Personal and Professional Development: A Travelodge Case Study

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personal and professional development

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Contents
INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................2
LO1............................................................................................................................. 3
1.1 SELF-MANAGED LEARNING......................................................................3
1.2 LIFELONG LEARNING IN THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL
CONTEXT RELATED TO TRAVELODGE..............................................................7
1.3 BENEFIT OF THE SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING........................................8
LO2............................................................................................................................. 9
2.1 SELF-SKILL AUDIT..........................................................................................9
2.2 IDENTIFICATION OF THE NEEDS AND THE ACTIVITIES TO MEET THOSE
NEEDS.................................................................................................................. 11
2.3 IDENTIFY THE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET YOUR
CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS.......................................................................13
2.4 PPD PLAN...................................................................................................... 15
LO3........................................................................................................................... 17
3.1 DISCUSS THE PROCESS ACTIVITIES AND THE PROCESSES WHICH
ARE REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN........................17
3.2 UNDERTAKE THE DOCUMENT DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES...................19
3.3 REFLECT IN THE CRITICAL MANNER YOUR OWN LEARNING AGAINST
THE ORIGINAL AIM AND OBJECTIVE...............................................................20
3.4 UPDATED PPD PLAN....................................................................................21
LO4........................................................................................................................... 24
4.1 SOLUTIONS TO WORK BASED PROBLEMS...............................................24
4.2 COMMUNICATION STYLES USED...............................................................25
POSTER................................................................................................................26
4.3 TIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.............................................................27
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................28
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................29

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INTRODUCTION
Personality development plan indicates towards the activities that helps in improving
the level of knowledge the person has along with their identity and also helps in the
development of the potential and talent, build human capital and employability and
also enhances the quality of the life of the individual which at last will contribute to
the realization of the aspirations and the dreams of the individual. The personal
development plan, in the context of the middle manager, holds very much
importance as they enable the managers in identifying the training and development
needs and then the opportunities to grow both in the professional as well as personal
context by developing their skills, capabilities and the competencies. Therefore it is
viable to say that it facilitates as well as supports the development of the personal
record of the individual who is working as the manager. The concept is not only
limited to the development of the individual but also involves the formal and informal
activities which help in the development of others. A personal development plan is a
scrupulously designed program which is prepared by using the psychological tools
like the personal effectiveness scale etc.
In this assignment, self-managed learning is studied along with its enhancement of
lifelong development. Also, the self-skill audit is done which allows taking
responsibility for the own professional and personal development. Also, the
implementation and continuous review of the prepared development plan is been
done. At last, the acquired interpersonal and the transferable skills are been
demonstrated.

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LO1
1.1 SELF-MANAGED LEARNING
Self-managed learning is the way of learning or the process of initiating the process
of learning by the person himself. Self-learning is determined with the help of the
clear goals, objectives, aims and the targets related to the learning are set by the
individual itself (Cheng et al., 2016). Learning is the never-ending, continuous
process. Till the time someone is alive, he keeps on learning, either from his
experiences, forms others or from his surroundings. Lifelong learning refers to the
process where the skills and the expertise of the people always grow in all context.
The self-learned people are able to apply more effectively the acquired skill in order
to grow and progress himself (Bennett, 2017).
In order to start with the self-managed learning in Travelodge hotel, it is very
important to know what I am aiming for as an assistant manager, therefore here is
the stepwise process to set up the gaols as to start with the self-managed learning
(Cheng et al., 2016).
Step 1 Belief
The first thing in the goal setting is to believe the process completely. If I do not
believe the process, then it gets a bit difficult to set the goal in an effective and
efficient manner. In the situation of doubt, just look around and try to convert
thoughts into reality (Cottrell, 2015).
Step 2 Visualize
Visualize the things you want to achieve. Think of what you want in your life and
where you want to see the Travelodge in the future. Think about the changes that
are necessary to make. Learn about the skills you possess and then try to find out
the areas you need to work on (Cunningham and Bennett, 2017).
Step 3 Get it down!
Try to write down your goals as by writing down the goals I will become the creator.
And also there is a possibility of me forgetting the goals if it is not written
(Cunningham and Dawes, 2016).

