MG408 Graduate Challenge: Reflective Report on Skill Development

This report is a reflective analysis of a student's experience in the MG408 Graduate Challenge module. The report focuses on the development of various skills, including communication, teamwork, time management, and business skills, through participation in four key challenges: the apprentice challenge, the t-shirt challenge, the presentation challenge, and the hotel challenge. The student examines how these skills were applied and improved within each challenge, providing specific examples and self-assessments. The report includes an exploration of the challenges faced, the strategies employed, and an action plan for continuous improvement, particularly in time management and teamwork. The student uses the challenges to illustrate their personal and professional growth, referencing relevant academic sources and concludes with a summary of the key learnings and future goals.

Word Reflective Report
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report is aimed at discussing different skills and knowledge that a student is required
to possess to be successful in every challenge. This report takes through the journey of
developing personal and professional skills like communication skills, team skills, time
management skills and business skills that will help in overcoming challenges given, which
includes apprentice challenge, t-shirt challenge and presentation challenge.
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Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................4
Communication skills..................................................................................................................4
Team work skills.........................................................................................................................5
Time management skill...............................................................................................................6
Business skills.............................................................................................................................7
Action plan..................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
There are various skills and learning abilities which help the people in achieving their
goals and objectives (Click, 2018). These skills and knowledge are developed by people over the
time according to their requirements. These skills help the individuals in dealing with various
challenges which they are facing. This report is based on the various skills which are helpful to
the students in achieving their desire goals and objectives in near future.
MAIN BODY
Communication skills
Illustration 1: Basic components of communication. 2020
One able to communicate proper where he/she is able to exchange the information in any
medium that is oral or written. Communication is define as the process in which certain steps are
taken with the motive to complete communication successfully. The steps included in the process
of communication are sender, a text in form of message which is been sent by the sender, the
channel of communication and the receiver. Furthermore communication is the two way process
which is consider completed only when the message is been received and the feedback is
provided by the receiver to the sender. Communication skills are type of skills which helps in
effective exchange of information among individuals and groups. Communication consist of
written, oral, symbolic and pictorial from and the set of skills which are required for effective
communication consist of listening, speaking, observing, etc. In this changing business
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environment the effective communication skills are quite important for balancing the personal
and professional life of individuals. Here are some communication skills which provide help in
overcoming given challenges:
 Debate Challenge- Communication skills helps in establishing effective interaction
among groups and individuals. This interaction might take place on individual bases or in
group (Singh, 2019). These interactions help the debate authorities in assessing the
listening and speaking abilities of the participants. Debate challenge refers to the
challenge which help the individuals in understanding the argument clearly and able to
give effective answer withstanding the rebuttal of the opposing side. My communication
skills like conversation and observation will help in understanding where I am lacking
and need to focus on its improvement.
 Presentation challenge- Presentation is define as the process in which information is
presented publicly. It help the individual in communicating effectively the necessary
information to the targeted people. Communication skill play important role in presenting
information in effective manner so that the targeted people would be able to understand
the information. My communication skills will help me in giving the presentation on the
exact topic. Along with this my listening and observing skills help me in understanding
the questions or queries of targeted people and providing them effective solutions.
 T-shirt challenge- This is a challenge in which individuals are given a task to design a t-
shirt (Hofler and Thomas, 2016). A target market need to be identified on the bases on
the design and the main challenge is to design the t-shirt which requires certain set of
skills and innovation and to sell the t-shirt to the targeted audience. My communication
skills will help me observing other marketers regarding what material they are using and
how they are interacting with targeted customers. This will help me in establishing
effective relation wit the target audience and I would be able to sale more number of t-
shirts and build loyal customers.
 Hotel Challenge- This is a challenge in which individuals focus on improving their skills
with the motive to work more effectively in the hotel industry. My communication skills
will help me in interacting effectively with the guests so that I come to know their view
points and take feedback from them.
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Team work skills
For an business organisation to be successful it has to focus on establishing effective
communication among the employees so that they would be able to work in team and not in
isolation. Therefore team skills are those skills which play important role while hiring the
employees. Below mention are the aspects and impact of my team work skills on given
challenges:
 Debate Challenge- I am able to work in isolation and not able to work in the team
effectively (Park and et.al., 2017). I am able to participate in individual debate channels
but I am not able to participate effectively in group discussions. Therefore I need to work
on these skills as I am weak in it.
 Presentation challenge- Group presentation is competed successfully with the effective
participation of the team members. I need to work on my skills so that I would be able to
participate in the group presentation in most effective and efficient manner.
 T-shirt challenge- Designing and development of new product requires affords of the
team members as all work together. I would be able to communicate in the effective
manner with the targeted customers. I am not able to participant in the group discussion
in proper manner due to which activities become difficult to perform in effective manner.
