Sainsbury's Self-Managed Learning and Development Report

This report provides a detailed analysis of self-managed learning and professional development, focusing on the context of Sainsbury's. It begins by outlining various approaches to self-managed learning, such as visionary and strategic approaches, and discusses their benefits for both individuals and organizations. The report then explores ways to enable lifelong learning, including staff evaluation, continuous learning initiatives, and the importance of communication and relationships. It identifies work-based problems at Sainsbury's, such as collaborative working issues, and proposes solutions like improved communication channels and team building. Furthermore, the report assesses personal skills and competencies against professional standards, identifies development needs, and outlines a personal and professional development plan, including time management strategies. The report also provides a skills and competencies assessment table, detailing strengths and weaknesses, and concludes with a reflection on the implementation and evaluation of the development plan.

Personal and Professional
Development

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Approaches to self-managed learning...................................................................................1
1.2 Ways which enables lifelong learning in personal and professional developmental context
.....................................................................................................................................................2
1.3 Benefits of self-managed learning approaches to individual and organisation.....................3
4.1 Solutions to work-based problem..........................................................................................4
4.2 Learning Styles which can help in overcoming issues and communicating.........................4
4.3 Different time management strategies for individual and company ....................................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Personal skills and competencies against professional standards.........................................5
2.2 Identification of own development needs and activities required to meet them...................7
2.3 Identification of developmental opportunities to meet current and future needs .................8
2.4 Personal and professional developmental plan.....................................................................9
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................10
3.1 Process and activities required to implement developmental plan.....................................10
3.2 Undertaking and documenting development activities as planned.....................................10
3.3 Evaluating own learning against the set objectives and standards......................................11
3.4 Updating developmental plan as per feedback and evaluation...........................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Personal and professional development is very important for a person as with the help of
this, an individual is able to get various types of benefits. It can be referred as a process by which
people set focus on their goals and objectives by increasing their skills and experience (Avalos,
2011). This development is very important and essential as it helps a person in exploring various
opportunities that are available in the market. If an individual will have more skills and talent
then he will be able to perform his job effectively and efficiently that is needed in every
enterprise for getting success. This project is based on Sainsbury which is the third largest
retailer in UK and offers various types of products to households and consumers. This study will
define various approaches to self-managed learning and its benefits to an individual as well as to
organisation. It will also state about the current skills and competencies against professionals
standards and organisational objectives.
TASK 1
1.1 Approaches to self-managed learning
For self-managed learning, there are various kinds of approaches that can be used for
managing learning and development. According to this concept, it is said that firstly, individual
should analyse his own capability and capacity and accordingly should make a plan so that he
can reach to his decided destination. Following are given certain approaches that are used by
Sainsbury for increasing the skills of its employees- Visionary approach- According to this concept, person should make future plan or long
term vision as it will help in own development. It will provide direction to him that what
should be done or not for achieving future objectives. Meta approach- This concept changes the perception of people towards any specific
aspect. With the support of this framework, they give their response and reaction in
certain situation. Strategic approach- This concept creates strategic framework in the mind of an
individual by which person will be able to give respond to every situation in a strategic
manner.
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 Seminars and conferences- It is one of the best methods in self-managed learning
because in this, large number of people are present who exchange their ideas and views
which enhance the knowledge and skills of individuals (Brody and Hadar, 2011).
 Internet- It is another method which aids in learning new things. In this, anyone can
increase their knowledge by searching out any information on various sites.
1.2 Ways which enable lifelong learning in personal and professional developmental context
Continual learning can be defined as a process in which person does evaluation of his
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats on a continuous basis that helps in enhancing the
2
(Source 1: Ben Oldman, 2013)

confidence level as well as communication skill of that individual. There are various methods
used by Sainsbury so that its employees will be able to adopt new things and face any situation
effectively. Evaluation of staff- For self-evaluation, I use SWOT analysis which helps in identifying
my own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. With the help of this, person
will be able to improve his abilities and capacities (Elliott, 2011). Continuous learning- Organisation takes various actions for enhancing team building so
that every employee will move in the same direction and will also enhance his learning
abilities. If there will be a team then people will be able to share their ideas and
knowledge in more effective manner by which other person will be able to achieve its
desired goals.
