Gathering the Self-Development to My Self Experience - Coursework Example

Name: xxxxxxxx Tutor: xxxxxxxx Title: Self Development File: Gathering Self the Development to my Self Experience Institution: xxxxxxxx Date: xxxxxxxx Self Development File 1. Introduction 1. (a). Purpose of the report This report provides an insight and the personal evaluation progress in the study of M.sc Business and Management Program with a keen evaluation of Developing Professional Practice. The report is a hallmark in the assessment of personal growth in the unit of study. It is a moment of posing and asking oneself what has been achieved over the period after commencement of studies in the particular unit. The report highlights the importance stages that an individual has gone through to be assertive and productive in the long run. This report is also an avenue and opportunity to put in practice some of the important realizations that have been learnt about academic learning. It generally binds together the various aspects that have been encountered into a useful experience that will bring up ones understanding of the unit and the masters program that he is taking. This report serves as a mirror which gives a glimpse of the advancement and reflective session for the individual progress though self development (Bradbury, 2006). 1. (a). Scope of the Report This report covers the personal development that has been attained in the developing of professional practice. It looks at the context of the organization that am working in and how the knowledge I have acquire will fit in the obligations and duties assigned to me at the work place. It reviews the different aspects of the report that were looked at in the whole unit throughout the period of study. This is a student development file that highlights the context in which development is taking place, discussions of the implications and conclusions that look at strengths and development areas. It also looks at areas of weakness and opportunities for improvement. It looks at the importance of self development with a critical look at personal practice in the area. There is also a proposal for continuing professional development in form of development plan for the future. 2. Context Knowledge is crucial for change. Pursuing this kind of study in this unit will help me advance my career at Tesco plc retail chain where I work as an assistant branch manager. This is a private retain supply chin that specializes in foods and drinks although it has started to venture into other areas. The organization wants to maintain a premium prize command in the market and be the leading in terms of customer share. This organization has gone international and it employees over one hundred and fifty thousand workers globally. Profitability and turnover per annum is enormous (Cory & Slater, 2003). A position in such organization comes with increased responsibilities and in order to cope with the demanding role the skills am going to acquire in a master degree program will assist me to deliver my services effectively and efficiently. With an increased customer base it is very challenging to attend to all their needs and there for as part of the management team I need to have more ideas of dealing with these challenges and know the study of this program will prove to be a wise decision. The ever changing customer needs need a critical and sharp eye to effect necessary adjustment to cater for emerging needs. The skills acquired will be very crucial in the dispensing of my duties in the organization. Through mind mapping I have learnt how to generate more ideas and have a number of options when it comes to innovation as well as problem solving. 3. Importance of self Development Managing oneself is very important in life; this can only be achieved through self development. Changes in society, communication and technology generally have altered the way we carry out our daily chores and work obligations. The responsibility that is bestowed upon someone in his job place is purely on trust. It is believed that you will accomplish your work obligations diligently, effectively and efficiently (Moore & Parker, 2008). As organization transform to new ways of production or providing their services to their customers; there is urgent need that the workforce present will support the management in their quest to move to new heights. The zeal and passion to be part of the transformational leadership that imparts new life into the organization can only be achieved through self development. Self development can be achieved through acquisition of new skills and handling of different challenges in the organization to gain experience. Self development will make one be able to carry out his job duties without relying on guidance or support from his immediate boss or supervisor. Self development makes one self sufficient and he is able to dispense his assignments without consuming unnecessarily more time. Self development is a preparation towards assuming more responsibility that comes with promotion and upgrading of rank. Self development reduces or eliminates overreliance on others before one can perform his assigned tasks perfectly. Self development make life easier as it is responsible for career development and enhancing ones chances of promotion. It makes an individual to be more marketable and he is able to switch careers or apply for more challenging positions within the same organization. It is a crucial ingredient that enhances the employability of a person. Without self development one can be stack in the same position for quite a long time. For one to confront more challenging issues it is important that self development should be realized. It provides an avenue for lifetime learning that will change the attitude and perspective of the individual going through the process. It results into a variety of intangible and tangible advantages that are geared towards making one to be a better person who is responsible in the society and can be a leader and an opinion shaper. In the wake of innovations and technology development one needs new skills to handle machines and more demanding tasks that have impressive results. Change is the only permanent thing and employees are needed to adapt to social changes, market changes, production changes, demographic changes and even behavioral changes. To successfully be able to adapt to different kinds of changes swiftly it is important for self development to be realized before hand. Self development makes people work on their areas of weakness and make the strong areas to be more pronounced and useful to the organization. Majority of the employers expect their employees to understand their own performance and to get to know how they can adapt to meet times of stressful