TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOC \o “1-3″ \h \z \u Task 1 Methods to improve personal and professional skills
Difference between counseling and mentoring
Three professional development skills
Time management and its benefits
Value of a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme
Task 2 Personal skills audit
Stages of a personal skills audit
Importance of identifying learning style
Monitoring the effectiveness of own learning style
Task 3 Personal development plan
Personal development plan
Competency Development Framework
Task 4 Personal development portfolio
Findings and Recommendations
Timeframe
References
Task 1 Methods to improve personal and professional skills Difference between counseling and mentoring
There are individuals who regarded others at higher level positions in the organization to provided guidance and support to them in the development of their careers. In turn, these individuals who coach, advice, and encourage employees of lesser rank are called mentors. Sims (2006) mention that, in general, the mentor initiates the relationship, but sometimes an employee will approach a potential mentor for advice. Most mentoring relationships develop over time on an informal basis. However, in proactive organizations there is an emphasis on formal mentoring plans that call for the assignment of a mentor to those employees considered for upward movement in the organization. Because of the mentor, learning focuses on goals, opportunities, expectations, standards, and assistance in fulfilling one’s potential (p. 299). For example, medical interns look up to their assigned doctors and asked for guidance on how to go about their duties inside the hospitals.
On the other hand, Sims (2002) defines career counseling as the activity that integrates the different steps in the career-planning process. Career counseling may be performed by an employee’s immediate manager, a HRM specialist (or a combination of the two), or outside consultants (p. 369). Immediate manager generally has the advantage of practical experience, knows the company, and is in a position to make a realistic appraisal of organizational opportunities. The managers should be well trained in conducting career counseling. Generally, managers who are skilled in basic human relations are successful as career counselors. Evidently, an example of counseling is one that happens typically within the workplace between an employee and his/her manager or supervisor.
Three professional development skills
The three core skills that had helped me in meeting my goals and that of the organization are communication skills, problem-solving skills and interrelation skills (Raddon, 2005, p. 26). Communication skills – both oral and written – are important in interfacing with others. For instance, communication skills are very important in taking part in discussion, voicing out concerns and contributing relevant inputs to an initiative in the workplace. Communication is also important in explaining and understanding works and duties. Problem-solving skills come in three components: critical thinking, planning and organizing and reviewing and evaluating. Critical thinking most particularly is critical in accomplishing tasks and providing solutions to complicated problems. Working with others is inevitable especially that works are accomplished through a collaborative dynamics. Carrying out task could also mean cooperating with co-workers, a practice that could encourage participation hence harmonious working relationships.
Time management and its benefits
As part of organizational culture, rules, regulations and protocol that should be followed in order for us to meet the core value of the company are inexistence. Time management refers to the process used in managing time to accomplish specific tasks, goals or projects, utilizing an array of skills, tools and techniques (Mancini, 2003). Personal time management is always associated with recommended goals thus ratings are established, deadlines are set and priorities are assigned. The benefits of time management are leveraging effectiveness, improving performance and increasing responsibilities which could be beneficial in terms that it can build up the experience. The performance of a job or carrying out a responsibility could make an individual more efficient, leading to personal development. An individual could maximize his/her time by means of knowing how to use time wherein tasks to be done are listed against reasonable time of accomplishing such. Controlling space could be another way to effectively manage time aside from delegating task-time accordingly. Being more disciplined in sticking to original plan must be also considered.
Value of a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme
According to the Chartered Institute of Professional Development (CIPD), Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is an integral component of professional development wherein evidence of CPD is being increasingly required by employers because the process mutually benefits the employers, the employees and their third party stakeholder (Megginson and Whitaker, 2003). CPD enables the employees to expand and fulfill their personal and professional potential as well as meeting the present and future demands of the job and the workplace. CPD assures that an employee meet the required knowledge and skills that relate to the evolving professional practice. Megginson and Whitaker (2003) relate that as a planned and structured acquisition of knowledge, experience and skills, CPD enables personal development in meeting employers’ needs and regulators’ requirements to ensure professional and personal competence.
Lorriman (1997) asserts that the value of CPD for individuals is that they are able to mould their professional development and own learning. The staff engagement in CPD hastens the skills gap amongst the staff and the job requirements. Through CPD programmes, a more proactive approach can be incorporated to ensure staff development and skills maintenance. In effect, such knowledge and skills enhance business effectiveness and profitability. On the other hand, the organization can minimize the risk of professional errors and potential litigations and make the workforce and business processes more effective and efficient and improves the profitability and company’s reputation. Furthermore, CPD can aid in staff recruitment and retention, provide evidence of employee standards and meet the accreditation requirements.
One of the UK-based companies that adhere into the scheme of CPD is HMV Group, founded in London, England in 1921. Some of the products of HMV include books, consoles, DVDs, games, magazines, music and t-shirts among others. HMV recognizes that passion and knowledge are their prized assets hence the necessity of molding people that will drive these assets. People who work in their stores are considered as added value. That is why continuous investment in the development of people, retaining their expertise for longer and developing new ways of continually improving service to customers are critical. A three-year learning and development programme is employed to improve the capabilities of the employees. According to Neil Bright (2004), this action implicates future leadership, performance management and succession planning, where recruitment and selection cost are minimized and retention rate is optimized. For the employees, this has benefited them to better acquire expertise regarding the job and more confidence in dealing with customers.
