Introduction
Planning is the basic factor that every individual needs to incorporate in his or her everyday activities. Planning is a managerial function that ensures that the manager is aware the objectives that he or she needs to achieve within a set timeline at the minimum cost of time and resources. It is essential for every person to conduct a personal evaluation in a bid to prepare him/her ahead of the tasks awaiting him. I have engaged in several roles responsibilities where I acquired major functions of management. During that period, several senior managers noted my promising performance and coordinating skills an advised that it was imperative to undertake a personal development plan.
I adopted their advice and organized a brainstorming session at the end of the year. The session incorporated my senior employers, my fellow employees and several clients whom I frequently served. In addition, I involved my family members and friends whom I believed would contribute immensely to the self-assessment task. Besides, self assertion served as a litmus test to the credibility of the opinions made. The following were the final deductions that would form a personal development plan.
SWOT ANALYSIS
This self-assessment involves the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that contribute to an individual’s personal development and growths.
Strengths
Strengths entail all positive character traits that result in a positive yield to an individual’s performance in the performance of any task. After a day of a week of brainstorming and personal assessment, the following points of strength emerged the most influential in my personal and career growth:
Emotional intelligence
Psychologists and sociologists applaud emotional intelligence as a major contributing factor to cohesiveness and peace in the society. Emotional intelligence is the ability to evaluate as well as understanding oneself as well as accommodating other people’s feelings in your mind before making any deductions. My parents were quick to highlight a situation where my younger brother had been involved in a feud with fellow school mate and my mother was quick to conclude that my brother had initiated the fight.
Listening and understanding
My teacher recommended my ability to listen and understand other people’s opinions as they talked. My close friends fronted several situations when they sought for my advice in emotional situations because I had the patience to listen and give honest opinions. In addition, I realized that the character was explicitly manifested in my exemplary performance, in class.
Hard working
My selfless commitment in any task that I undertook has been one of my success factors over the last years in education, managerial and leadership responsibilities. My teachers and employers noted my indestructible attitude that always yielded positively in my performance.
Coordination
In one instance, our departmental manager had bestowed his responsibilities to oversee all operations in the department on a delegated capacity. Most of my fellow employees commended my interim role and proposed that I should assume the position in the future. From my personal assessment, I attribute the character to my former position as a class monitor for one year.
Transparency and Accountability
My parents were quick to support the proponents of this character during a brainstorming session when they confessed that I rarely take any extra coin whenever the send me to purchase any good. In addition, I realized that I would always inform my managers about my daily chores including any financial mistake that I had committed. This character helped me to win the trust of the senior executives in the workplace.
Weaknesses
Patience
I have realized that I am usually impatience towards the results of a certain activity that I undertake. This character has been affecting my concentration and has often resulted in mental torture. The same character was emphasized highlighted my anxious mood whenever I anticipated results of a certain activity.
Time management
I usually fall short of the projected timeline to complete a certain task or assignment. Consequently, I have been receiving reprimand from the senior management, a factor that has not augured well with my leadership ambitions. I have a tendency of finalizing my tasks shortly before the deadline, and, therefore, risky in attainment of the set objectives.
Stress management
This character trait was noted by my classmate when they realized that I would isolate myself with the rest of the classmates whenever I was stressed. This situation adversely affected my performance both in school and the workplace.
Extreme listening
Opportunities
Leadership trainings
I shall seize leadership training events to build-up on my strengths and eliminate the weak areas. For instance, leadership trainings will help in improving on time management.
Guidance and Counseling
I will consider approaching a counselor to seek advice on how to manage stress and isolate it from work responsibilities.
Advanced education
Advancement in education will inculcate more skills in accountability and project management to save on costs and increase revenue. Consequently, the approach will increase my chances of assuming senior managerial positions in the future.
Threats
Peer-influence
Association with friends has been threatening my career progress. They have been influencing my schedule especially during weekends for partying, thus adversely affected my schedule especially the early days of the subsequent week.
Incoherent communication
Incoherence communication has been due to communication paths such as EMAIL-mail, fax and social networks that have been inflicted with cyber crime. This situation has led to mistrust among my associates for fear of infringement of privacy.
Economic turbulence
Economic turbulence is a natural calamity that could destroy all the positive results achieved over a certain period. Such situation leads to demoralization and could climax in work termination.
Nepotism
Family members and friends have been requesting me to incorporate them in my work place to the extreme of offering bribe.
PERSONAL SWOT ANALYSIS WORKSHEET
PEST ANALYSIS
Political factors
Public policy
Most legislative representatives have established and enacted laws that would assess all public and private enterprises performance based on accountability. This strategy would supplement my strengths on accountability and transparency.
Moral conduct is an ethical practice that has been advocated across the political divide. It will have a positive impact in strengthening my honesty.
Gender-sensitivity
The government has emphasized on gender-balance in all employment circles. This approach is a major challenge to my career and, therefore, I would be required to accommodate the emotions of both female and male gender in my managerial practice.
Performance contract
The legislature has enacted a requirement for all employees’ tenure to be subjected to performance- based renewal. The adoption of this policy is a positive impact on my strengths.
Economic factors
Wage
Wage payments in managerial positions are not attractive and are subject to lower due to economic turbulence.
Unemployment
Unemployment is a factor that is likely to challenge my managerial skills as I would be focusing on both retaining current workforce and employing new ones to replace new ones, against the turbulent economy.
Socio-cultural factors
Change in consumption rate by youths
As an aspiring manager am likely to face the challenge of evaluating the changing tastes and preferences of youths, who account for the highest consumption basket thus a managerial threat to my career.
Adoption of education by most communities
Most communities have appreciated the role of education in the society. Consequently, there has been increased competition for job opportunities.
Technology factors
Social networking
The current generation has led to shift of social network as a communication platform and, therefore, pose a challenge to adoption of technology skills.
Cyber crime
This vice has threatened the managerial docket due to hacking of e-mails thus threatening secrecy of information.
PERSONAL PEST ANALYSIS WORKSHEET
OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS
Leadership training
Leadership training is an opportunity that will inculcate my strengths and improving on my weak areas. Seminars and motivational talks will be appropriate.
Advancement in education
Education upgrade will inculcate skills in technology to counter the threat of extinction by capital-intensive techniques.
OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS WORKSHEET
ACTION PLAN FOR THE CURRENT YEAR (12 MONTHS)
Leadership seminars
I have been attending most leadership trainings organized by non-profit organizations to equip myself with self-assertion techniques and intelligence.
Technology and Accounting course
I have enrolled in information technology course as well as basic accounting course to supplement my skills in contemporary management.
Internship
Over the past year, I have sought employment opportunities as an intern with intent to gain managerial skills. Engaging in such opportunities will instill leadership and managerial skills as well as enhancing the current capital-intensive methods such as social networking to enhance effective management.