 Hotel challenge- In hotels working in team provides effective results and work is also
completed on time (Burgess and et.al., 2018). I would able to do work properly which is
assign to me but not able to take participation in the group discussions and not able to put
forward my experience or view point regarding improvement or any other topic of
discussion. Hence it is very challenging where I need to focus on team skills in order to
accomplish mu future goals.
Time management skill
Time management play important in the business as it helps in organising and carrying
the multiple activities in effective manner. Below mentioned is the time management aspect of
each challenge:
 Debate challenge- Time management skills are important in debate challenge as while
involve in group discussion or giving view point proper time delivery is essential. I am
able to manage different things and able to deliver desire information according to the
time.
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 Presentation challenge- I would able to perform this challenge effective as I would be
able to collect the data on Tesco and prepare presentation on Tesco according to the
given time (Bawa and Watson, 2017).
 T-shirt challenge- In the process of launching the product in the marketplace one need to
understand the behaviour of customers properly. I would be able to do this in effective
manner as I am good at collecting information which is essential to meet the desire target
and to attract the desire audience.
 Hotel Challenge- I am quite good at managing time according to the situations taking
place in the work place. There are many activates which take place in hotels such as
managing accommodation, effective cleaning of rooms, satisfying customers, etc. I would
be able to manage the customer care department in effective manner.
Business skills
Business skills are those skills which are essential in order to carry the activities and
operations related to business in proper and effective manner (Lyken-Segosebe, 2017). Below
mentioned is the description of how these skills would be helpful in each challenge:
 Debate challenge- Business skills helps in carrying the business projects in effective
manner as with effective communication I would be able to understand the things
properly and make others understand my viewpoint regarding project work.
 Presentation challenge- My business skills will help me in carrying the activities in Tesco
presentation in proper manner with define purpose and action plan.
 T-shirt challenge- Business skills such as network building and influencing skills would
help in completing this challenge successfully.
 Hotel challenge- I am good at communication and able to build strong relation with the
customers as it is essential for smooth running of business oeprations.
Action plan
Action plan is define as the systematic steps which are taken by individuals that is
blueprint is been prepared with the motive to accomplish target goals and objectives. Below
mentioned is the SMART action plan based on my skills where my main focus is to improve my
time management skills and to learn the team management skills. With the help of effective
learning I would be able to narrow the gap and improve my performance (Winter and et.al.,
2015). My personal SMART objective includes-
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 For improving and enhancing time management skills- My aim is to develop and
participate in the activities which are time bound. Within 12 weeks I want to improve my
skills that is with first 6 months I will observe the areas where I am weak. In the next 6
months I would work on my weakness and improve the things.
 For learning team work skills- My main motive is to assess, analysis and observe my
contribution in team performance in first 4 weeks. On the bases of the analysis I will
focus on improving my activities in team performance.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that in current business environment set of
skills and abilities are essential to carry the work in most effective and efficient manner. With the
effective communication skills one would be able to understand the view points of other and also
able to make others understand your viewpoints in effective and efficient manner. Hence the set
of skills are important in performing the activities in right manner and to complete it on time.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Click, A.B., 2018. International graduate students in the United States: Research processes and
challenges. Library & Information Science Research. 40(2). pp.153-162.
Singh, M.K.M., 2019. International graduate students’ academic writing practices in Malaysia:
Challenges and solutions. Journal of International Students, 2015 Vol. 5 (1). 5(1).
pp.12-22.
Hofler, L. and Thomas, K., 2016. Transition of new graduate nurses to the workforce:
Challenges and solutions in the changing health care environment. North Carolina
Medical Journal. 77(2). pp.133-136.
Park, H. and et.al., 2017. Challenges and coping strategies of East Asian graduate students in the
United States. International Social Work. 60(3). pp.733-749.
Burgess, J. and et.al., 2018. Introduction: Applicant work-readiness and graduate employability
challenges in the Asia Pacific. In Transitions from education to work: Workforce ready
challenges in the Asia Pacific. Routledge.
Bawa, P. and Watson, S.L., 2017. A Phenomenological Study of Graduate Chinese Students'
English Writing Challenges. The Qualitative Report. 22(3). p.779.
Lyken-Segosebe, D.E., 2017. Acculturative stress and disengagement: Learning from the
adjustment challenges faced by East Asian international graduate students.
Winter, J. and et.al., 2015. Graduate teaching assistants: Responding to the challenges of
internationalisation. International Journal for Academic Development. 20(1). pp.33-45.
Online
Basic components of communication. 2020. [Online]. Available through:<
http://katekei.com/basic-components-of-communication
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