Personal and Professional Development
Personal and Professional Development
Summary of evidence require by the student
1.1-1.2 Evaluate your learning style
There are several different learning styles that are used by people to help retain information in a variety of environments. Cited by Felder and Brent (2005), Keefe described learning styles as “characteristic cognitive, affective, and psychological behaviors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with, and respond to the learning environment” (p 58). These learning styles include visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles. Visual learners learn by seeing materials such as presentations, photographs, books, and anything that can present to the sight. Auditory learners learn by hearing instruction, listening to material, and sound. Kinesthetic learners learn by touching. This approach is more hands on and gives the participant the ability to learn with their hands. Hence, learning styles help teaching professionals to determine the best methods that should be used when presetting information to students in classroom, and work settings.
After evaluating the different approaches to learning I found that I am a kinesthetic learner and a visual learner. According to Gilakjani (2012) “visual learners think in pictures and learn best in visual images. They depend on the instructor’s or facilitator’s non-verbal cues such as body language to help with understanding”(p 105). As a visual learner I discover that it is easier for me to comprehend the information that is presented from my instructors by seeing photographs and visually appealing information. This helps me to remember the information that is presented. In an alternate setting being a visual learner also helps me to remember directions by referencing landmarks. In addition to being a visual learner I am also a kinesthetic learner. Kinesthetic learners retain information best when they are allowed to manipulate information through dialogue, testing, or applied relevance (Johnson, 2009). For myself the ability to converse and/or test different methods of kinesthetic learning in a business setting help to aide me evaluating and forming strategies that can assist clients with their organizational issues. Kinesthetic teaching also gives me the ability to understand why I learn so much about people and information that is shared by other when I engage in conversation. In conjunction with memory and comprehension; visual and kinesthetic learning styles also inform instructors and supervisors about the diversity in presentation methods that is required when training people wit different learning styles. As a consultant this information about different learning styles is very valuable in the work place because it can be used as a tool to create reading material, presentations and tangible objects that help employees to learn how to adjust more smoothly to change, new implementation, and other applicable information that is presented by myself. Strategies that can be used by the organization that I work for in training me on how to do a more efficient job are including charts, diagrams, and pictorials within training courses to ameliorate my learning experience (Chatterjee & Ramesh, 2015). I also learn by using my hands so the encouragement of note taking, or creating hands on learning opportunities will fulfill my kinesthetic learning desire. Learning styles are the gateways to learning how to use alternate tools to teach, train, and prepare employees of organizations to retain and learn the information that is being provided from the consultant or from upper level management. Hence, knowledge of my learning style has taught me a rationale behind information retention and communication style; while concurrently has helped me to learn how to adapt to the diverse learning styles of other people that I work with.
2.1 SWOT Analysis
Team Player
Loyal Employee
Willingness to learn new tasks
Can learn and retain information in a variety of ways (Visual and kinesthetic learning styles)
Weaknesses
Do not like to be micro managed
Can be stubborn on subject matter that I strongly believe in
Avoid confrontational situations because I do not like to create issues
Anxious about organizational change
Career field opportunities
Consulting Manager/Business owner
Ability to start my own business
The ability to work for an establish employer
Opportunities for economic growth
Career field threats
Lack of education and skills
Instability if you do not have a steady client base
Other consultants that charge rates that re cheaper than my rate
Entering into a new career industry
2.2 Action Plan
2.3 CV
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Energetic Business Development Consultant Manager who has a track record of increasing revenue and increasing productivity. Skilled at creating reports that are sensible, solution seeking, where issues appear to be persistent, and delivering excellent customer service in seeking, and attracting new customers through organizational changes that are implemented. Specializes in technology distributors and retail organizations.
CORE QUALIFICATIONS
Ability to increase revenue for clients by an average of 30 percent
Dedicated to finding solutions to organizational problems
Excellent analytical and problem solving skills
Impeccable presentation abilities
Able to establish rapport with all levels of management
Willingness to work nonstop until a project is completed
EXPERIENCE
Development Consultant
Assisted in establishing new business relationships with new clients and maintaining accurate new client files.
Experience in developing telemarketing scripts for clients who had very specific business development needs.
Exhibited telephone skills by accepting incoming marketing calls and turning those calls into interested clients.
Used information learned from my scholarly studies to find innovative ways to manage others.
EDUCATION
Currently conducting independent studies on management methods of business cohesion, operation, and the establishment of organizational culture and goals.
2.4 Short Essay
Achievement Summary
3.3 Reflective Summary
Action planning is significant to professional and personal development because it encourages people to set goals and evaluate the resources that are needed to accomplish the set goals, while simultaneously envisioning a time frame that the set goal would like to be accomplished. In my personal and professional development, action planning will be an essential organizational tool, which will help me to set specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely (SMART) objectives. According to the University of Kent Careers and Employability Service (n.d.) “Action planning is a process which will help you to focus your ideas and to decide what steps you need to take to achieve particular goals that you may have”. This is significant in my personal goals because I want to have the necessary skills to gain access to colleges and universities that will guide me in the process of developing and honing my management skills, my It skills and my learning skills. In addition, to the aforesaid, it is also very important to learn how to manage others so that these skills can also be applied in my professional work environment as well. A key component in managing others and tasks is by managing time. Time management is “essential for maximum health and personal effectiveness.”(P 1) because with organization and the accomplishment of meeting deadlines and goals in the workplace, a manager is also given the opportunity to advance in his or her personal domain as well. Through planning and theoretical implications that can be applied to my learning capabilities it is strongly believed that I can achieve the goals that I indicated on my action plan. Hence, planning encourages me to strive to achieve gals that I set for myself.
