ABI College Unit 4 Personal and Professional Development

This ABI College personal and professional development assignment is prepared for the HND Travel and Tourism Management Course.

Task 1

1.1 Propose ways in which lifelong learning in personal and professional contexts could be encouraged

Lifelong learning is referred to as the learning process that is continued throughout the individual’s life. It is a flexible and diverse form of learning. It is available at different places and at different times. It crosses the traditional sectors and promotes the learning beyond the traditional approach of schooling and other forms of learning. The four pillars of lifelong learning are (Dellor, 1996):

  1. Learning to know: It involves mastering the learning tools rather than acquiring the acquisition of structured knowledge.
  2. Learning to do: This Involves equipping the people for the different kinds of work that are required now as well as in future. It also involves adaptation and innovation of future learning and work environment.
  3. Learning to live together and with others: It involves peacefully resolving the conflicts, fostering the capabilities of community, individual capacity and competence, social inclusion and economic resilience.
  4. Learning to be: It involves the education contributing to the complete development of a person that includes – intelligence, mind and body, sensitivity, spirituality and appealing appreciation.

Lifelong learning is education embedded in the ongoing work activities. Teachers under this are engaged in the work practice (Stothart, 1995). Lifelong learning can inspire creativity, inventiveness and responsiveness in people and hence enabling them to show flexibility in post-industrial society through enhancing skills to:

  • Managing the uncertainty
  • Communicating across the cultures and communities
  • Negotiating the conflicts

The emphasis is on learning to learn and the ability to keep learning for a lifetime. Personal and professional developments are encouraging the lifelong learning. Both of them are comprised of lifetime progression of development, aspiring, affecting and improving the skills of individuals, their skills and knowledge. It supports the person to increase and develop their skills. It also helps in increasing and widening the knowledge.The personal and professional development can also be the basis for measuring where an individual want to be and how he can get there.Personal development planning is a recurring process and should be continued throughout the life.

Personal development Planning Cycle

1.2 Evaluate the benefits of self-managed learning to the individual and organisation

Self-managed learning is all about winning their skills and capabilities. It makes the positive influence in enhancing their skills. Self-managed learning has the benefits towards the enhanced organisational performance and effective decision making. It increases the commitment in he employees, motivates them and encourages the team work.

Benefits to Individuals:It helps in acquiring the new knowledge, competencies and skills (Cunningham, 1994). Learning to learn and identifying skills are more significant than the content that changes constantly. After mastering this approach, the new learning can be easily applied to the life and to meet the organisational challenges. Individuals gain the ethical and moral values through SML.

Benefits to organisations: In fast moving and complex business environment, managers are required to anticipate the change and the impact of that change on an organisation. SML facilitates this through strategic learning. Managers become aware of the situation they require to deal through strategic learning. They develop the strategic approach towards the issues of an organisation. . Self-managed learning has the benefits towards the enhanced organisational performance and effective decision making. It increases the commitment in he employees, motivates them and encourages the team work.

The main benefit of SML approach is to guide the ethical and moral values in the individuals. In view of the benefit of self-managed learning, to the individuals and the organizations are reaching the benefit, because the organization is getting the more productivity through the self-managed learning too (Diaz, 1999)

Task 2

2.1 Evaluate own current skills and competencies against professional standards and organisational objectives

For evaluation of the current skills and competencies against the professional standards I will have to make the SWOT analysis.

StrengthThis includes the internal environment situations of an organisationExamples: High Extroversion and agreeableness is a strength of a managerThese factors tend to be in present
WeaknessThis includes the internal environment situations of an organisationExamples: Weak emotional stability of a managerThese factors tend to be in present
OpportunitiesThis includes the external environment of an  organisationExample: One of a competitor has made a reputation for treating their small clients poorly.These factors tend to be in future
ThreatsThis includes the external environment of an  organisationExample: The staff shortage leads to overwork and as a result manager’s creativity is impacted.These factors tend to be in future

(Source: Self Study)

My SWOT analysis showed the following results:

Weak Emotional Stability:  The SWOT analysis showed that I am not emotionally stable. I am very reactive and excitable. This is threat to my personality and job profile as a manager. This shows the insecurity within me. My worrying attitude has led to this situation and a proper self-management is required to overcome this trait of my personality.