Task 2 Personal skills audit Stages of a personal skills audit
Skills audit, alternatively, is the process of identifying the skill gaps in an organization. Skills auditing results in the understanding of the skills required and the gaps that the organization currently possesses; the targeted analysis of the development needs. Skills audit involves conformation of current duties, job analysis, training needs, future development needs and action plan. As such, the first two steps of personal skills audit are determining the skills requirement and auditing the current skills. Determining the skills gap will be the next and this will take effect in evaluating what skills should be enhanced or developed (Dashwood-Quick, 2009). Further, skills auditing would be an imperative in effective management and leadership as it determine explicitly the recognition of prior learning and future development needs, both of which are important in performing roles.
Importance of identifying learning style
As Honey and Mumford (1982) put it, there are four basic styles of learning: Activist, Reflector, Theorist, and Pragmatist. Activists prefer to learn from immediate experiences and new challenges. They are bored with implementation and longer-term consolidation. Reflectors prefer observing data before making conclusions. Theorists adapt and integrate information in an objective manner. Pragmatists prefer to test ideas and theories in practice (Sims, 1990). The importance of self-identifying learning style, initially, is to align the level of motivation of the learner. Motivation influences a person’s enthusiasm toward reinforcing what is learned. Modifying behavior is also critical when learning style is identified. Behavior relating to learning could be imitated and transferred to other learners as well. Active participation could be also determine through knowing what is the most effective and more appropriate learning style, all of which could lead to effective application of what is learned.
Further, determining learning styles also benefit the organization and the individuals. In the organization, learning leads to improved profitability and/or more positive attitudes toward profit orientation; improves the job knowledge and skills at all levels of the organization; improves the morale of the workforce; and helps the employees identify with organizational goals (Sims 1990). On the side of individuals, learning benefits them through helping individual in making better decisions and effective problem solving; aiding in encouraging and achieving self-development and self-confidence; helping a person handle stress, tension, frustration, and conflict; increasing job satisfaction and recognition and moving a person toward personal goals while improving interaction skills (Sims 1990).
Monitoring the effectiveness of own learning style
Evaluation is important as it determine the extent to which learners have met their goals. The effectiveness of learning style would be apparent immediately after the learning process. It can be monitored qualitatively by means of determining the changes in behaviors, attitudes, opinions, and beliefs within the organizational domain. There are three aspects which these aspects could be monitored: improvements in performance, changes in employee skills and demonstrated competency. Learning style should also complement the training and development programmes. One of the rationales for the training programs is to remove current and avoid future career deficiencies. Employee skills must be updated through training so that changes are successfully integrated into the organization. Training can be used to fill the gap between the new employee’s predicted and actual performance.
Learning outcomes appraisal could be also conducted. These are: 1) narrative appraisals – open-ended interaction regarding individual performance; 2) goal setting and review – identification of goals mentally, followed by comparison of performances against those goals; 3) rating scales – performance is measured against predetermined factors; 4) checklists – performance is rated against a list of normative factors; 5) critical incidents – examples of good and bad performance are identified by the appraiser as they occur and maintain until review; and 6) ranking – relative performance is completed by the appraiser
Task 3 Personal development plan
Purpose of personal development plan
Personal development planning is closely linked with career development. Eggland and Giley (1998) describe this process as an organized, planned effort comprised of structured activities or processes that result in a mutual career plotting effort between employees and the organization. An individual takes responsibility for personal development planning (p. 48). Six integrative purposes of personal development planning are: 1) forecasting future organizational needs; 2) utilizing performance appraisals; 3) job announcements and posting; 4) career pathing for employees; 5) raining development; and 6) development of consistent compensation practices (Cross, 1983).
Career Planning is a process of setting up employee career objectives and developing activities that will achieve them. According to Sims (2002), career planning is the process by which an individual formulates career goals and develops a plan for reaching those goals.
Outcomes of Career Planning
1. Broad Life Planning
In broad life planning, interests, abilities, experiences, aptitudes, and values are analyzed, resulting in improved self-concept and projected self as related to careers. The HRD practitioners can help formulate this process by providing employees with career information and by utilizing appropriate evaluation instruments and personality assessment tools.
2. Development Planning
Developmental planning focuses on a realistic evaluation of future career options and opportunities and the creation of activities that will prepare individuals for future jobs and future career decisions. There is a natural relationship here between the employee and the organization; both work collaboratively in the successful identification and realization of career development. At this point the HRD practitioner intervenes as change agent, actively designing development activities and providing necessary career information to help employees make career decisions.
