Service Design Transformation and Leadership: Self-Reflection

This report presents a self-reflective analysis of leadership within the context of service design, focusing on the author's personal experiences as a Senior Carer in a UK care home. The report utilizes the Gibbs reflective model to evaluate a specific team-work incident, highlighting the importance of leadership skills. It also explores the author's personal development plan, outlining objectives such as securing a Home Care Manager position and attaining an MSc in healthcare management. The plan includes strategies like enrolling in a Master's program, seeking leadership experience, identifying a mentor, and attending short-term courses. The report emphasizes the need for competitive skills and practical exposure to thrive in the healthcare sector, drawing on relevant literature to support its arguments and providing a structured approach to leadership development.

Running head: SERVICE DESIGN TRANSFORMATION AND LEADERSHIP
Service Design Transformation and Leadership
(A Reflective of Own Leadership)
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1SERVICE DESIGN TRANSFORMATION AND LEADERSHIP
Table of Contents
Introduction-....................................................................................................................................2
Feelings-..........................................................................................................................................5
Evaluation-.......................................................................................................................................5
Conclusion-......................................................................................................................................6
My Personal Development Plan-.....................................................................................................7
References-....................................................................................................................................10

2SERVICE DESIGN TRANSFORMATION AND LEADERSHIP
Introduction-
Professional development is a much needed activity for the contemporary sector. This is
due to an increased competition, which has redefined the concept of employability. Additionally,
sustenance is also very limited with the contemporary professionals. This can be because of
several reasons such as the unawareness of graduates with the leadership skills. Absence of
practical exposure with the selected industry is another fat that contributes the rising number of
attrition. Employability skills are needed to be nourished with an effective leadership mentoring.
This is only possible if an individual undergoes the self-reflective analysis. Additionally, an
action plan for future is also required. This is required because the healthcare sector is full of
complexities and challenges to a fresh recruited professional. Such challenges often become the
reason for the attrition. Employees fail to understand the opportunities that their selected country
provides to them. This is where they fall in consequences and ends up losing the job (Huq and
Gilbert 2013). This study is aimed at conducting a self-reflective analysis of my professional
development. This also discusses the preparation of my action plan, which will assist me in my
role as a Home Care Manager. Moreover, the plan is for the development of leadership skills in
me, which is necessary to flourish my career as a Home Care Manager.
As opined by Moon (2013), reflective on self-reflection is a good approach towards
learning, which is necessary for both the learning process and for the professional career. The
author has emphasized on the importance of self-reflection for a better academic as well as a
professional career. According to Dixon et al. (2014), teachers often struggle to provide a deeper
insight into the professional development. They have less understanding of the capabilities that
varies from one student to another. This produces the necessity to go through a professional
development plan in the supervision of a structured action plan and a capable mentorship. Such

3SERVICE DESIGN TRANSFORMATION AND LEADERSHIP
process will help to develop the identified leadership skills through different stages that also
include appearing for short-term courses. Such courses are a good way to know the relevant
leadership skills. This is also important to get the feedbacks from the mentors, which is helps to
rectify the performance error. It is clearly evident from what both the authors have said, it is
necessary to analyze the self-capabilities in order to gain a much needed competitive skills to
pursue an organized and a controlled career. An organized career is important to handle the
challenging situations that are there in the numerous industries such as the healthcare industry.
Such capability helps to understand the industry and its demands. Moreover, trained and
professional employees will be much capable to supply the demands to their respective
employers. Moreover, there will exist a balanced relation in between the increasing demand of
the suppliers and the relevant responses of the employees.
In the opinion of Stephens et al. (2012), self-reflection is indeed important for a
professional career. The authors have cited the example of a medical school to understand the
importance of self-reflection. According to the authors, there is ample number of complexities in
the healthcare sector. Such complexities require a solid counteract of professionals both at the
junior and the senior level. Seniors are required to be professional to provide a better educational
support to the juniors. Such support will help the juniors to understand their career goal better.
On the other hand, juniors do also require a professional support of their mentors to realize the
importance of leadership skills. Leadership skills are important for a professional career.
According to the authors, leadership skills produce a much needed resistance in employees,
which helps through a challenging environment. Attrition rates are higher because of many
reasons that also include the incapability to understand the chosen industry. Employees do not
possess the required leadership skills in them that help to stand strong in the oddest of situations.