High Extroversion: This is my strength as a manager as it shows that I am assertive, warm, sociable, optimistic and talkative. In a tourism industry these traits are essential as a manager as it involves management of public relations, interactions and promotional activities. This is very positively related to my overall performance as a manager.

High Openness to Experience: This is also strength to my personality as it shows that I am curious, liberal, likes novelty and have broad interest in my work. This is helpful in motivating my team towards working efficiently and effectively.

High Agreeableness: This shows that I am trusting, humble, altruistic, team player and frank with my subordinates. This is relevant to my job in Visit London as it requires comprehensive team work. This has helped me to become an effective team player and the team feels motivated. However this has also posed the threat to my work as due to this I sometimes sacrifice my own work to please others and that can give the negative impact on the performance.

High Conscientiousness:  This shows my strengths as dependable, organized, cautious and disciplined. This gives the positive impact on me and my team’s performance.

2.2 Identify own development needs and the activities required to meet them

While evaluating my current competencies and skills I came across various strength and weaknesses and based on that it require a comprehensive development plan. My objective is to conclude the whole study programme in the explicit time, and moves towards the next degree programme as well. This kind of learning will help in achieving the organisational goals effectively. It will give me better professional and personal development such as communication, commitment, team work, leadership and motivation that will guide me towards the better work performance. I will have to undergo the study programme for developing the personal and professional skills. The programme will support my future working environment. Opportunities are the probabilities that a person may have. I am emerging them further in another level of appreciative and professional.

Identification of the personal development needs is very inspirational and for this SWOT analysis is very helpful. The development needs are dependent on the training programme. I have analysed that I will get my own development through reading various books, newspapers, magazines, journals and websites to strengthen my skills and overcoming my weaknesses.

For my own development needs I will have to concentrate on the following;

  • Own development needs
  • Listening skills
  • Researching skills
  • Communication
  • Self – efficacy
  • Commitment
  • Collaboration
  • Team work
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2.3 Identify development opportunities to meet current and future defined needs

While considering the personal and professional development plan are based on the individual’s requirements. There is a kind of needs necessity for the personal and development plan such as

  1. The personal and the professional development helps to display and encourage reflective training and the development needs documented in evaluation should be attended through the processes. Therefore identifying the training is the need of the personal and the professional development plan too
  2. The number of needs does not fundamentally associate with the effort mandatory by the learner. Therefore the duty is to identify through the professional and the personal development plan
  3. Defining the factors that evaluates has an important positive and negative inspiration on motivation. This is a significant part of easing the suitable commitment to personal and professional progress.

Personal and professional developments are identified through the individual’s requirement, as per the different needs of the person.

Maslow Motivation and personality

This hierarchy clarifies the human needs as per the different aspects. This is important to understand the actual need of the people to motivate them significantly

2.4 Devise a personal and professional development plan based on identified needs

Based on the identified needs my personal and professional development plan is based on the following:

  • Regulating the time frame for successful implementation
  • Training and educating through SML
  • Describing in detail the roles and responsibilities of self and team
  • Developing the written procedure for the referrals
  • Developing the effective communication protocols.

These activities will also guide my career protocol. I have identified my key skills and that will help me to organise my work and effective team work. Considering the professional and personal development plans will require the implementation of the task in order to achieve the personal performance objectives (Robbins, 2003)

Task 3

3.1 Discuss the processes and activities required to implement the development plan

Personal Development Plan is a structured process in which the learner reflects their own learning and performance as per the education and career development plan. This is an inclusive process for all (Pizzolatto, 2004).  As per my developmental plan the effective personal development planning will improve my capacity to plan, review and responsibility of my own earnings. It will help me to achieve the desired outcomes. I will follow a well-articulated and proven implementation process will ensure that any system, plan or method is implemented appropriately. The implementation approach will depend on the system, method and plan deployed. The steps for successful implementation include:

  1. Initiation: It determines the strategic objectives for implementing the plan.
  2. Key Activities and processes: This step identifies the key activities and processes required. In this I will investigate the current situation and design the required desired situation.
  3. Identify the task: In this step I will identify the tasks that are required to be completed so that the strategic objectives can be achieved. This stage also involves the risk analysis so that the appropriate risk management plan can be developed.
  4. Action Steps: In this step the entire task is divided in various sub tasks or action steps. Breaking the tasks into the various sub tasks will allow me to focus well that will enable the easy implementation.
  5. Assigning the responsibilities: My next step is to assign responsibility for each sub-task to a specific human resource. The human resources may be internal or external. For the success of this step the team composition is very critical.
  6. Prioritizing the tasks: In this step I will prioritize the task to reflect the important tasks so that they can be completed well on time. Certain tasks can also be scheduled in a parallel way so that the overall time is reduced
  7. Timeline: In this step I will identify the actual time required for completing each task. This forecast must be flexible and realistic. This will help me in effective time management
  8. Cost & Budget: In this step I will calculate the cost required for completing the tasks. In this step the budget is assigned for the implementation plan.
  9. Do it: This is the key to successful implementation. This is the step for taking the actual action of the plan. This step is very crucial.
  10. Evaluate and review: Finally, the implementation plan will require continuous monitoring and review to evaluate progress. Any issues or delays encountered will require modification of the original implementation plan.

3.2 Undertake and document development activities as planned

As per planning the development activities are as follows:

Regulating the time frame for successful implementation
Training and educating through SML
Describing in detail the roles and responsibilities of self and team
Developing the written procedure for the referrals
Develop and managing effective communication protocols.

These activities will also guide my career protocol. I have identified my key skills and that will help me to organise my work and effective team work. Considering the professional and personal development plans will require the implementation of the task in order to achieve the personal performance objectives

3.3 Reflect critically on own learning against original aims and objectives set in the development plan

The objectives and the aims are significant for the personal development plan. These factors help in accomplishing the individual as well as organisational performance. Various interpersonal skills like communication, time management and problem solving has been deliberated. Communication plays very significant role in the personal and professional life. At different levels different communication styles are required. Time management approach helps in effective time management (Williamson, 2009). The objective is the part of overall goal.

The evaluation of the objective includes the critical analysis about the performance. The evaluation must be critically analysed. This has advantages as well as disadvantages. Justifying elements should also be included in the descriptive text. Feedback must cover all the areas of the developmental plan.

My learning against original aim and objectives set in the development plan is evaluated by my seniors. As per the feedback provided by them I will require the following:

  1. Need more time management for reducing the cost of the tasks
  2. The tasks are required to be subdivided in more comprehensive way so that the entire task is effectively achieved.

3.4 Update the development plan based on feedback and Evaluation

Based on the feedback I have to develop the following

FeedbackDescriptionDevelopmental Plan
Feedback 1Time Management requirementsFor this I will identify the actual time required for completing each task. This forecast must be flexible and realistic. This will help me in effective time management. I will also I will prioritize the task to reflect the important tasks so that they can be completed well on time. Certain tasks can also be scheduled in a parallel way so that the overall time is reduced
Feedback 2Effective subdivision of tasks requiredI will identify the task and then divide it into various sub tasks or action steps. Breaking the tasks into the various sub tasks will allow me to focus well that will enable the easy implementation.

This developmental plan will help me to overcome my weakness that is indicated in the feedback.

References

Bird, G. (1994) A Presentation to the EFMD Annual Conference: The Self-Managed Learning Glass Cunningham, I (1994) The Wisdom of Strategic Learning: the self-managed solution. London: McGraw-Hill Diaz, D. P., & Cartnal, R. B., (1999), Students' learning styles in two classes: Online distance learning and equivalent on-campus. College Teaching 47(4), pp. 130-135. Goldman, D. (1996) Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ Bloomsbury Paperbacks Little, T (2007) The South Downs Learning Centre (SDLC) and Self-Managed Learning (SML): Evaluation Research Report. Brighton: University of Brighton HND Travel and Tourism Management assignment help is provided by the industry's top most qualified writers with the guaranteed good marks, We are posting free HND units solutions so scholars can explore the our assignment help and get review the quality of our work.

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