Travelodge Hotel: A Personal and Professional Development Report

Desklib provides past papers and solved assignments for students. This report details a personal and professional development plan.

Personal and Professional Development
1

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Main analysis...................................................................................................................................4
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................4
1.1....................................................................................................................................................4
1.2....................................................................................................................................................5
1.3....................................................................................................................................................6
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................8
2.1....................................................................................................................................................8
2.2....................................................................................................................................................9
2.3..................................................................................................................................................10
2.4..................................................................................................................................................11
Task 3.............................................................................................................................................13
3.1..................................................................................................................................................13
3.2..................................................................................................................................................13
3.3..................................................................................................................................................14
3.4..................................................................................................................................................14
Task 4.............................................................................................................................................16
4.1..................................................................................................................................................16
4.2..................................................................................................................................................17
4.3..................................................................................................................................................17
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................20
Reference list.................................................................................................................................21
2

3

Introduction
Travelodge Hotel in Ilford, is located close to a tourist destination, therefore, ideal place for the
Hotel managers to provide number of services to visitors. Plan of company’s management is to
promote their services through the development of personal and professional development
program. The study includes an in-depth research on various aspects such as, procedures that the
management can follow to encourage their staff. Along with this, the study includes analysis of
personal strengths, weakness and opportunities, as an assistant manager at Travelodge Hotel.
Personal and Professional Development Plan has been developed and modified in order to
achieve self-developed goals and objectives.
4

Main analysis
Task 1
1.1. Evaluate approaches to self-managed
learning. Which approach can be more
suitable for you or your staff at
Travelodge Hotel?
For Travelodge Hotel to improve the quality
of their services, enhance the skills of
employees in an effective manner as well as
increasing customer satisfaction, promoting
self-managed learning among employees
could be one of the possible ways to
accomplish it. According to Cunningham
(2017), self-managed learning is considered
to be essential for personal development.
Several approaches have been outlined
below, which can be applied at Travelodge
Hotel:
E learning
In current era, several online platforms are
available that can be utilized by individuals,
as per their convenience and leisure. Several
online sites offer free courses on various
subjects and topics related to every field and
area. Therefore, this is the most suitable
method for the process, as it guarantees
flexibility, quality course material and
increment in professional skills.
Conferences and seminars
Attending conferences and seminars is
another method that can be employed by the
company’s management to encourage self-
managed learning. The advantage of this
method is that it allows the employees to
meet, interact and learn from industry
experts as well as peers from similar field or
expertise; therefore, ensuring highly
enhanced learning experience (Cunningham,
and Bennett, 2017). At conferences and
seminars, people can share their ideas and
experiences, thereby, enabling practical and
cognitive learning process.
Social networking sites
Social networking sites have emerged as
platforms for both communication and
learning process. Sites such as Facebook,
Twitter and LinkedIn offer excellent method
5

for connecting people from different
countries, therefore, this method can also be
used for boosting self-managed learning.
As per my understanding, I would suggest
that e learning, conferences, and seminars
would be the most suitable approach for
maximum benefit at Travelodge Hotel.
1.2. Propose ways in which lifelong
learning in personal and professional
contexts could be encouraged at
Travelodge. In this question, you should
say how you as a manager can encourage
lifelong learning at Travelodge Hotel.
At Travelodge Hotel, employees have good
amount of skills and experiences in the field;
however, they require slight motivation and
positive affirmation to push them towards
better direction. Therefore, as a manager,
policies and strategies that can be applied to
achieve the goals are explained below:
The first process that can be adopted is to
provide high satisfaction factors at
workplace, for which the manger can adopt
fair polices and practice for all employees,
instead of resorting to methods such as
punishment for mistakes done by
employees, managers can directly
communicate with them and solve the issue.
Building strong relationships with
employees will allow managers to influence
their behavior and promote self-management
and self-modification (Kanevsky et al.,
2018).
Another method that can be adopted is that
management can transform organizational
culture, where aspects such as self-managed
learning can be made mandatory for every
employee, therefore, pushing them to
indulge in learning activities.
Performance management and monitoring
methods can be used by the managers to
identify high performance employees,
thereby; rewarding them can drive other
employees to indulge in self-managed
learning. This process will serve as a highly
motivating factor for the management to
inculcate behaviors and habits among
employees to improve their competencies
and skills constantly. Regular measurement
and monitoring of performance will also
help managers to keep track and records of
all employees, as well as, evaluate their
areas of strengths and weakness. This
information is important while distributing
or allocating various roles and
responsibilities to different employees.
6