4SERVICE DESIGN TRANSFORMATION AND LEADERSHIP
However, a professionally developed employee will have a better control of the challenging
circumstances.
Cadorin et al. (2012) have felt the needs of the professional development process
through the entire career in the healthcare sector by citing the complexities present in the sector.
According to the authors, complexities are there due to a constantly changing technological and
social aspect in the healthcare sector. Such changes need to be backed up by competent
professionals who could utilize their experience in the wellbeing of the respective healthcare
center. According to the authors, competent employees can only survive the complexities of
healthcare sector. The sector is full of challenges, which needs the supervision of a competent
mentor. Additionally, employees are also required to go through relevant short-term courses.
Such courses help to understand the theoretical background of the respective industry. Moreover,
professional development allows both the theoretical and the practical development in an
organized way. Authors have believed that the graduate professionals should pursue the post
graduate degree and along with that pursuing the short-term professional development program
will help to be competent in regards the chosen industry.
As opined by Hudson (2013), professional development is required both at the junior and
the senior position. It is required at the junior position to get the better understanding of the
subject. This is also required for the teachers to become a skilled professional. This is immensely
required that teachers and students are both acquainted with their roles & responsibilities. If this
happens they will find a comparatively fairer interrelationship amongst them. However, this is
more important to understand the way out of the identified challenges. Such challenges can be
resolved as believed by Hudson (2013), if both the students and the teachers understand the
importance of professional development. However, this is only possible if an individual at the

5SERVICE DESIGN TRANSFORMATION AND LEADERSHIP
different platform conducts a self-analysis of their skills. This will help them to identify the
required skills needed to be at the professional level (Carmeli, Gelbard and Reiter‐Palmon 2013).
The Gibbs reflective model will help me in reflecting on my professional career as a
Senior Carer in a Sanctuary care home in UK (Brown 2016). Gibbs reflective model will help
me to construct a reflective analysis in different useful stages. The model will prove to be helpful
in analyzing my current role as a Senior Carer in a care home in UK. Moreover, I will apply
some theories to have a better understanding on how to conduct a reflective analysis of a
professional career.
Feelings-
One of the experiences that I had during my role as a senior carer was the team-work that
made me feel broken. The incident simply took me by surprise and I had no clues on how to
resolve the issue. This is where I realized the importance of leadership in professional roles.
Leadership quality could have encouraged me for a robust solution; however, that did not
happen. At some point in time, I realized the urgency to dissolve the group. However, I was very
confused also on whether the decision will be the best solution. The transformation from a settled
group to a quarreling group surprised me and had left me clueless. The incident had affected my
decision making capability as I found myself unable to find any answer on how to proceed with
such a group.
Evaluation-
This was indeed a very stressful session for me that lasted a long. However, the period
has made me realized that I need an action, which I had ignored earlier. The conflict that was
there in the group has made me feel anxious. I was bit ignorant on the conflict probably because

6SERVICE DESIGN TRANSFORMATION AND LEADERSHIP
of the confidence that I lacked in. The missing leadership quality has made me feel incompetent
for resolving the issue.
However, the Gibbs reflective model did help me to understand the loopholes in my
leadership. The sequential guidance of Gibbs has helped me analyze my professional capability
and the required things, which are necessary to bring the identified changes in my professional
career. I want to be the Home Care Manager after completing my graduates. Nevertheless,
leadership skills will be required to justify my roles being a Home Care Manager.
Had I been acquainted with the different leadership styles, I would have brought the
required differences in my group. I could have resolved the issue in a very less period of time.
According to Carmeli, Gelbard and Reiter‐Palmon (2013), leadership quality is effective in
resolving the complex issues related to the employees. Moreover, this helps to bring creativity in
them, which is very necessary for both the career of the employees and the leader. Additionally,
problem solving skills further the enrichment of problem solving capabilities in leaders. It also
emphasized on a fact that suitable leadership quality should be used at an appropriate situation. I
have realized that there are significant actions that I need to adopt in order to develop the
required leadership skills in me.
Conclusion-
The group was comparatively smaller than the one it would be at an organizational level.
However, challenges will be more in my target organization. This is indeed necessary for me that
I develop the identified leadership skills in me. This will prepare a supportive platform, which is
needed to face both the expected and the unexpected challenges. Being the Senior Carer at the
Sanctuary care home in UK, I was able to identify the leadership related challenges in me. The