situations, conditions of change and increased workload (Siddons, 2008). Employers will expect post graduates to arrive at the organization equipped to manage their own performance and the performance of other people. Through self development one can understand what influences his own performance and also be conscious of the way in which his behavior affects other people around him. Self development makes one to constantly seek out information that makes him to remain abreast of the events happening around him and also to acquire more useful knowledge. Self development can be assessed through self examination. Self examination is very important in anything that ones ventures in. In this particular case it is crucial because it involves the acquisition of knowledge that is needed in the advancement of ones career. Self examination will give the direction of the progress in the whole process of getting to know new ways of utilizing the already acquired skills. Self examination is bound to dictate the pace of self development. Without self examination it is hard to tell how far one has made progress in the long run as he applies the new skills he has acquired. One will tell at what stage of development he has arrived at. It gives an opportunity for reflective self examination that is important in ascertaining the whole process of acquisition of knowledge in this unit of study. According to Buzan (2005), self development gives one confidence in what he knows and inspires determination in the zeal to achieve what is lacking. Personality is inborn; it is intrinsic and can not be created. Nevertheless it can be enhanced or developed and hence the need for self development. The realization of inabilities and lacking serves as the basic foundation for building a strong personal development plan. 4. Review of progress Self development has been enforced through a series of learning incidents that had defined outcomes. The different events that we covered were meant to prepare each individual to be a better person and handle more demanding responsibilities with ease and zeal with a touch of passion that comes with proper understanding. In critical thinking section the critical model was shown and which comprised of four stages namely: critical thinking, describe, analyze, critical analyze and evaluate. The model for generation of critical thinking was also explained to us. In this event I learned that we should question everything read, heard or seen critically before jumping to conclusions or believing gullibly without second thoughts. This event was an eye opening towards being evaluative and critical all topics of discussions and viewing issues in a more objective and open-minded manner. In choosing of a topic of discussion I have leant to be more critical and paying attention to minor details. This was a road map towards effectively choosing the topic for my dissertation. This has been crucial in my academic writing and presentations (Bowell & Kemp, 2009). In the academic writing event it was interesting to learn about ways of writing academic papers at the master degree level. The four styles of academic writing were explored in detail as we went through their advantages and disadvantages. Although it was challenging and some how confusing capturing everything at the fast time, by and by I began to understand how someone can represent academic papers at the master’s level in a manner that is efficient. The groups that were used during the delivery of this lecture enable me to appreciate working in groups and tolerate divergent opinions. Explaining to the group how to write an academic paper made us to demonstrate our leadership qualities. Choosing an effective style of writing was a big challenge but after the tutors directions I was fairly comfortable when setting out to write an academic paper. Maintaining the writing style through out the academic paper is a big challenge but over time I am sure there will remarkable improvement. Previously it was not easy for me to identify the slang words in my writing but this event has helped me to understand the slang terminologies and words and avoid them in my academic writing. Although I have not perfected representing my work with profound clarity, I learnt to be more coherent and to attain a flow in my ideas presentation. Features of academic writing include a formal tone, clear focus on topic or issue as opposed to the opinion of author, use of third-person narration as opposed to first-person narration, and precise choice of words. In academic writing abbreviations, slang and jargon are avoided at all costs. Academic writing focuses on strong writing, excellent grammar, and consistent stylistic approach. Choosing the write style in my future writing is bound to enhance my communication skills in future. This event will be crucial also in writing my dissertation. In the presentation skills event main points about presentation were explained in detail. I got to know how to design a poster and to aid our understanding example posters of previous students were shown to us. Keeping the poster concise and clear was the main highlight. Creating poster requires engaging it to the subject of choice. I should design the different sections of the poster to let it act as a reminder of what is to be delivered in the poster. This has helped me to be aware of effective presentation skills when going for an interview. Ideas should be represented in with simplicity and clarity that should be profound throughout. The skills acquired will assist me in the poster presentation (Kerzner, 2009). In the mind mapping event I learnt how to be investigative by asking questions and creating links that unravel the trail of events. This event was crucial to understanding brainstorming which generate more ideas that should be considered and critically evaluated. This event encouraged self confidence and linking ideas in your mind with the topic of discussion. Mind mapping and self confidence are ingredients that enhance innovation and realization of opportunities which hitherto were blind to us. A mind map will also be vital in generation of different ideas that will be crucial in problem solving in the job area. It will also assist in the handling of a variety of chores. The mind map makes one to think widely without restriction. This will play an important part in the career development in future. I came to realize that brainstorming is a crucial creative stage prior to project planning process and project management. Brainstorming involves free thinking and random technique (Buzan, 2006). In the project management event we learnt the different definition of project management. It is an organized and planned effort to accomplish a project that is successful. Project management