Personally speaking I would like to
implement the strategy such as performance
management and monitoring as well as
transforming organizational culture as a
process for encouraging employees in
personal and professional contexts.
1.3. Evaluate the benefits of self-managed
learning to you as an assistant manager
and the Travel Lodge. Your judgement
has to be supported by relevant evidence
or examples
Self-managed learning has multitude of
benefits for the individual as well as for the
organisation. This particular process can be
easily fit into the internal structure of the
organisation, where, managers, executives
and employees are encouraged to indulge in
self-managed learning. At Travelodge Hotel,
managers can increase their following skills
to enhance their handling, control,
management and strategic process over the
different activities:
Leadership skills
This is one of the most important skills
required while managing activities and
individuals at a hotel. Therefore, assistant
managers can work on these areas to
increase their control over the business
activities. Building leadership skills can help
assistant manager to influence behaviour of
employees and their power to direct and
persuade them to follow instructions.
Communication and employee engagement
skills
This is another aspect or element that can be
improved through self-managed learning.
Assistant managers are required to interact
with lot of individuals every day from
different departments; therefore, enhancing
communication skill can be highly
beneficial (Cowan, and Peacock, 2017).
Managers can use this skill to communicate
their ideas, organisational goals and
objectives effectively to employees.
Keeping track of own performance
Self-managed learning can promote
increment in personal and professional
7

skills, thereby, allowing great improvements
in overall efficiency. Managers can witness
developments in their performance as well
as keep complete track.
I have personally experienced
transformations in my leadership skills and
employee engagement skills through self-
managed learning.
8

Task 2
2.1. Evaluate your own current skills and competencies against professional standards for a
hotel manager and against organisational objectives of Travelodge Hotel.
In understanding my current skills and competencies in against the standards of professional
goals as a hotel manger of Travelodge Hotel has been illustrated below –
Figure 1: Skills and competencies
(Source: Created by the Learner)
 Effectiveness skills – The skill is to show right preferences and step towards the priorities
that roster the ability to identify and acknowledge an individual effectiveness skills working
in the organisation. This skill supports and helps me to maintain overall project standards as
implementation of procedures and equivalent bargaining skills. Such effectiveness is highly
considered as the skill in a manger to maintain the organization interest to the higher and
large aspects (Bell, 2018).
 Conceptual skills – Conceptual skill is always admired as the essential skill for me in order
to identify the different organizational opportunities, while boosting up the performance in
different hotel functions. The skill also enables me to recognize certain risks or threats
present in the organisation and helps me to grasp the vital information from the departments
with employee based parameter.
9

