Personal and Professional Growth Through Self-Managed Learning

This report evaluates approaches to self-managed learning in relation to personal and professional life, proposing ways to encourage lifelong learning in the workplace to support future goals. It assesses the benefits of self-managed learning for both the individual and the organization. The report further evaluates current skills and competencies against professional standards and organizational objectives, identifying personal development needs and activities to meet them. A personal and professional development plan is devised based on these identified needs, focusing on areas such as decision-making, interpersonal, and analytical skills. The action plan includes strategies like learning from seniors, improving communication, and actively reading relevant materials to enhance skills and seize development opportunities within the Air Hotel setting.

Personal and Professional Development
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
LO1............................................................................................................................................4
LO2............................................................................................................................................7
LO3..........................................................................................................................................14
LO4..........................................................................................................................................17
Conclusion................................................................................................................................19
Reference list............................................................................................................................20
Appendix..................................................................................................................................22
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Introduction
Self-managed or self-directed learning is the instructional strategy that a learner tends to take
the charge of their learning capabilities and development process. The development of
personal and professional principles reflects on the self-assessment or self managed learning
process. If an individual has certain personal trait, he or she can apply self-managed learning
process learn and achieve the desired learning goals. The following assignment will reflect
the approaches that benefit the learner to manage his or her learning related to personal and
professional areas in the workplace.
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LO1
1.1 Evaluate approaches to self-managed learning in relation to your personal life and
your workplace.
Self-managed learning is a unique approach towards learning that helps an individual in
obtaining significant benefits from the workplace. The approaches are generally research
based and proven practically over certain conventional methods. It is the development
process, in which an individual takes the responsibility to improve and develop his or her
own learning (Bennett, 2017).
 Learning from others – Learning from others is one most beneficial and important
process that can be learnt from the individuals present in the workplace. The activities
concerning to this aspect reflects the exchange roles that refers to the learning in two
way street, hence to connect and exchange responsibilities with concerned
stakeholders around while sharing the development challenges in order to consider the
results effectively. Collaboration and knowledge sharing develops the self-skills in a
better manner. Learning from the experts in the department is necessary as those
experts can provide information based on their experiences (Swank and Visser, 2015).
 Mentoring and coaching – Mentoring requires supporting and encouraging an
individual in order to manage their self-learning and maximizes the self-potentiality,
skills and performances. Coaching refers to the way the things are done by the learner
to improvise one’s personal potentiality and performances while working in the
workplace (MacLennan, 2017).
 Learning from the research – The activity encompasses the learning from the
researches that determines the individual tests and understanding of his or her learning
objectives in a responsible self-managed way in the place (Abele et al., 2015).
1.2 Propose ways in which lifelong learning in personal and professional contexts could
be encouraged at the work place by your employer to support your future goals.
The ways that reflects the lifelong learning in professional and personal context encourages
the workplace by the employers in order to support the future goals are discussed below:
Benefits at personal level:
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The individuals present in the workplace sets their objectives effectively in order to assess the
self-shortcomings (Livingstone, 2015).
 Lifelong learning benefits an individual to develop his or her skills that improvise
one’s progress rapidly in the working place. Such skills refer to understanding certain
skills to develop self-resilience, achieve the challenges and goals, self-conscience,
improve ambiguity dealings and self- awareness.
 The other benefit reflects the increased understanding of new approaches to personal
and professional life. Hence, it influences the learner to learn new skills, ideas and
share the learning to others and to put them in the working practice effectively.
Benefits at organisational level:
Organisational benefits refers to creation of a better work environment as an employee in the
workplace and to learn the work effectively with the colleagues and resulting low staff
turnovers in the organisation (Field et al., 2016).
 The benefits show the positive aspect to self-managed learning while creating an
efficient work performance and work motivation within the organisation. Self-
learning increases the self-confidence levels and ability to hold the work
responsibilities.
 The other beneficial aspect reflects effective relationships with the stakeholders,
employees and other peoples working in the workplace. It also increases the
capabilities to solve the problems that arises in the organisation, while introducing
innovative ideas and opinions to the business operations so that to lead the
organisation achieving its expectations.