comprises of development of a project plan, which includes confirming and defining the projects objectives and goals, identification of tasks and how goals will be attained, quantification of the needed resources, and determination of timelines and budgets for competition. It takes into consideration management of the implementation of the project plan, together with regular control measures to ensure there is objective and accurate information on performance relative to the plan, and the mechanisms to implement recovery actions where necessary. Projections usually follow main phases including feasibility, project planning, definition, evaluation and support or maintenance. There exist various software tools that make project management much more efficient and effective. Turning the royal wedding into a project was an assignment given to us. I need to use my time well in the writing of the dissertations. A good plan is necessary for competition of the project. Project management is mainly related with planning and managing change within organization, bur a project can be related to some which is unrelated to the business like the royal wedding in our illustration. The activities taken the various events in the part were successful (Rothstein, 2010). 5. Conclusion-(strengths and weaknesses). 5. (a). Strengths In knowledge and use of information I have improved tremendously. I have to learn the appropriate referencing styles and citation forms. There is evidence of being able to identify the relevant sources of data or evidence to support objectives of investigation. Detailed information was provided. I have demonstrated systematic research that has been on upward trend since the first attempt. I am able to successfully discuss suitable concepts and theories and how they relate to the area under investigation. I can know identify appropriate approaches to research provided with the nature of the investigation. In the selection of the organization and interpretation of material I could identify the research question and logical research objectives successful. I am able to represent the information in a creative manner. In the material evaluation part I demonstrated the application of effective and creative problem analysis, solution generation and decision making skills. I was able to undertake systematic critical analysis and evaluation of issues to my area of investigation. These areas of strengths need also to be affected through more research and practice. I need also to read more of the topics of discussion and engage other students in constructive discussion. 5. (b).Weaknesses In knowledge and information use I have heard the challenge on how to successfully use the data that is gathered in the investigation. There is the challenge of identifying which kind of question should be posed particularly in the MacDonald’s assignment in the application of knowledge. Narrowing down the question to be less ambitious and less broad is another challenge that I have to deal with in future assignments. The significance of my research was not very clear and I need to work on it. I need to define clearly my direction of my research. In evaluation of material although the approach is systematic it ca not reveal what the research is trying to establish. Despite thing various weakness I have observed a positive growth in my self development. My areas of weakness could only be overcome through more practice and consultation with the relevant teachers. I also need to consult with the students who have mastered this area and learn something from them (Bailey, 2006). 6. Development plan EVENT SUGGESTIONs FOR DEVELOPMENT Project management I view area as crucial to the accomplishment of my study programme. A little more time should be allocated here and students should be given enough attempts to come up with projects. The project selected should be practical and can be evaluated vis-à-vis what has been learnt in class. Academic writing There should more books on this event to provide a wide reading scope in order to equip the students with the crucial skills. The event should come earlier in the calendar to allow the student enough time to acquire the skills needed for presentation of academic work through the course. More illustrations are needed. Critical thinking The area should be expounded more to encompass philosophical aspect of critical thinking. Ways should be devised to make the students demonstrate the skills they have acquired in this are, particularly through compulsory class discussions and presentations. Bibliography Bailey, S., 2006, Academic writing: a handbook for international students. Pennsylvania: Taylor & Francis. Bowell, T. & Kemp, G., 2009, Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide. Pennsylvania: Taylor & Francis. Bradbury, A., 2006, Successful presentation skills. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Buzan, T., 2006, Mind mapping. London: BBC Active. Buzan, T., 2005, The ultimate book of mind maps. Delhi: Thomson. Cory, T. & Slater, T., 2003, Brainstorming: Techniques for New Ideas. New Jersey: IUniverse. Correll, L.C., 2004, Brainstorming reinvented: a corporate communications guide to ideation. New Jersey: SAGE. Cleland, I.D. & Ireland, R.L., 2006, Project management: strategic design and implementation. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Harrison, J., Buzan, B. & Buzan, T., 2010, Mind Map Book: Unlock Your Creativity, Boost Your Memory, Change Your Life. New York: Pocket Books. Harrison, M. & Dervan, P.A., 2002, Mind maps in pathology. Amsterdam: Elsevier Health Sciences. Heerkens, G.R., 2007, Project Management: 24 Steps to Help You Master Any Project. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Hatcher, C. & McCarthy, P., 2002, Presentation skills: the essential guide for students. New Jersey: Komives, R.S., Lucas, N. & McMahon, T.R., 2009, Exploring Leadership: For College Students Who Want to Make a Difference. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Kerzner, H., 2009, Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. New York: John Wiley and Sons Lock, D., 2007, Project management. Northampton: Gower Publishing, Ltd. Rothstein, M.G., 2010, Self-Management and Leadership Development. Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing. Moore, N.B. & Parker, R., 2008, Critical Thinking. New York: McGraw-Hill. Lavery, J. & Hughes, W., 2004, Critical thinking: an introduction to the basic skills. London: Broadview Press. Siddons, S., 2008, The Complete Presentation Skills Handbook: How to Understand and Reach Your Audience for Maximum Impact and Success. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Mandel, S., 2006, Presentation skills: a practical guide to better speaking. Delhi: Thomson. Read More