Abstract:
This formal report focuses on self-reflection and the importance of personal development planning for students and managers. This focus underlines the necessity to define the concepts of self-reflection and Personal Development Planning and critically assess the ways they benefit students and managers. The report is divided into two primary sections: Self-reflection (1) and Personal Development Planning (2) that are, in their turn, subdivided into four and, respectively, three sub-sections. The materials used for composing this formal report include peer-reviewed journal articles, a book, and web-resources that focus upon the topics of self-reflection and PDP, their benefits and best implementation strategies, as well as provide some substantial insight into the correlational data analysis conducted for analyzing the actual effectiveness of self-reflection and PDP in academic and organizational settings.
Introduction.
Over the recent years, autonomous self-reflection and Personal Development Planning (PDP) have been considered to be effective in academic and organizational settings. The primary function of self-reflection is to critically review the current way of getting things done and its effectiveness in order to determine some weak sides to fix and some strong sides to use to one’s advantage. The primary function of PDP is to raise self-awareness, personal motivation, and outline prospects and options for future professional development and growth. Both self-reflection and PDP play a great role in improving students and managers’ performance, enhancing their skills and competencies, and planning appropriate actions to fulfill the set goals. Identifying the concepts of self-reflection and PDP, their benefits to students and managers, necessary skills for successful self-reflection practice and PDP designing implementing, and the best strategies for self-reflection and PDP are pivotal for ensuring the maximum effectiveness of both in academic and organizational settings.
1. Self-reflection
1.1. The concept of self-reflection
Self-reflection in the academic setting is defined by Lew and Schmidt (2011) as “the processes that a learner undergoes to look back on his past learning experiences and what he did to enable learning to occur (i.e. self-reflection on how learning took place), and the exploration of connections between the knowledge that was taught and the learner’s own ideas about them (i.e. self-reflection on what was learned)”. In simple words, self-reflection helps a student understand what was their motivation to learn as well as what was actually taught and learned in the course of studies. A great emphasis is placed on the difference between what was one taught and what they learned from it, thus making one realize precisely what portion of the taught information in qualitative and quantitative aspects was comprehended by them and why.
Within the field of management, self-reflection is considered to be a part of self-directed leadership development (SDLD). In order to successfully perform SDLD, one is to possess the three skills pivotal for effective self-directed leadership, which are emotional intelligence management, self-regulatory development, and self-reflection itself (Nesbit, 2012). Alternatively, Human Resource Development (HRD), over the recent years, has also been concerned with organizational leadership development, and named self-reflection to be the vital element of SDLD. As quoted by Paul L. Nesbit (2012), Malcolm Shepherd Knowles (1975) defined self-directed learners (leaders engaged into self-reflection activity) as the ones who would “take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes”.
Therefore, as evident from the definitions of self-reflection in academic and organizational settings, self-reflection is an important part of self-development process that helps one look back on their progress, analyze their achievements and failures, and set up short-term and long-term learning goals for the future. The main difference between the importance of self-reflection for students and leaders lies in the idea that students need to distinguish between what they were taught and what they learned for the sake of discovering the gaps and motives of their studying process, whereas leaders should be more focused on diagnosing their learning needs for future development. Nonetheless, in both settings, self-reflection practice plays an important role in personal development of students and managers.
1.2. The benefits of self-reflection
Crystal H. Holdefer names improved self-confidence, stronger sense of control, and increased passion for work as some of the benefits of self-reflection for managers (2016). Basically, the same can be applied to students in academic setting, because self-confidence, sense of control, and increased passion for studies are also important for one’s academic career. Otherwise, without reaping these advantages through self-reflection, students risk to lose interest in their chosen field of studies, jeopardize their academic performance, and, consequently, not use the opportunities their academic setting presents to them to their advantage. Quantitative data and correlational analyses have proved that a positive correlation exists between self-reflection and increased academic performance, although to a limited extent (Lew and Schmidt, 2011). Still, the findings obtained from the study do not suggest that there is no difference between performing and not performing self-reflection in the academic setting. On the contrary, students engaging into self-reflection practice are more likely to be successful in their studies than those who do not (Lew and Schmidt, 2011). Therefore, self-reflection is advantageous in both academic and organizational settings.