 Engagement and communication skills- In understanding the nature of the work and
mutual working condition the two components are crucially been criticized as per the
individual, organizational and professional basis. Proper communication skills have helped
me to contact with the diversified employees and staffs and persuade all the terms
manipulating them. Communication enhances the welfare corner and improves the
engagement within the organisation. Engagement skills have also enabled me to enhance
brand values and better customer relationships for Travelodge Hotel (Stickley et al., 2017).
 Interpersonal skills: The skill is developed with proper knowledge and training. It is a self
managed learning that I have improved in order to maintain the overall hotel network with
both internal and external prospects (O'Toole, 2016).
2.2. Identify your own development needs and the activities required to meet them. Which
of your skills may need to be improved? How are you going to improve or gain these skills?
In order to identify the activities and needs to accomplish the tasks the overall managerial
aspects refers the perception of the work nature (Hibberd, 2016). The development and
performance is considered important and to combine the process the following areas have been
determined below.
 To monitor and improvise the knowledge, skills and concepts of managerial roles - In
this particular process the individual requires to monitor the skills one holds in the
workplace. It is to find the deviation that requires to be improved in the work milestones. An
honest answer to hypocritical question will allow me to feel enthusiastic about the greater
strengths in the task (Razzaq et al., 2018).
 In perceiving the necessary skills and knowledge required to be an efficient manager –
in understanding the job criteria and descriptions, definite communicative skills and
interpersonal areas is considered essential to accomplish the efficiency of the job. In order to
improve the skills further, immediate conversations with seniors are necessary to enlist the
experiences and other skills in order to accomplish my tasks.
 Comparing the standard bar in order tosspot deviation – In comparing the required and
actual activities of the task, the outcomes should show up to mark activities and
improvements. The deviation signified in the monitoring process is necessary to be
10

controlled further by me to accomplish the tasks. The coordination and engagement based
skills requires consistent improvement therefore to improve my skills.
Which of your skills may need to be
improved
How are you going to improve or gain
these skills
Coordination skill is an area to organize
the groups and people in order to work
together and enable a well organized
workplace. To ensure coordination I need
to improve this skill as a manager in the
hotel.
In order improve this skill; I need to
communicate with other staffs and
employees working in the hotel. Formal
and informal meeting will improve my
understanding and will help me to create
bond with the employees. This will
improve my coordination skill gradually.
An engagement skill is also an important
area that I believe I need to improve
further in the workplace. Trust,
Adaptability and patience are the factors
that I am lacking to certain extent.
In order to increase my adaptability to
different situation, I will improve my
learning skills in order to gain knowledge
from the different case studies reflecting
other issues that may rise in the premises.
2.3. Identify development opportunities to meet your current and future defined needs.
Which opportunities are available for you inside or outside of the hotel to improve your
skill development needs?
Travelodge Hotel has shown a step forward to develop the skills and traits in the inauguration of
UK’s first “Skill Academy Training and Development, on 2nd September 2010”
(travelodge.co.uk, 2019). In order to gain the competitive advantage and to obtain an absolute
advantage in the workplace, the area that I need to meet as spot of opportunities in both internal
outside and inside of the hotel are identified below –
Current requirements – In acknowledging my present level I believe I can perform vividly in
order to succeed in my field. In my training days I have recognized multi-filtered environment
and been a smart-learner. Understanding the aspects I need to improve the skill associating
strategic organizations and self change skills.
The opportunities available in both internal and external organisation are –
11

 Socializing with other people – I will be able to communicate and socialize more with
the diversified people staying outside in the workplace. It will provide me right opinions
and confidence as a manger (Nass et al., 2015).
 Communication strategy – In order to direct the internal employees the opportunity to
communicate can help me to understand the responsibilities and roles of the
organizational departments.
2.4. Devise a personal and professional development plan based on identified needs. In this
task, you need to prepare a ‘plan’ for personal and professional development. In this plan
you need to mention three issues: ‘what’ are your needed skills; ‘how’ are you going to
develop the skills; and ‘when’ are you going to develop intended skills?
Developme
nt
Objectives
Priority Activities to
be
undertaken
Resources Target
Start
Date
Target
End Date
Criteria for
Success
To improve
my
coordination
skills
High To take
coordination
and
communicatio
n workshops
from the
different
training
sources
Class
training,
Internet,
monetary
support
20.02.201
9
01.03.201
9
To gain
information
of different
seminars and
communicativ
e workshops
To
improvise
my
employee
engagement
skills
Moderat
e
To inspect the
individuals
and the needs
of the
employees in
the premises
and to create a
reward system
Formal
meeting
and event
organising
time,
money,
Smartphon
e, internet
02.03.201
9
01.04.201
9
Consulting
and enabling
the employees
with proper
discussion
(formal and
informal) and
taking
12