1.3 Evaluate the benefits of self-managed learning to the individual and organisation.
Self-managed learning are the cross sectors that promotes learning beyond the traditional
schooling and continuation of the learning process throughout the life. The terms refers to the
processes that an individual takes on the initiatives to diagnose the needs of the learning and
formulate the learning objectives. It also refers to identification of the human and other
materialistic resources present in the environment for learning (Cunningham, 2017). The
process also reflects the way to select the appropriate strategies to implement the learning
process hence evaluate the learning outcomes.
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The ways that the Air Hotel can encourage the life-long learning at the personal and
professional levels are given below
Personal Level: This is the continuous learning process that helps an individual to have an
active mind in the workplace. Hence, such self-managed learning enables an individual to
fulfil the learning goals at a personal level. .
 Setting goals: People engaging in self-directed learning tend to focus on achieving a
clear vision of their targets for which they set specific goals.
 Motivation: Lifelong learning or self-managed learning requires high level of
motivation in order to feel or be positive about the learning process and to increase
the ability to learn.
Professional Level: Professional level refers to the balancing of the transferable skills that an
employer looks in an individual. Such abilities refer to the individuals that have steady and
continuous learning and development tendencies.
 Accountability: The process states to instil the idea that the employees and the staffs
working in the organisation are accountable for their own professional future and
responsible for their own success.
 Implementing Learning strategies: While understanding the fact that every
individual have different preferences and learning ways, selecting the most
appropriate way to learn that is by shared experiences or by listening to the lessons is
important to be considered.
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LO2
2.1 Evaluate your current skills and competencies against professional standards and
organisational objectives.
The skill area that I think I have met the professional standards is the leadership skill
The major area that I have achieved in order to meet the professional standards is the
leadership skill. I have managed the team effectively in the place while coordinating with
my fellow members. I have also improved the coordinative nature within me. Hence, it has
helped me to understand the different perceptions that my member belong regarding the
subject. I have also been attentive in our regular meetings while discussing the issues
regarding to the aspect. I have also influenced my members to acknowledge their
responsibilities efficiently while developing a positive attitude working with my team, the
difficulties faced by my team has improvised my attitude gradually being a positive thinker in
the place and holding my team together to achieve the objective (Lussier and Achua, 2015).
The areas that I think I have not met the professional
Decision making skills: Decision making skills has not been improved while selecting the
individuals as per the different responsibilities. Hence, it has shown my poor decision making
skills while taking right systematic approaches towards the plan and the team selection as per
the needs (Weller and Toplak, 2016).
Interpersonal skills: As per the feedbacks of my team members I have also shown poor
interpersonal skills in the workplace, I have been dominating my team members while
implementation my decisions effectively in the place as being a leader. I have also been
raised my voice while any task has been delayed in the process hence such interactions refers
to my poor interpersonal skills hence reflecting the need to improve my interpersonal skill
(DuBrin, 2014).
Analytical skills: I have also failed to visualize the problems that can be raised in work
process hence the poor conceptualizations in solving the complex problem have reflected the
lack of analytical skills. As per the poor decision making skill, when any complicated
problems arise to our team I have shown poor decisions of not taking suitable sensible
decisions as per the situation (Subramanian, 2017).
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2.2 Identify own development needs and the activities required meeting them.
Areas that
require
development
1st Week 2nd Week 3rd Week 4th Week 5th Week 6th Week
Decision making
skills:
I will try to
develop my
decision-making
skills. I will try to
spend time with
my seniors in Air
Hotel and will try
to learn about
how they take
decisions during
different
situations
Interpersonal
skills: In order
to improve my
interpersonal
skills, I will
communicate
more with my
co- employees
and other people
to gain more
confidence. I will
try to use right
phrases and
improve my
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control over the
language.
Analytical skills:
To improve my
analytical skills I
will actively start
reading the
credible books
and articles.
Daily
communication
with the new
people will help
me to improve
the skill. I will
also make the
counts on
personal
encounters.
Figure 1: The action plan for human resource development in Air Hotel
(Source: Created by the Learner)
2.3 Identify development opportunities to meet current and future defined needs.
Being the human resource advisor of Air Hotel, I will get various opportunities to develop my
personal skills in the workplace. As being an advisor, I tend to get lots of opportunities to
interact with the members of Air Hotel. Hence, I will ensure not to lose any such
opportunities to improve my skills in every means and will overcome my flaws while
increasing the productive corner within myself.