 Communication and relationship- If at workplace, employee relation will be good then
workers will be motivated and will perform better.
1.3 Benefits of self-managed learning approaches to individual and organisation
Self-managed learning provides various benefits to individuals as well as to an
organisation. This concept is very helpful in developing various factors by which all issues can
be removed easily. Different kinds of advantages are as follows-
Advantages to employees-
 In this concept, people engages himself in the learning process which helps in increasing
his skills and capabilities.
 With the help of self-managed learning process, individuals can take better decisions for
solving those problems which are creating disturbance. If person's capability will be improved then it will enhance his efficiency and
effectiveness by which he will be able to perform his job in a better manner.
Benefits to organisation-
 If Sainsbury will have efficient and capable employees then they will help in improving
the productivity of firm.
 Self-managed learning concept aids in making a healthy environment at workplace where
employees and management have good relations with each other. It motivates workers to
do their job effectively as well as aids in creating a positive brand image in the market.
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4.1 Solutions to work-based problem
In Sainsbury Plc, there are various types of issues which create disturbance in business
operations. One of them is as follows-
Collaborative working- In Sainsbury, there is no proper coordination among its
members by which workers are not able to perform effectively that increases the cost of activity.
This problem should be sought out by optimum utilization of resources (Hamza, 2010). Apart
from this, there are some solutions which can be used by Sainsbury PLC that are as follows-
 Developing communication channel- Manager should ensure that there is proper
availability of communication channels so that important information will flow as per
requirement. At present, company is using rigid channel which is creating hindrance in
its growth and development.
 Reducing confusion regarding organisation structure- If employees have any doubt
regarding structure of firm then manager should clear it quickly by providing re-
induction training to them so that they can focus on their job.
 Team building and working- For getting success, it is required that everyone should
work in a team and will share their knowledge and skills for achieving the specified
results. With the help of this method, everyone will learn various things from each
other.
4.2 Learning styles which can help in communicating and overcoming the issues
Communication is an important element which is needed at every workplace for getting
success. It can be referred as a process in which two or more individuals exchange their ideas
and thoughts. This procedure takes place at every level of enterprise.
There are various learning styles which can be used by Sainsbury for removing the
identified problem. Every individual learns things for different methods and so, manager should
adopt technique according to the requirement of employees by which they will gain skill and
experience. New style will be adopted on the basis of logical, solitary and verbal. It will provide
support in satisfying the needs or wants of workers so that they will perform effectively. By this
approach, team building and working can be enhanced (Hopkinson, 2014).
In this company, there are various channels which can be used to inform different levels
of organisation in an effective manner. For example- When any information will be send to
operational level then direct instructions and controlling style of communication will be used
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while interacting with strategic level, promoter or analyser style will be adopted so that they can
understand his perception.
There are various types of learning style like Kolb which can be adopt by an individual
that are as follows-
According to Kolb approach, there are four types of learning that are given below- Divergers- This type of people want to take experience and look things from other
perspectives and they are sensitive in nature. Assimilating- This type of people want to learn things from lecture and try to do practical
whenever possible. Accomodators- They are risk taker who takes risk for learning new things. They believe
on doing rather than on thinking.
 Convergers- Firstly, they analyse the things before doing anything and try their ideas top
see if they work in practice.
4.3 Different time management strategies for individual and company
Time management strategies are very important for Sainsbury PLC as it helps in
completing every task in an effective manner and within stipulated period of time. There are
various strategies which are used by the firm as given below- Setting objectives- Firstly, it establishes an objective for the entire organisation so that
everyone will perform accordingly and effectively. Organise- It is the type of strategy where manager tries to keep all resources in an
organised and effective form so that it will generate positive results for company. He also
ensures that resources are used in an optimum manner (Kumari, 2011). Scheduling- In this tactic, different schedules are designed which have certain time limit
for the completion. It is helpful in completing the tasks within stipulated period of time. Time bound- It is necessary that all activities will be time bound so that project can be
completed effectively and efficiently. Proactive- In this approach, managers look activities in proactive manner for gaining
knowledge about the performance and gaps.