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Step 4 Purpose
Knowing why I want to achieve a certain goal is the best motivational factor that will
help me in achieving the goal in a successful manner (Cunningham and Dawes,
2016).
Step 5 Commit
This may sound very obvious to you but it is a step that will have the disastrous
consequences when taken in a light manner. Write a few of the reasons why the set
goals are important to you, what effect will outcome have and what changes you are
trying to make (Cunningham, 2017).
Step 6 Stay Focussed
By focussing on the set goals, I manifest. Even if I do not know how to complete my
set goals, I will reach to them by practising the focus on the daily basis. Write your
goals and paste it somewhere you tend to see it every day (Cunningham, 2017).
Step 7 Plan of Action
Power of clarity is obtained by really caring about various things like the purpose of
the goals, committing to them, knowing what you want etc. I may not be aware of the
entire process but surely I will be clear about what next. Having a good plan of action
will do the wonders (Dabholkar, 2015).
Step 8 No time like the present
In order to show the level of commitment towards the set goals, think of something
which could be done in the present situation (Dabholkar, 2015).
Step 9 Accountability
Be accountable to yourself and try to get through the tough time also. Also, it is good
if you have a mentor beside you to provide you with the guidance and the feedback
(Deery and Jago, 2015).
Step 10 Review
It is very important to review the goals and the actions which are been taken. This
helps in keeping the goals alive in my mind and also I know what all I have achieved
and what is needed to be further achieved (Deery and Jago, 2015).

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In Travelodge, the self-managed learning techniques that are put to use are:
 Seminars and the conferences
One of the best ways of self-managed learning is the seminars and the
conferences as in the seminars the hub of the knowledge is been presented by
many experts on the single platform and ample amount of knowledge can be
gained in the short span of time. In Travelodge, in order to make the staff aware
of the new and recent trends, seminars and conferences will help in the best way
(Travelodge, 2019).
 Books
It is often said that books are the best friends of humans. Well, this is true. Along
with being the best friend, books are also the best self-tutors. There are a vast
amount of books that are present and have easy access. One can choose the
book of his choice and can read it to gain knowledge and to learn something. In
Travelodge, there is a separate section prepared for the books which are related
to the hospitality management which will help the staff in gaining more knowledge
(Travelodge, 2019).
 Internet
One of the sources which have given the power of getting into touch with any
topic during any point of time internet. It is very easy for the person to just surf the
net and the information is presented in front of the person. But while extracting
the knowledge from the net, make sure you only pick the relevant information.
Therefore the staff is been given access to the internet so as to provide them with
the free environment to learn and grow (Travelodge, 2019).

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1.2 LIFELONG LEARNING IN THE PERSONAL AND
PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT RELATED TO TRAVELODGE
It is often believed that knowledge can only be gained in the colleges, schools etc.,
but this is not the case. Knowledge and skill can be acquired anywhere and anytime
as learning is the unavoidable process and is happening all around all the time
(Deery and Jago, 2015). Therefore it can be said that lifelong learning is all about the
creation and maintaining the positive attitude which will help in the development of
the person in both aspects be it professional and personal. The person who is into
lifelong learning is because they want to, therefore it can be said that the lifelong
learning is the voluntary act and the person wants to learn deliberately (Dolmans et
al., 2015).
In Travelodge, as a manager I try to encourage lifelong learning because of the
following reasons:
 Learn the practical skills
Beside the professional skills acquired in the schools or colleges, it's very important
to learn to manage our finances or to improve our communication skills etc. There
are many online courses available on the following subjects. Therefore in
Travelodge, employees are provided with the opportunities to develop themselves
and learn the new practical skills (Grills and Prus, 2019).
 Learn for leisure
Always try to inculcate some of the other creative habits like cooking, painting,
photography etc. This is because on never know what he is good at and can become
a professional in the same. Therefore in order to provide the development
opportunities to the employees, lifelong learning is been promoted in the Travelodge
(Hahn et al., 2017).
 Improvement in the confidence level of the employees
Two things that help in boosting up of the confidence is trust in yourself and the other
is the level of competency which is the result of the knowledge, skill and the
experience which is been possessed by the employees of the Travelodge (Hahn et
al., 2017).

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1.3 BENEFIT OF THE SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING
Travelodge makes sure that their set objectives are met and therefore for the same it
is needed that the objectives that are set should be SMART in nature (Hildebrand,
2018). Therefore for the achievement of the goals in Travelodge, self-directed and
managed learning is been adopted which have the following benefits:
The benefit to the Travelodge
Self-managed learning is the Travelodge helps in the maintenance of the
relationships which are basically based on the specific organisations (Laudon and
Laudon, 2016). These includes the relationship between various people like the
senior management, managers and top-level authorities who acts as the mentors
and the coaches and also supplies the tactics of carrying out the self-managed
learning to the employees working in the Travelodge by providing them the support
to improve their learning and the level of expertise which will further improve the
overall working of the hotel. Apart from this, self-managed learning helps in the
improvement of the quality of the services of the Travelodge, which results in the
enhancement of the level of customer satisfaction. Also, the self-managed learning
helps in the fulfilment of the individual goals which are linked to the organisational
goals, so the organisational goals are also fulfilled (Laudon and Laudon, 2016).
The benefit to the individuals
Individuals who are succeeded in self-managed learning have developed the ability
or the skill which helps them in adjusting to the dynamic environment. Employees will
start enjoying the new skills and processes which will help them in developing
themselves in both the manner i.e. personally and professionally. Therefore this will
help them in landing the promotions in the Travelodge and also there will be the
enhancement in the skills and knowledge possessed by them (Lee and Paunova,
2017).