Areas that
require
development
1st Week 2nd Week 3rd Week 4th Week 5th Week 6th Week
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Decision making
skills:
When the
management
team of Air Hotel
will organize
board meetings, I
ensure to
contribute
towards the
decision making
process when
required. This
would help me to
understand
whether I have
been able to
provide right
suggestions,
which would
ultimately reflect
upon my
decision-making
skills..
Interpersonal
skills:
In order to
develop my
interpersonal
skills, I will
participate in the
office events and
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try to
communicate
with the
employees
personally to
understand their
perceptions and
way of thinking.
This would help
me enhance my
people skills.
Analytical skills:
To develop such
skill I will assist
the financial
management
team in their
decisions making
process. I will
also try to
simplify the
departmental
conflict situations
that arise in the
lower levels of
Air Hotel.
Table 2: Action plan for the Human resource development opportunities in Air Hotel
(Source: Created by the Learner)
2.4 Devise a personal and professional development plan based on identified needs
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Learning and
Development
Requirements
Development
Type
Time Required Responsible
Person
Comments
To learn and
develop my
decision making
skills effectively
in the workplace
To improve my
decision-making
skill as the
Advisor of Air
Hotel, I will
contribute my
ideas regarding
the company
policies, laws
and processes.
In this way I will
be able to
improvise my
decision making
skills.
2 weeks The main
responsible
person can
support me in
with the training
sessions and
improve my
decision skills.
The company
manager and the
senior
management
team are the
responsible
persons who
will organise the
training sessions
in the
workplace.
The sessions
organised by the
managers and
the senior
management
teams should
ensure that the
training sessions
must have
effective
participation of
experienced
specialist and
trainers.
Efficient
trainers can
effectively train
the participants
with better
knowledge
towards the
hospitality
management
industry
To learn and
develop my
interpersonal
skills in the
working place
To improve my
interpersonal
skills in the
place I will start
communicating
with the
2 weeks The responsible
person in this
aspect will be
the public
relation
department of
The relationship
with the Public
Relation
department and
effective
teamwork can
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employees from
different
departments.
Such practices
will help me to
understand the
employee
perceptions
towards
different aspects,
and hence such
communication
practices will
improve my
interpersonal
skills.
Air Hotel. In
order to improve
the skill I will
need some
training from
the Public
relation officer.
The
management
employees to
whom I will
need to
communicate
will also have
the responsible
corner to
support me in
improvising my
skills.
help me to
improve my
interpersonal
skills in much
smoother way.
To improve and
effectively
develop my
analytical skills
in the Air Hotel
To improve my
analytical skills I
will attempt to
practice and
solve the
analytical
problems while
going through
the past case
studies of Air
Hotel. I will
hence learn the
specific
techniques to
2 weeks The responsible
persons in the
concerned
aspect are the
senior
management
team of Air
Hotel who will
support me with
the case studies
of Air Hotel and
help me to
improve my
analytical skills
Analytical skills
can be improved
effectively by an
efficient team
working.
Efficient
relationship
with the team
and the
colleagues will
help me to
improve my
analytical
approaches in
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and better ways
to improve my
analytical skills
in the
workplace.
while analysing
the feedbacks of
the case studies.
the workplace.
Table 3: PDP for three skill areas identified as not met in the Action Plan
(Source: Created by the learner)
LO3
3.1 Discuss the processes required to implement the development plan
The professional and personal development plan is the formal way by which I can set out the
goals and develop strategies in order to achieve better outcomes in the place through my
learning and training process. Following order to improve or develop the learning
development plans, I will request the management team of Air Hotel to provide the necessary
means through which I can improve myself in the workplace. Training programs and guest
sessions are the major areas that will support me and the other employees to learn certain
aspects to understand the situational techniques in order to handle the issues in much better
ways. The certain steps that I will follow in the development process will include- aligning
the training plans with the business strategies where I will highlight the skill gaps in the
workplace. Next step would be prioritizing the training requirements where I will identify the
right training sources for the process. After this, I will motivate the employees to show
engagements in the process and lastly I will measure the development process. Hence, while
maintaining the process effectively I will able to develop my personal and professional skills
in the work environment and will tend to act in a much better way to solve the issues, make
decisions as per the situation and communicate with the employees effectively improving my
interpersonal skills in the workplace (Wight et al., 2015).
