Professional Identity and Practice: Skills Development Plan Marriott

This report focuses on professional identity and practice, detailing a comprehensive skills development plan aimed at enhancing an individual's abilities and competencies for a specific job role, particularly within the hospitality sector. It begins with an overview of Marriott International, highlighting the importance of continuous professional development for both employees and employers. The report identifies essential skills for an Event Manager role, including problem-solving, negotiation, communication, and creativity, and then assesses personal strengths and weaknesses in relation to these skills. It explores learning theories such as Social Learning Theory and Bloom's Taxonomy to inform personal and professional growth. The report culminates in a detailed development plan for improving specific skills, followed by the design and execution of a job interview simulation, and an analysis of its strengths and weaknesses. Desklib provides students access to similar solved assignments and past papers.

PROFESSIONAL
IDENTITY AND
PRACTICE

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK...............................................................................................................................................3
Company overview......................................................................................................................3
Identify the benefits of on-going professional development.......................................................4
Identify professional employer expectation of skills for desired job role...................................5
Determine personal skills, abilities and competencies for specific job role................................6
Identify the learning theories and approaches for personal and professional development........7
Create a development plan for improving skills..........................................................................8
Design and undertake job interview for chosen service industry..............................................11
Determine the strengths and weakness for applied interview process......................................13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Professional identity and practice is a process of improving skills, knowledge and core
capabilities of a person for performing a specific job. The process of personal and professional
development is continuous which helps in developing required skill set according to the dynamic
business environment (Büyükgöze and Gün, 2017). The components of personal and
professional development involves- orientation, critical thinking, professional socialization,
mentoring, perception and experience of an individual (Cameron and Grant, 2017). The process
of personal and professional development supports in determining the professional self-concept
which includes different factors such as- believes, motives, attributes and experience.
Marriott International is an American multinational corporation that functions all over the
world and provides a variety of services to its clients, including lodging and housing services as
well as other services in the hospitality sector. The company's headquarters are in Maryland, and
J. Willard Marriot and Allice Marriott created it.
The aim of this report is to identify the benefits of professional development in terms of
improving an individual's abilities and competencies for executing certain job duties and
responsibilities, as well as meeting all of the organization's goals and objectives. The study
focuses on several learning theories that may aid in the growth and structuring of a career, as
well as the creation of a personal development plan and skill enhancement techniques. The
project outlines the interview process in the hotel sector, as well as its strengths and weaknesses.
TASK
Company overview
Marriott Hotel is a multinational business that delivers great hotel rooms, dining services,
and better customer experiences to its global clients. The hotel chain was established by J.
Willard Marriot and Allice Marriott in the year 1927 in Washington. It is a public company
which deals in hospitality industry under the name of Marriott Corporation. There are several
subsidiary hotels and resorts which are operated under the global hotel chain Marriott, some of
the subsidiaries are- Westin hotels and resorts, Sheraton hotels and resorts, Le Meridien and
many other hotels. The company offers wide variety which operates through franchises, licenses
lodgings including hotel, residential and timeshare properties.

Identify the benefits of on-going professional development
Professional development is a continuous plan of developing and enhancing skills and
knowledge that can be helpful in performing the specific job roles and responsibilities. The on-
going professional development brings many benefits which are outlined below:
Benefits of on-going professional development for employees
 Updated skills- The ongoing professional development brings an opportunity for
employees to enhance the skill set and keep their skills updated as per required job role
which will help them in performing the activities and responsibilities of the job
accurately and efficiently and meet performance standard (Carrillo, Baguley and Vilar,
2015).
 Enhance productivity- The ongoing professional development is an approach which
helps in enhancing the performance and productivity through which they can perform
their assigned job roles and responsibilities effectively and make sure that all the assigned
activities are performed up to the performance standards and such approaches increases
the productivity of an individual.
 Better credibility and confidence- The ongoing or continuous professional development
process is a source of enhancing credibility, accountability and confidence of employees
which is helpful in encouraging employees to participate in the organisational task and
meet all organisational objective which also create an opportunity for employees for
better career and professional growth opportunities.
Benefits of on-going professional development for employer
 Incline in employee engagement and retention rate- The on-going professional
development process helps employer to enhance the performance of their employees
through which they can they can increase the engagement of their employees and lead to
higher employee retention rate (Connolly and et.al, 2018). The process of personal and
professional development helps to regularly monitor the performance of their employees
through which they can willingly participate in managerial activities and organisation can
retain more talented employees that can be helpful for enhancing the organisational
competitive brand image.