7SERVICE DESIGN TRANSFORMATION AND LEADERSHIP
experience proved to be useful as it made me understood the need to develop leadership skills in
me, which will be required much at the larger platform.
My Personal Development Plan-
Step 1: Objectives-
 To secure a Home Care Manager post by the completion of graduate program
 To develop leadership skills by mid-2020
 To attain an MSc degree in healthcare management by mid-2020
In the opinion of El-Hammadi (2012), competitive skills are needed in leading sectors such as
the health care sector. Additionally, the author has believed the need to undergo the graduate
courses in order to attain the much needed competitiveness. Post graduate degree according to
the author will further the competitive skills, which will produce the leadership skills required to
be at a larger platform.
Step 2: Evaluating my current position-
 Currently pursuing the undergraduate program in Health Management Services
 Working as a Senior Carer in a Sanctuary care home in UK to support the team members,
the position is missing on leadership part
 The position is devoid of practical exposure to leadership experiences
Step 3: How I planned to attain my objectives-
Planned routes for my assistance Priority

8SERVICE DESIGN TRANSFORMATION AND LEADERSHIP
Enrolment for a MSc in Health Management
Services
1
Apply for work to be able to have some experience
in leadership
2
Apply for Home Care Manager position 3
Identify an experienced mentor who could train me
on leadership qualities
5
Attend short-term courses in leadership 4
Table 1: Planned Routes to Attain the Set Objectives
(Source: created by author)
The post graduate course will help me enriching the leadership qualities in me. Furthermore, the
consultation with a mentor will help me in a practical way to understand the leadership skills.
Short-term courses are extremely helpful for integrating with the theoretical background for the
leadership skills. In the opinion of Brown, Arendt and Bosselman (2014), knowledge about the
target industry is mandatory to have a secured career. According to the authors, many employees
escape away after being enrolled into a position due to their unawareness with the industry. A
proper exposure to a professional career will indeed help in rectify the misconception. Moreover,
this should be accompanied from an expert mentor. These strategies will help both through the
theoretical and the practical perspectives. These steps will help me develop the identified
leadership skills in me, which will be supportive for my career as a Home Care Manager.
Step 4: My Action Plan-
Action Measure Required Support Date of Completion
1. Enrolment for Place offer Support from the 31st July 2020

9SERVICE DESIGN TRANSFORMATION AND LEADERSHIP
postgraduate study lecturer and mentor
Fees scheme of
government
Table 2: My Action Plan
(Source: created by author)

10SERVICE DESIGN TRANSFORMATION AND LEADERSHIP
References-
Brown, E.A., Arendt, S.W. and Bosselman, R.H., 2014. Hospitality management graduates’
perceptions of career factor importance and career factor experience. International Journal of
Hospitality Management, 37, pp.58-67.
Brown, M.M., 2016. Reflective Supervision.
Cadorin, L., Suter, N., Dante, A., Williamson, S.N., Devetti, A. and Palese, A., 2012. Self-
directed learning competence assessment within different healthcare professionals and amongst
students in Italy. Nurse Education in Practice, 12(3), pp.153-158.
Carmeli, A., Gelbard, R. and Reiter‐Palmon, R., 2013. Leadership, creative problem‐solving
capacity, and creative performance: The importance of knowledge sharing. Human Resource
Management, 52(1), pp.95-121.
Dixon, F.A., Yssel, N., McConnell, J.M. and Hardin, T., 2014. Differentiated instruction,
professional development, and teacher efficacy. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 37(2),
pp.111-127.
El-Hammadi, M., 2012. Syrian pharmacy students’ intentions and attitudes toward postgraduate
education. American journal of pharmaceutical education, 76(8), p.147.
Hudson, P., 2013. Mentoring as professional development:‘growth for both’mentor and
mentee. Professional development in education, 39(5), pp.771-783.
Huq, A. and Gilbert, D.H., 2013. Enhancing graduate employability through work-based learning
in social entrepreneurship: A case study. Education+ Training, 55(6), pp.550-572.