 Focused- As per this, everyone should focus on certain activities for completing certain
tasks within stipulated period of time.
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TASK 2
2.1 Personal skills and competencies against professional standards
For every person, it is necessary that they should evaluate their own strengths and
weaknesses on a regular basis so that they can know about their ability. This evaluation process
is known as self-auditing by which person can gain knowledge about his future growth.
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Sl.
No.
Skills and Competencies Score Score from
others
Variances
1 Ability for dealing with problems 7 8 -1
2 Leadership style 6 8 -2
3 Advisor and listener 8 9 -1
4 Investigation on new concepts and techniques 7 5 2
5 Am I able to motivate people? 8 6 2
6 Own effectiveness and efficiency 8 7 1
7 Standards of quality 7 8 -1
8 Good team members 7 7 0
9 Leadership style 8 6 2
Being the store manager, I need some skills for performing job in an appropriate manner.
On the basis of above analysis, my strengths, weaknesses and personal details are given as
below-
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Name:
Address:
Email ID:
Contact number:
Career goals: I want to work in that environment where I will get more opportunities for
learning so that my career will grow.
Education:
 Graduation
 Have completed master degree in HR and Marketing
Achievement:
 I got 1st rank in my master degree
 I won inter college competition
Experience:
 Working as a store manager in Sainsbury from last two year.
Strengths:
 Good communication
 Leadership
 Time management
 Have ability to work in critical situation
 Have capability to solve any type of problems.
Declaration:
I assure you that complete above mentioned information is valid and as per my own knowledge.
2.2 Identification of own development needs and activities required to meet them
In today’s competitive business environment, every firm wants to hire those individuals
who will have skills, knowledge and experience so that they can perform effectively and
efficiently. So for this, I need to analyse my own capability against professional standards so that
I can improve myself, if required. There are certain needs that should be fulfilled because it will
assist in developing my own abilities that are given as below-
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 I should attend various learning events or training programme where my weaknesses can
be improved.
 I should also try to do things practically which will aid in improving my skills and
knowledge.
 In this, personality development programme also plays an important role because as the
help of this event, I learn various new things.
 Senior managers can also help in improving my skills and knowledge by providing
proper guidance by which I will be able to take better decisions (Personal and
Professional Development Plan, 2012).
 Simulation training is also very helpful in improving my knowledge and skills. In this
event, an artificial environment is created which looks like actual workplace by which I
will be able to identify my own capabilities and also take better decision.
2.3 Identification of developmental opportunities to meet current and future needs
There are various types of developmental opportunities which are important for meeting
current and future needs. There are various actions that should be taken for achieving the desired
results or outcome that are given as below-
 Involves all members in decision making process
 Conducts brainstorming session
 Objective setting by using SMART criteria
 Seminar and conferences which help in boosting knowledge, skills and abilities
Current needs- As per the analysis, it is found that I should give respect to the
differences of individuals as well as need to adopt multi culture so that I can adjust myself in
every situation. Further, it is observed that I need some skills that will aid in performing my job
like leadership skills, multi tasker and many more.
Future needs- For getting success in my life, I should take my personal development to
the next level of understanding. In today’s competitive environment, there is requirement of
large number of skills and experience for getting success.
2.4 Personal and professional developmental plan
S.N. Learning Current Target Opportuniti Criteria Time Evidence
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objectives proficiency competency es for
developmen
t
for
judgemen
t
scale
1 Effectivene
ss and
efficiency
Existing
techniques
are not that
much
effective.
To adopt
updated and
the latest
techniques
which will
generate
positive
results
Receive
direction
from senior
members and
any training
programme
Report
will
contain
informatio
n
regarding
own
performan
ce.