1.3. Skills to develop
As defined by Moon, “Reflective practice is an active, dynamic action-based and ethical set of skills, placed in real time and dealing with real, complex and difficult situations” (1999). From this definition, one can conclude that not only does self-reflection require a certain set of skills, but is actually an action-based and ethical set of skills by itself. However, even that set of skills requires certain basic skills that one is to possess before they engage into the processes of self-evaluation and self-reflection. For example, in order to be capable of determining one’s learning motives and goals, the individual has to observe, analyze and apply critical thinking to the entire course of their learning process, as well as have some basic understanding of their ambitions and vision of their plans for the future. Also, in the academic setting as well as organizational setting, one has to be responsive to both positive and negative feedback they get from their academic supervisors, classmates, higher management, colleagues, and subordinates. Apart from that, the individual performing self-reflection should be capable of providing constructive follow-up to their own actions, lack of actions, and set goals. In some cases, providing feedback might be even more challenging than receiving one. Also, both in academic and organizational settings, students and managers should be capable of exchanging experience and sharing their thoughts and ideas. In educational affiliations, students are sometimes given assignments to peer-review their classmates’ papers. This is directly related to the development of their analytical and critical thinking, as well as their feedback skills. In organizational settings, managers often hold strategical meetings and brainstorm some ideas pivotal to their organization’s development. Not only does it benefit the organization’s strategic development, but also enhances managers’ ability to listen, think, share ideas, and provide constructive response to the ideas of others. Therefore, the following skills necessary for successful self-reflection can be outlined:
The ability to observe and listen;
Critical thinking skills;
Analytical thinking skills;
The ability to give and respond to feedback/criticism;
The ability to share experience and ideas;
Communication skills;
Strategic thinking skills.
It is important to mention that possessing the named skills and developing those skills
are interchangeable practices that are equally essential for successful self-reflection.
1.4. Self-reflection strategies
Crystal H. Holdefer distinguishes between self-reflection strategies in a positive work situation and negative work situation. For a positive work situation, the proposed self-reflection strategies are thinking about the situation where one has succeeded and asking and answering question about that situation. Among the suggested questions are the following:
Why did I succeed and how was that success different from other situations?
What motivated me to perform outstandingly and how did I feel about it?
Did I receive any appreciation for my success? (Holdefer, 2016).
The strategy for a negative work situation is quite the same (thinking about the situation where one has failed and asking and answering certain questions about it). The possible questions to ask oneself include:
Why did the mistake occur?
Was the reason for the mistake emotional or lack of knowledge/competencies?
Was the mistake purposeful or accidental? (Holdefer, 2016).
Therefore, in both positive and negative work situations, the strategy for self-reflection is to critically assess the situation and determine the reason of it. This strategy will help the manager to evaluate their performance and either build on their achievement to move forward or avoid similar mistakes in the future.
For self-evaluation in academic setting, the strategy composes of three elements, namely, self-monitoring, self-judgment, and learning targets and instructional correctives (McMillan and Hearn, 2008). Self-monitoring helps students critically evaluate their course of actions and compare them to the external standards, self-judgement allows students identify progress toward the achievement of their set goals and targeted performance and, last but not least, learning targets and instructional correctives show students their options for further goals and help correct any misunderstandings along the way (McMillan and Hearn, 2008). These three components of the proposed self-assessment strategy are equally important for self-reflection in the academic setting.
2. Personal development planning
2.1. Personal Development Planning (PDP)
Personal Development Planning plays the role of considerable importance for students and managers due to the fact that the rapidly changing global environment has put new challenges and demands on educational systems and business organizations. Personal development planning in the organizational setting has been firmly entwined with Continuing Professional Development, thus emphasizing on the idea that professional development should be an ongoing priority for managers interested in the enhancement of their leadership skills and competencies. Whereas PDP in organizational setting is mostly referred to the practice of the managerial assessment of their employees’ work progress and the supervision of their professional development, it is also advisable for managers themselves to develop and follow their personal PDP. In academic setting, PDP also performs the functions of clarifying academic supervisors’ expectations for a student’s academic performance, helping the student improve their academic performance and set learning and career goals, and analyzing the options for future professional development based on the student’s current skills and set goals. A study by Beausaert et al. (2013) showed that those students who had been using PDP undertook more learning activities than those who had not, however, their study did not confirm that PDP-users were likely to plan more learning activities in the future.
2.2. The benefits of PDP
Beausaert et al. (2013) name PDP to be an effective feedback tool in both academic and organizational setting. Therefore, understanding PDP to be a medium through which students and managers give and receive substantial feedback on the subject of their current performance and future professional development planning is pivotal in using PDP to its best advantage. Susan Beigel names PDP in the context of self-reflection in the academic setting to be particularly useful for “[enhancing] a range of skills, including cognitive (e.g. using language creatively), practical (e.g. working autonomously) and intercultural awareness and understanding” (2006). For students, their immediate counselors or academic supervisors are the ones they should seek help from in the course of their PDP evaluation process. For one, those people have a larger experience in helping design, evaluate, and implement Personal Development Plans than students themselves do, as well as are capable of critically reviewing the students’ current progress and their potential.