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LO2
2.1 SELF-SKILL AUDIT
My current skills Professional standards Travelodge and job role
objectives
Communication skills:
I possess good combination
skills and have good
command over the
language.
Hotel managers are
responsible for the
maintenance of the overall
hotel and for that
communication is the key to
success (Mijumbi et al.,
2015).
In Travelodge, the manager
is supposed to have good
communication skills so that
he is able to pass on the
information in a clear and
precise manner (Travelodge
careers, 2019).
Interpersonal skills:
I have good interpersonal
skills i.e. I am able to build a
good relationship and bond
with the people working in
Travelodge as well as the
guest.
It is the general and main
responsibility of the
manager to keep the guest
happy along with the
employees (Mijumbi et al.,
2015).
In Travelodge, the manager
is supposed to build a good
rapport with the guest as
well as the manager
(Travelodge careers, 2019).
Detail oriented:
I remain hyper-vigilant
related to the details
concerning the guest and
the employees.
In order to provide the guest
with an unforgettable
experience, the manager
should take care of each
and every detail concerned
(Mijumbi et al., 2015).
In Travelodge, the manager
is required to build a
customer relationship and
also make sure that
customer loyalty is
increased (Travelodge
careers, 2019).
Operational knowledge:
I have the complete
knowledge of the work I do
as a manager.
The manager should be
aware of the daily working of
the hotel (Mijumbi et al.,
2015).
In Travelodge, the manager
should have complete
knowledge about the
operational activities of the
hotel (Travelodge careers,
2019).

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Leadership:
Along with being a good
manager, I am a moderate
leader because at times I fail
to keep the team intact
Hotel manager should be
the string team leader
having all the main
characteristics of the good
leader (Mijumbi et al., 2015).
In Travelodge, the manager
is responsible to be a good
leader and keep his team
motivated enough to
perform effectively
(Travelodge careers, 2019).

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2.2 IDENTIFICATION OF THE NEEDS AND THE ACTIVITIES TO
MEET THOSE NEEDS
Identification of the needs and the areas where I am lacking and the activities to
learn those skills are given below:
Skills to be developed Methods of development
Team building Learn the stress management techniques,
be cooperative with the employees, try to
involve them in the decision-making
process, do the team building activities.
Financial management Learn to read the financial statement,
interpret them, and develop the basic
understanding of the financial concepts by
reading the books, or video lectures or
taking help on the mentor.
Flexibility Try to form the prior plan to apply in the
cases of emergencies, try to develop a
better understanding of the situation and
learn to anticipate the issue beforehand.
Leadership Attend the seminars, read books, watch
the videos of the famous leaders, learn
about them and try to apply the learning in
a practical way.
Problem-solving Start thinking critically, understand the
problem and try to come up with innovative
ideas.
Decision making Try to analyse the decision before
implementing it, make sure you have two
options to choose from and analyse both
the option in a thorough manner.

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2.3 IDENTIFY THE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET
YOUR CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS
In Travelodge, the team working in the diverse team and it is tried that everyone in
the team is asked to bring out the best in themselves and to show their unique
personality to work (Travelodge, 2019). It is believed that every day is different here
and ado every employee working here. But there are few common traits in the
employees and that is:
Care about people
The people working in the Travelodge do care about the people and do the best to
their capacity to ensure that the customer is happy and satisfied. Also, top
management tries to keep the employees working for them happy and safe
(Travelodge, 2019).
Attention to detail
In Travelodge, it is believed that even the small things can make the change,
therefore every one working in the Travelodge focuses on the details (Travelodge,
2019).
Dive for results
Whether it is getting positive feedback from the customers or fulfilling of the targets,
the employees along with the managers try to do their best (Travelodge, 2019).
In order to provide the development opportunity to the employees working in the
Travelodge, an international development programme is been developed called the
ASPIRE. The program is specifically built to help the employees in building the new
skills and gaining the experiences needed either in the current job position of the
employee or to help in landing the promotion to the position he is always focussed
on (Travelodge, 2019).
There are three routes that can be taken in the ASPIE program which are as follows
(Travelodge careers, 2019):