the challenging problem and by takin g quick and effective decision I am able to provide better
customers services. I realise that by developing my skills I am able to achieve higher growth and
my desired goal in the future.
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Skills development records & work-based feedback
While working with Roma organisation I will develop my skills in effectively organising
cultural events, delivering workshops, and also mediating with school to increase educational
participation. This will help me to develop my time management skills and I am able to
effectively interact with other people. Other than this when I will working with Westfield as a
sales assistant I will develop my communication skills by regularly interacting with customers
and attracting them toward the products of company. But I realise that I will also get some
negative feedback because of lack of my skills. After that by working with Primark Company I
learn a lot of things as it is a highly reputed company which will provide me various growth
opportunity. I realise that my seniors will motivate me to participate in decision making which
will assist me to develop my decision making skills. Other than this I am a quick Lerner because
of which I will receive positive feedback from my senior authority.
Principles of organisation.
There are various principles which will help an organisation to successfully achieve their
organisation goal. There are various principle of organisation which are related to the culture and
strategy that are discussed below:
Work with and within current culture situation- Organisation culture refers to the attitude,
standards and belief that will characterize member of an organisation and define its nature
(Meyer, 2018). I will realise that the culture of organisation will never be change in one day and
for maintain a good environment I will effectively maintain the culture of organisation. This will
assist the organisation to reduce the level of conflict and timely achieve the organisational goal.
As per this principle of organisation, I analysis that culture of organisation will play an essential
role which will help company to maintain a good reputation and also able to achieve the goal on
time. My leaders will transfer the values and culture within the organisation and I will try to
maintain their culture so that the efficiency of work will increase.
Principle of organisation structure- It was analysis that basic principle of an organisational
structure is how authorities is passed down and around the company (Fortes, 2018). It will assist
in better understand the role and responsibility of an individual in the organisation. Which will
help them to create accountability for individuals, teams and departments. It was analysis that as
per this principle employees of organisation will take responsibility for hitting company
objective on their own. As per the Primark Company they will follow a hierarchal organisation
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structure. According to this structure all the decision are taken by higher authority and roles and
responsibility of each employee is clearly defined. I will effectively fulfil my role and
responsibility which will contribute in successfully achieving the organisational goal.
Conclusion
From the above discussion it was concluded that skills will play an essential role in the
growth and success of an individual and also help them to effectively achieve the organisation
goal. There are various way through which an individual will effectively analyse the skill gap
and also take effective measures which will help in better development of these skills. Career &
progression plan will assist an individual to better analysis the destination and the skills gap.
Other than this through skill audit an individual will effectively analysis the strength and
weakness, & also analysis the skills which need to be developed. On the other hand action plan
will show how a person will achieve its objective, what resources are require and in what time
frame.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journal
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Fortes, M., 2018. The dynamics of clanship among the Tallensi: Being the first part of an
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African rural students access and engage with more?. In EdMedia+ Innovate Learning (pp.
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Meyer, J.W., 2018. 4. The Changing Cultural Content of the Nation-State: A World Society
Perspective. In State/Culture (pp. 123-144). Cornell University Press.
Plunkett, M., 2018. Portfolios and reflective practice. Success in Professional Experience:
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