3.2 Undertake and document development activities as planned
WEEK 1 In order to align the training plan according to the business strategy
and professional skill development, I will understand my skills that I
am lacking behind. According to the levels, I will align the training
plans. Identifying the learning process and development areas is
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essential in terms of improving communication skill and support the
self-development.
WEEK 2 Highlighting the skill gaps in the workplace while evaluating the
designated targets will help me to set goals and understand the areas
which I need to improve my professional skills. I will attend the
training programs conducted by the senior managements.
WEEK 3 I will prioritize the training needs as per attending the training
programmes with the efficient trainers and adopt the approaches
towards the e – learning process.
WEEK 4 I will start working upon the right sources to acquire the learning
process through the concerned case studies of Air Hotel that will
improve my understanding skills about the situations.
WEEK 5 Team and senior management engagements will effectively help me
to improve the personal skills, the guidance from the experienced
personnel and employee support will help me to improve such skills
within me
WEEK 6 To ensure the training process and development of my skills I will
measure the improvements that I tend to practice in the workplace,
hence to monitor the skill improvements practically in Air Hotel.
Table 4: progress log of development activities
(Source: Created by the Learner)
3.3 Reflect critically on own learning against original aims and objectives set in the
development plan
While developing and improving my professional and personal skills as per the determined
development plan I have faced quite a change in the process in the developing process. As
per the aim in week 1 I was tend to align the training plans that should have conducted by the
management team has shown quite less participations and hence at some point has shown the
de motivate corners and time delays in the process. In week 2 while I attended the training
programs the trainers were quite efficient to communicate the expected issues in the
hospitality area hence i have learned a certain aspects to take right decisions in such
situations. Prioritizing the training needs in week 3 was done efficiently in the place that
helped me to identify and distinguish the right skills I belong and the skills I lack. In week 4
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the case studies were quite intense and have learning corners that highly improved my skills
in such analytical situations. I have worked with human resource, managerial and public
relation departments to understand the certain aspects to connect the employees and hence
improved my professional as well as personal skills in the workplace.
3.4 Update the development plan based on feedback and evaluation
Learning and
Development
Requirements
Development Type Time
Required
Responsible Person
To learn and develop in
decision making skills
in the workplace
I will now tend to
focus upon the right
steps to implement
the learning’s that i
have achieved in the
process
2 weeks I will be responsible person
to modify myself
approaches towards the
decisions I will be taking in
the place.
To learn and improve
my interpersonal skills
in the workplace
I will concentrate on
building steady
relationship with the
employees and higher
levels will help me to
improve the
interpersonal skills
and solve the
conflicts that arises in
the place
2 weeks I will be the responsible
person who will improve
my interpersonal skills
To understand the
analytical skills in the
workplace
I will tend to practice
and strategize the
analytical issues in
the workplace while
learning from the
case studies
2 weeks I will be the responsible
person here to improve the
required skill.
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Table 5: Updated the development plan based on feedback and evaluation
(Source: Created by the Learner)
LO4
4.1 Select solutions to work-based problems. (Refer to PPT and appendix)
While identifying the work-based problems in human resource department of Air Hotel I
have identified the following issues that arise in the HR department (Cunningham and
Dawes, 2016).
1. Training and compliance issues: It is necessary to undertake effective training
programmes in the hospitality management in order to ensure the efficiency of the
employees working in the hotel. To experience best outcomes from the employees it
is necessary to train and educate the new strategies and aspects to the employees.
2. Productivity: It is also important to monitor the productivity of the company working
effectively in improving the productive level in the workplace. Hence, it is essential to
identify the problem sources that reflect the poor practices and lack of resources in
Air Hotel.
3. Discrimination and diversity: As the business has different cultural involvements in
the place, it is important to place the commitments towards the employees equally.
Discrimination in the workplace can spoil the talents within the deserving employees
working in Air Hotel.