 Increased commitment and employee morale- The ongoing or continuous development
plan is an approach for enhancing employee motivation level and commitment towards
the assigned job roles and responsibilities (Cruess, Cruess and Steinert, 2019). The
continuous development plan helps the organisation in improving employee performance
and enhancing required skill set which will help them in performing assigned job roles
effectively and such factors acts as drivers of motivation and leads to increased
commitment of employees towards the organisation.
 Effective organisational image- The continuous and professional development plan
offers opportunity to business to enhance the required skill set of employees which will
help them in performing the assigned job roles effectively and meet all performance
standards and organisational objectives which will lead to effective organisational
manage and goodwill in the industry.
Identify professional employer expectation of skills for desired job role
In accordance to the report, the hosen hotel is Marriott Hotel and the job role is of
EVENT MANAGER. For working as an Event Manager, there are several skills, knowledge
and competencies which are significant for performing the assigned job roles and responsibilities
effectively, some of the required skills are explained below:
 Problem solving- A successful event planners can tackle any challenge and solve and
problem in complex situations. They can come up with more than just sticky notes and
safety pins. They can make quick judgments while keeping calm in the face of
unexpected challenges. They may be able to keep an audience engaged while the keynote
speaker is stuck in traffic, or they may be able to shorten lunch lines.
 Negotiating and budgeting- When hiring a location, event planners must be able to
negotiate a contract with a sponsor or get the best pricing possible (Edwards, 2015).
Negotiating is an art form that needs a blend of strategy, subtlety, and self-assurance.
Budgeting requires predicting and tracking expenditure while dealing with invoices, bids,
and prices.
 Communication- Communicate in a professional and non-discriminatory manner to all
parties involved. Accept constructive criticism and have an open mind when it comes to
fresh ideas. Communication that is clear, strong, and respectful establishes you as a team

leader, keeps everyone on track, and ensures that everyone knows the event's objectives.
It also allows Event Manager to express their thoughts effectively and inspire passion
from others.
 Creativity and innovation- To execute a vision as an event manager, you must use your
imagination. It's an essential event planning skill for bringing authenticity and passion
into any gathering (Goodolf and Godfrey, 2021). A unique setting, a creative event
theme, or a motivational speaker are all possibilities for the event planner. For some
original ideas, go to online blogs, social media platforms, or an influencer.
Determine personal skills, abilities and competencies for specific job role
As this has been quoted above that I want to be an Event Manager for which different
skill set are required and to meet such criteria, I must identify the personal strengths and
weakness which will be helpful in gaining better insight (Hammond, Cross and Moore, 2016).
For such self-assessments, I continuously monitored and with the help of self-assessment, the
persona strengths and weakness has been defined below:
STRENGTHS
 Flexibility- Flexibility and
adaptability are strength for accepting
change and perform accordingly in the
situations.
 Listening- Listening skills has been
major strength which helps me in
understanding others opinions and
create a strong interpersonal
relationship.
 Organization- Being organized and
ability to manage all things properly
has been one of the strength which
help me in performing all activities
timely and in meeting the required
targets.
WEAKNESS
 Communication- Communication
skill has been a weakness and created
barriers in communicating and sharing
the right message at the right time and
it leads to ineffective and dull
conversation.
 Multi-tasking- Due to lack of
inability to manage to perform all task
in activities together and manage
several activities altogether has been
one of the weakness which has led to
delay in completion to assigned
activities and achieving objectives.
 Decision making- Weak decisions are
made out of self-interest and being

 Calm under pressure- Being calm
under high pressure has been one of
the major strengths which helped me
in handling many situations.
 Creativity and innovation-
Creativity and innovative ideas are
also major strength for effectively
performing and bringing new ideas to
the table which will help in meeting
customer requirements and achieve all
targets and objectives effectively.
indecisive has been a weakness which
has led to poor decision making.
 Strong networking- Due to lack of
communication, this has been one of
the biggest barrier for creating a
network and it is one of the weakness.
Poor networking affects the ability to
perform task and also leads to lack of
knowledge.
Identify the learning theories and approaches for personal and professional development
The process of professional development plan involves forming decisions which can be
helpful in facilitating long-term learning which is related to career and professional objectives of
an individual (Hanitzsch, 2017). Learning can happen in various forms and it can be gained
through different ideologies model theories and approaches which helps in individual in
sharpening their knowledge increasing their core competencies capabilities and skills. There are
various theories and approaches for personal professional development some of these theories
are discussed below:
 Social learning theory- The social learning theory was proposed by Albert Bandura in
the first half of 20th century. The social learning theory emphasis on the learning process
which quotes that the behavior is adopted by observing others. Social learning theory
defines human behavior in relation to reciprocal interaction among behavioral, cognitive
and environmental factors. The theory defines the importance of observing in imitating
the behaviors attitudes and emotional reaction of others (Hill and et.al, 2017). The
environmental as well as cognitive factors are considered valuable, as this can influence
the behavior and learnings of humans. Social learning theory also involves 4 principles
which are retention on deep context, attention and focus matter, reproduction occurs on
demand and motivation can be intrinsic as well as extrinsic.