Managers benefit from PDP by outlining their individual plan for future career achievements, as well as performing self-reflection within the course of composing Personal Development Plan. Also, careful and accurate professional development planning helps the manager to feel empowered by revisiting their strengths and meta-skills. When helping their subordinates design and implement Personal Development Plan, managers benefit by having the subordinates’ skill and competency levels substantially increased (Zenger, 2013). Zenger also points out many other advantages of getting management involved in helping their subordinates with their PDP: “When the manager gets involved, everyone wins. The likelihood of the individual following through on their development plan increases substantially. Their skill level improves. The manager is more likely to fulfill a major responsibility they know they have. The organization benefits from improved performance and from having a better-developed pool of talent” (2013). Moreover, working on the individual development plan together with the subordinate helps managers shorten the hierarchical distance and foster closer relationships with their staff members, which is important and advantageous for the entire organization’s working environment and work ethics.
2.3. Designing and implementing PDP
For students, it is advisable to approach their academic counselors or supervisors for designing and implementing of their individual Personal Development Plans. Harriet Swain states that tutors and lecturers play an important role in students’ future success by helping them design and implement their PDP, mainly due to the fact that the students themselves may not see the ultimate need for it and render PDP as something irrelevant to their future (2008). As for managers, Jack Zenger advises to involve one’s immediate manager for helping design and implement their individual PDP (2013). Of course, within an organizational setting, managers should both be interested in the professional development of their subordinates and their individual professional growth. Therefore, the process of designing and implementing PDP for managers is divided into two equally important tasks: to ensure that the manager’s subordinates have their PDP designed and implemented and to make sure that the manager’s own Personal Development Plan has been designed and is being implemented. Both roles are important for manager’s professional growth. For the first task, it is advisable for managers to encourage personal interest for professional development in their staff members and provide them with timely and constructive feedback in order to help them formulate their strong and weak points and perform self-reflection. For the second task, managers should engage into self-regulated learning and assessment practice and, if applicable, ask for the higher management involvement in the course of designing and implementing their self-development strategy.
Conclusion
Therefore, the importance and effectiveness of self-reflection and personal development planning have been critically studied over the past decades, and proved to be significant in both academic and organizational settings. The main benefits of self-reflection for students and managers include increased sense of control, enhanced skill and competency levels, boosted motivation and the desire to study/work, and closer relationship with their academic counselors/staff members. The main benefits of PDP for students are enhanced cognitive and practical skills and cultural awareness, critically reviewed prospects and options for further career and professional growth, and improved self-reflection ability. For managers who help their subordinates design and implement PDP the benefits include greater professional competency of the staff members, improved working environment, and enhanced work ethics and leadership skills. For managers who develop and implement individual PDP, the advantages are as follows: revisited personal strong and weak sides, the sense of empowerment, and the vision for future career achievements. Nonetheless, certain limitations on the effectiveness of PDP, particularly in academic setting, do exist.
All in all, constant development and progress are impossible without initial motivation, which is why self-reflection and PDP should be done on the basis of one’s genuine interest in individual growth.
References
Beausaert, S., Segers, M., Fouarge, D. and Gijselaers, W. (2013). Effect of using a personal development plan on learning and development. Journal of Workplace Learning, 25(3), pp.145-158.
Beigel, S. (2006). The role of personal development planning (PDP) in undergraduate learning: perceptions of its value and links with attainment in the Languages Department of the University of Chester | LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies. [online] Llas.ac.uk. Available at: https://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/paper/2678 [Accessed 26 Apr. 2016].
Holdefer, C. (2016). Understanding Yourself and Increasing Your Professional Value through Self-Reflection – intercom. [online] Intercom.stc.org. Available at: http://intercom.stc.org/2014/01/understanding-yourself-and-increasing-your- professional-value-through-self-reflection/ [Accessed 26 Apr. 2016].
Lew, M. and Schmidt, H. (2011). Self-reflection and academic performance: is there a relationship?. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 16(4), pp.529-545.
McMillan, J. and Hearn, J. (2008). Student Self-Assessment: The Key to Stronger Student Motivation and Higher Achievement. Educational Horizons, 87, pp.40-49.
Moon, J. (1999). Reflection in learning and professional development. London: Kogan Page.
Nesbit, P. (2012). The Role of Self-Reflection, Emotional Management of Feedback, and Self-Regulation Processes in Self-Directed Leadership Development. Human Resource Development Review, 11(2), pp.203-226.
Swain, H. (2008). Helping students prepare personal development plans. [online] Times Higher Education (THE). Available at: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/helping-students-prepare-personal- development-plans/403050.article [Accessed 26 Apr. 2016].
Zenger, J. (2013). Personal Development Isn't Personal: 3 Tips For Getting Your Manager Involved. [online] Forbes.com. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackzenger/2013/08/29/personal-development-isnt- personal-3-tips-for-getting-your-manager-involved/#3ce60601686b [Accessed 26 Apr. 2016].