Minimu
m 2
months
Decision of
judgement
2 Leadership
style
At present,
authoritaria
n and
parental
style
Should
adopt
democratic
leadership
style
Should learn
things from
seniors and
via
simulation
training or
role plays
Judgement
from
senior
managers
1.5 week Report to
top
managemen
t
3 Motivation
al skills
Still I have
some
negative
perception
which
should be
improved.
Can be
improved by
following
motivation
theories
Conduct
motivational
speech and
seminars
Subordinat
es will
give their
point of
views on
superior
performan
ce
15 days Peer group
judgement
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So, after analysing PPD, it can be concluded that planning is very important in everyone's
life as without it, no one can perform their tasks effectively and efficiently. I also make plan for
analysing that where I am standing and where can I reach in the future.
TASK 3
3.1 Process and activities required to implement developmental plan
While developing a plan, there is the requirement to follow certain processes for
achieving success (Personal And Professional Development Plan, 2012). There are various
procedures and activities which can be used by the people. Here is a process by which person
will be able to implement the required scheme effectively and efficiently that is given as below- Setting up time scale- It is important to ensure that activities that are being carried out
according to the standards and assigned tasks are also completed within specified time
duration. Assessment of KSA- A person should analyse own capability and skills on a regular basis
so that he can perform his job effectively and efficiently. Learning strategies- There are various kinds of approaches that can be adopted by an
individual. Person should adopt their style according to his requirement so that he can
complete his job effectively (Lago, 2010). Resources- In an organisation, there is the requirement of lots of resources for
completion of project or learning process such as books, internet, journals, etc.
 Evaluation and feedback resolution- It is very important as it aids in identifying the
effectiveness of training and learning. With the help of this, I also came to know about
the gaps that are existing in performance (Personal and Professional Development,
2017).
3.2 Undertaking and documenting development activities as planned
For improving the performance of employees, Sainsbury takes various actions that are as
follows- Training- Company should organise training programme for their employees so that they
can face every critical situation effectively. Change management- Managers who are responsible for managing change should record
all modifications.
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 Learning strategies- These tactics are used for registering higher level of growth in
company (Personal And Professional Development . 2017). Research- It is important to collect data regarding various activities.
 Monitoring and evaluation- It is the requirement that all activities should be evaluated on
a regular basis so that variance can be found easily which aids in resolving issues.
3.3 Evaluating own learning against the set objectives and standards
It is essential that every person should evaluate their own learning on a continuous basis
against set of standards which will aid in resolving the issues that are being faced by person.
There are various methods which can be used for evaluating own learning that is given as below- Formal meeting- It is the most effective way of evaluating as in this, growth report is
presented to seniors who will identify issues and will also help in resolving them. Application of senior's experience- senior member will provide direction while
implementation of plan and also ensures that individual is doing his work accordingly by
which he will be able to achieve the desired result (Maskit, 2011).
 Own motivation- For getting success, there is the requirement of proper motivation
because motivated individual can do their work in an effective and efficient manner.
3.4 Updating developmental plan as per the feedback and evaluation
Individual should update their developmental plan on a regular basis as well as according
to the requirement so that he can attain the desired results effectively and efficiently. Updated
plan will aid in resolving issues that are creating hindrance in the development. Person should
adopt various alterations in his plan which will assist in recording feedback and adapting
changes. While updating plan, there are following things that should be followed by the person
that is as follows- Change in training method- Training should be provided according to the requirement of
individuals so that they can perform effectively. Combination of on the job and off the
job methods should be provided. Different approaches- There are various kinds of approaches which can be used in
learning things in an effective manner.
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 Motivational requirements- For getting success, it is very important that person should
have high motivation level because a highly motivated individual can perform more
effectually (McNiff, 2010).
 Reviewing- Reviewing on set goals helps in understanding the purpose of development
plan in a better way and making necessary changes in it.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that there are various types of self-managed
learning approaches like visionary, strategic, etc. which help in increasing skills and knowledge
of an individual. There are various ways by which lifelong learning can be improved like
leadership, communication and relations, etc. It has also stated about various benefits of self-
managed learning that is available to an individual as well as to organisation. Basically, there is
the need to introduce an action plan that will enable a person in analysing and evaluating his own
performance.
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