 Bloom's Taxonomy- This learning theory was introduced by Benjamin Bloom and it is a
theoretical framework for learning. This theory of learning is classified under three
categories which involves- emotional, cognitive and psychomotor. The cognitive factor is
related to knowledge of subject comprehension and critical thinking. The affective aspect
describes how individuals emotionally respond and immerse themselves at the behavior
level, and this domain focuses on and manages awareness, improving emotions, feelings,
and attitudes (Ivanova and Skara-MincĿne, 2016). The psychomotor domain of Bloom's
Taxonomy is focused on skill-based learning, which includes the ability to operate or
affect instruments like a hand or a hammer. The psychomotor domain is largely
concerned with the development of behavior and skills.
Create a development plan for improving skills
A professional development plan is an individual development plan that outlines career
goals and defines methods to assist an individual in achieving those goals and developing the
necessary skill set.
Development plan for improving skills for Events Manager at Marriot Hotel
The professional development plan for Events Manger in Marriott Hotel is outline below:
SKILLS CURRENT
LEVEL
EXPECTED
LEVEL
STRATEGY MEASURE TIME
BOUND
Communication 3 7 For improving
communication
skills, I will
simplify
message and
engage with
learners and
leaders through
which I will be
able to deliver
accurate
message
The progress
can be
measured
through
monitoring the
changes in the
way of
communication
and ability to
deliver the
right message
to right person
3 months

(Kirkby, Walsh
and Keary,
2019). I will
focus on
practicing active
listening, public
speaking,
managing
emotions and
will also value
for asking for
feedbacks.
in appropriate
manner.
Decision
making
2 6 For developing
my decision
making skills, I
will develop
programming
and language
skills, interact
with all age
groups, will
engage in
exercise, do
experiments,
socialize with
people and
identify pros and
cons (Moorhead
and et.al, 2019).
I will mainly
focus on
The progress in
this skill can
be analyzed
through
identifying the
changes I past
and current
decisions
through which
better insight
can be gained.
3 months

identifying why
you need the
decision and
look for data to
get multiple
options and
consider the
consequences of
decisions which
will be formed
(Nuttman-
Shwartz, 2017).
Multi-tasking 4 8 For improving
my multitasking
skill, I will
prioritize my
activities and
group all similar
activities
(O'Brien, W.
and Bates,
2015). I will
make to do list
regularly and
monitor
progress, reduce
distraction,
practice working
all together
which can help
me in enhancing
The progress in
tis weakness
can be
identified
through
analyzing the
ability to
manage many
activities
altogether and
perform the
assigned job
roles
effectively.
5 months

my multitasking
skills.
Strong
networking
2 9 For improving
my networking
skills, I will
work on my
communication
abilities which
will help me in
practicing good
communication
(Pierson,
Goulding and
Campbell-
Meier, 2019). I
will attend
networking
events and ask
for constructive
feedback
through which I
can continuously
work on
enhancing my
required skill.
For identifying
the current
changes and
progress in this
skill can be
done though
identifying the
ability to
interact with
other people
and creating a
strong big
network.
7 months
Design and undertake job interview for chosen service industry
Marriott Hotel must hire the most qualified candidates who will be able to comprehend
the tasks and duties that must be fulfilled on a daily basis, as well as satisfy all performance
criteria that will aid in attaining the organization's goals (Rasmussen and et.al, 2018). In order to
recruit the most desired and viable applicant for the position of Event Manager, Marriott Hotel

will ask a series of questions during the interview process. Some of the questions that will be
asked during the interview process are listed below:
1. How do you keep track of your chores and prioritize them?
I like to make to-do lists, and this year I started using Asana for finals since it helps me
stay on top of several deadlines. It's also great for event planning since it breaks down large
events into smaller, more achievable tasks. It gives me an alert every morning with all of the
duties due that week, so I know if I'm falling behind—but there's still time to evaluate and
get back on track. I also believe in non-digital communication, so I schedule regular check-
ins with customers and vendors to ensure that no wires are crossed and that any last-minute
changes are addressed.
2. Describe a time when you were preparing an event and had to cope with a last-
minute change?
I interned with a local organisation last summer, helping with event planning for a
fundraising gala. That night, there was a huge storm, and a tree crashed down, blocking the
main road. Knowing that half of the guests would be late, my supervisor and I went down
with our key contact at the site and proactively changed the itinerary. We extended the
cocktail hour by 45 minutes to ensure latecomers to join us all for a short period of time, and
we gave everyone who was already there an extra lottery ticket as a token of our appreciation
for their patience. The salad and the main course were then presented together, allowing for a
quick dinner service. In the end, most people didn't even notice!
3. Do you prefer to work alone or in a group?
It caught my interest because event planning is really a team effort. I like working with
experts in a number of disciplines, including catering, floral design, venue management, and
music, and I think that every event I am lucky enough to attend teaches me something new.
We've all put in a lot of time and work to put on this one spectacular event, and it's a lot of
fun. When it comes to planning a day's schedule or figuring out a budget, I like to put my
head down and concentrate.
4. How do you keep an event budget on track?