One theory that is applicable in personal and professional development arenas is the social learning theory. The social learning theory combines cognitive and social ideals into the concept of learning. Through two types of power explanatory and descriptive both cognitive and social learning is addressed. In my personal development explanatory power which is the “extent to which theory provides a description of the way in which things work”(Watson, 2013) provides an understanding that the value of planning has on my development. For instance some of the feedback that was received from others after reviewing my action plan was to ensure that I delegate an appropriate amount of time to each tasks to ameliorate the chances of achieving the set goals This was very beneficial feedback because if enough time is not attributed to set goals then likelihood of seeing it through is minimized. Therefore the behaviorist portion of the social learning theory is satisfied. The cognitive component of the social leaning theory is a descriptive piece that provides an insight to how someone learns (Smith & Berge, 2009). Reflecting on my experience with this assignment has made helped me to see the value that personal development can have on professional enhancement and the reverse. Personal development such as going to higher level education is the foundation for building on skills that have already bee acquired in scholastic endeavors, but from a professional standpoint these skills can be re-defined and applied to everyday work, projects, and in business relations as a manager. There is a significant relationship that exists between personal and professional development and employability. The link is the ability to learn. Being knowledgeable of the type of learning styles and the type of learner that I am are also two essential skills that will aide me in my development process. (The Higher Education Academy, 2007). Hence, planning, goal setting, awareness, and learning styles are all key components in personal and professional development.
Personalized Essay
The enhancement of personal and professional skills in a manager’s life is detrimental to his or her ability to be employed with any organization. Employability is the ability to hire a professional with the undemanding that he or she is capable of performing the assigned duties that he or she is expected to perform. In a management position, I have become very aware of the level of dedication that a position in management requires. More specifically, the level of dedication that is necessary surrounds time management skill, alignment with the organization that the manager is employee at, managing subordinate employees and taking the necessary steps to ensure that they are performing their job duties, a they are a reflection of the managers leadership capabilities.
Management Strategies
Strategies to manage my time as a manager ill are to write everything down. This will help me to remember the tasks that need to be completed based of the time frame that they need to be accomplished in. Secondly I will list the task based on deadline and importance. This will help me to better organize the tasks that I need to complete ad the tasks that other employee that I am supervising need to complete as well. As a manager organization skills help in task completion and goal chievement because they ree a ystem for managers that help to keep tasks organized in a manner that ameliorates task completion, time management, and goal achievment concurrently. Thirdly, I wil delegate tasks to other subordinate employees to ensure that multiple tasks are being accomplish efficiently and in a timely fashion. I will also have an open communication policy that gives support to subordinate employees, and give them the opportunity to ask questions to clarify and learn about divere subject matter. These management strategies will help me to become a more sufficient learner, manager, teacher, and student. All of the aforementioned roles are required to become the effective manager that I intend to be.
Striving to further my Education
Planning to attend a college/university and graduate school
Enhancing my education will help me to learn the benefits of new ways to learn, teach others, and plan, Currently I have learned that I retain information in the best way through visual presentation and by kinesthetic. In higher education there has been several changes that incorporate materials that are geared towards the various learning styles that exits, but this does not mean that I am not interested in learning about other ways to retain information. I also like to read, and take notes to memorize information as well. A manager training employees on the policies and procedures and task related to business operations is significant to operational success. Having knowledge of how my employee learns will help me to create innovative ways to present information to them that they need to learn. In addition, the combination of my higher education and acquiring knowledge about other people that I work with will enhance my communication sills as well. Hence, furthering my education will enhance my learning and instructing skills; and promote innovative ways to train subordinate employees.
Conclusion
There are several different learning styles that are used by people to help retain information in a variety of environments. After evaluating the different approaches to learning I found that I am a kinesthetic learner and a visual learner. To advance in one’s personal and professional development it is significant for him or her to discover the necessary skills that he or she currently has to be an effective manager in their desired occupation, and professional skills that are required to accomplish being an effective manager. Action planning is significant to professional and personal development because it encourages people to set goals and evaluate the resources that are needed to accomplish the set goals, while simultaneously envisioning a time frame that the set goal would like to be accomplished. In my personal and professional development, action planning will be an essential organizational tool, which will help me to set specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely (SMART) objectives. One theory that is applicable in personal and professional development arenas is the social learning theory. The social learning theory combines cognitive and social ideals into the concept of learning.
References
Academy, T. H. (2007). Personal Development Planning and empoyability. Retrieved February 14, 2016, from The igher Education Academy: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/esect_pdp.pdf
Authority, S. Q. (2007). Management: Developing Self Management Skills. Scottish Qualifications Authority.
Chatterjee, S., & Ramesh, R. (2015). LINKING TEACHING STYLE AND LEARNING STYLE AS A MEASURE OF PERSON ENVIRONMENT FIT TO ASSESS STUDENT PERFORMANCE. International Journal on New Trends in Education and Their Implications , 6 (4), 37-49.
Felder, R. M., & Brent, R. (2005). Understanding Student Differences. Journal of Engineering Education , 94 (1), 57-72.
Gilakini, A. P. (2012). Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic Learning Styles and Their Impacts on English Language Teaching. Journal of Studies in Education , 2 (1), 105-113.
Johnson, M. (2009). Evaluation of Learning Style for First Year Medical Students. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning , 3 (1), 1-15.
Service, U. o. (n.d.). Action Planning. Retrieved February 15, 2016, from University of Kent: http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/skillsactionplanning.htm
Smith, M., & Berge, Z. L. (2009). Social Learning Theory in Second Life. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching , 5 (2), 439-445.
Tracy, B. (2013). Time Management. United States.
Watson, S. (2013). UNDERSTANDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY. CERME 8 , 3287-3296.