4.2 Communicate in a variety of styles and appropriate manner at various levels
In order to communicate with the various levels present in the Air Hotel I will tend to select
the following styles to communicate with the various people present in the organisation:
1. Reserved communication: This communication process refers to the conversation
that happens between two individuals in order to discuss any personal issues and other
discussions.
2. Direct communication: The communication process refers to the conversation made
between two individual and the group. Such communication is generally
straightforward and reflects confidence towards informing the message to the
receivers (Rahim, 2017).
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3. Open Communication: In order to communicate efficiently with the colleagues and
employees, informal communication can let the employees to share the personal and
professional issues while expressing their emotions through open communication
process.
3.3 Evaluate and use effective time management strategies.
Effective time management is necessary to increase the productivity in the workplace. The
process refers to the right planning and organising the time divisions as per the concerned
activities (Wittenberg and Moriarty, 2015). Communication strategies are adopted to enable
the time management in much smarter way and increase the effectiveness of the work to be
done. The strategies I have selected as per my requirements are discussed below:
1. To understand the use of time efficiently: The strategy means to maintain a time log
in the place in order to determine the way that one uses its time as per the activities.
Recording of such activities in a weekly basis can give a brief of the activities that I
have used in various aspects to manage certain areas. It will give me the idea to
identify my activities reflecting that if I have used the time in a productive way or not.
2. To set up Priorities: The strategy refers to maintain the time according as per the
activities that is more important. Categorising the activities as per the various
quadrants referring to urgent, important, not urgent and not important can distinguish
the activities as per the needs (Meissner et al., 2015).
3. Planning tools: Using tools like recording the information, while jotting down the
outcomes, would help in future to improve my productivity and efficiency.
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Conclusion
In a conclusion, the assignment has briefly discussed the importance and ways to improve the
personal and professional development in the workplace. It has also shown the values of self-
managed learning towards the individual and organisation. The assignment has also evaluated
the skills and competencies that stand against the professional standards and towards the
organisational goals. The assignment has also shown the action plans and time management
strategies to improve the professional skills in the workplace.
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Reference list
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V. and Ranz, F., 2015. Learning Factories for research, education, and training. Procedia
CiRp, 32, pp.1-6.
Bennett, B., 2017. Self Managed Learning-cases of action. In Self Managed Learning in
Action (pp. 53-60). Routledge.
Cunningham, I. and Dawes, G., 2016. The handbook of work based learning. Routledge.
Cunningham, I., 2017. The wisdom of strategic learning: The self managed learning solution.
Routledge.
DuBrin, A.J., 2014. Human relations: Interpersonal job-oriented skills. Pearson Higher Ed.
Field, J., Künzel, K. and Schemmann, M., 2016. International Comparative Adult Education
Research. Reflections on theory, methodology and future developments. Internationales
Jahrbuch der Erwachsenenbildung, 39(1), p.109.
Livingstone, D.W., 2015. Lifelong learning in paid and unpaid work: Survey and case study
findings. Routledge.
Lussier, R.N. and Achua, C.F., 2015. Leadership: Theory, application, & skill development.
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MacLennan, N., 2017. Coaching and mentoring. Taylor & Francis.
Meissner, W., Coluzzi, F., Fletcher, D., Huygen, F., Morlion, B., Neugebauer, E., Pérez,
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priorities for change. Current medical research and opinion, 31(11), pp.2131-2143.
Rahim, M.A., 2017. Managing conflict in organizations. Routledge.
Subramanian, K.R., 2017. Analytical Skills–The Wake up Call for Human Resource.
International Journal of Engineering and Management Research (IJEMR), 7(1), pp.14-19.
Swank, O.H. and Visser, B., 2015. Learning from others? Decision rights, strategic
communication, and reputational concerns. American Economic Journal: Microeconomics,
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Weller, J.A. and Toplak, M.E., 2016. Introduction: Development of judgment and decision-
making skills meets the study of individual differences. In Individual Differences in
Judgement and Decision-Making (pp. 11-17). Psychology Press.
Wight, D., Wimbush, E., Jepson, R. and Doi, L., 2015. Six steps in quality intervention
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Wittenberg, S. and Moriarty, M., 2015. Effective time management.
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Appendix
Task 4.1
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