3. Performance Planning
Performance planning centers around the identification of specific job demand goals and priorities and the reward expectations of current job assignments. Specific training needs, performance activities, priorities, and explanations, as well as financial compensation, are identified, and the result is successful completion of stated objectives and goals. In this stage of career planning, the employee must rely primarily on the organization for effective performance planning, which becomes an HRD activity. However, some HRD practitioners lack the skill, and employees as well as organizations must then assume responsibilities that are inappropriate. The result is inadequate long-range life planning and serious shortages of qualified human resources within the organization.
Personal development plan
Objectives for Personal Development Plan
ü Increase awareness of the roles
ü Determine how knowledge, skills and attitudes and competencies and expertise could be furthered
ü Build greater confidence and accountability among personal career goals and objectives
Intended Outcomes:
ü Enhancement of skills and optimizing motivation who actively participate in workforce dynamics
ü Personal empowerment that could easily identify and respond to diversity within the organization
ü Well-developed personality and character resulting to increase in productivity and proficiency
Tactics:
My plan should conform to continuous improvement by focusing their energy on improving functioning in five key areas: 1) goals – what I aspire to achieve; 2) roles – how can I possibly achieve personal goals; 3) procedures – methods that would help me in developing my skills and competence; 4) relationships – how should I interact with each other and 5) leadership – how the organizational management could help me in achieving my goals while also accomplishing organizational goals.
The three objectives identified will serve as the focus area to help guide the future actions as I move toward achieving personal and organizational goal.
Increase awareness of the roles
ü Adhere into best practices and benchmarks
ü Wider dissemination of models that employ concepts of individual performance effectiveness
ü Promotion of self-actualization value
ü Fostering of individuality
Determine how knowledge, skills and attitudes and competencies and expertise could be furthered
ü Developed effective visioning of the future and responsibility framework
ü Build upon the concept of individualistic competency development
ü Encouragement of synergy within my own attitudes, behaviors and aspirations
Build greater confidence and accountability among personal career goals and objectives
ü Create effective decision-making systems
ü Establishment of competency support to structured and ad hoc activities
Long-Term Intended Outcomes:
The long-term objective of this personal plan is central on the achievement of personal career goals, satisfying individual needs and sustaining workplace survival. In sum, the long-term result shall focus on being aware and responsive to both internal and external environment of the workforce that application of acquired and emergent knowledge, skills and expertise could be evident.
Skills to Be Developed:
Communication Skills
Interpersonal Skills
Competence Development Skills
Training to Be Attended:
Communication Skills Training
Participants are expected to learn the secret of communication and be able to build personal credibility, deliver positive and negative feedback, improve listening skills, dealing with difficult people and handling negative situations. At the conclusion of the training program the participants should be able to: a) explain the four basic behavioral styles and adapt to each; b) capitalize on personal style for more effective communication; c) describe the impact of body language and voice tones on communication; d) list strategies for dealing with difficult behaviors; e) develop an action plan to improve communication skills and f) acquired communications shall be used to enhance interpersonal skills.
Competency Development Framework
My competence development scheme will be based on the following framework which covers delivering positive outcomes, fostering partnerships and effective process-role orientation. In the first component, intuitive thinking – understand purpose, context, goals, objectives and the relevance to my role, making an impact – being personally accountable for delivering effective, quality outcomes and passion for results – understands what needs to be done and stretching myself to deliver results effectively are the core elements.
In the second component, core elements are managing relationships – collaborates effectively across various groups, being a team player – cooperates and supports others to produce better results and being critical on learning and improvement – develops self, helps others to excel at what they do, values individuals.
While in the third, core elements of effective process-role orientation are clear communication – sharing information, experience and ideas to ensure understanding and analytical rigor – using analysis to find solutions.
Task 4 Personal development portfolio
As already noted in the previous task, my personal development plan focuses on competency development as well as communication and interpersonal development. I have developed three goals for my plan which are: 1) increase awareness of my recent and emerging roles, 2) determine how I could further develop my knowledge, skills, attitudes and competencies and expertise and 3) build greater accountability among toward career success. Trainings, lectures and workshops are the primary instruments that I could use for upskilling. Prior to that, I will engage in time-to-time self-appraisal using this form:
Event/Activity/Situation:
Date:
What specific development needs do I have?
How will these objectives be addressed?
Evaluation and outcome
I have prepared a learning log to be accomplished based on the various trainings that I planned to attend in due time. I will make use of a record of training and development activities. To illustrate:
Training Attended:
Date:
Nature of Training
Where and How Undertaken
Summary of Contents
Learnings Achieved
Findings and Recommendations
Considering materiality analysis so that I can define my priorities and work from there would be the most plausible recommendation. If I am going to do this, I could focus my energy and resources on areas that need to be addressed more. The materiality analysis could clarify issues on how my current skills set and competence could drive long term value to my roles and tasks, identify and address the challenges surrounding these skills and expertise and build and maintain a strong competence base further. Personal MOST framework could be also developed. MOST stands for personal mission, objective, strategies and tactics.
Timeframe
What I want to achieve (outcome)
How I will go about it (action)
Who I need to involve/consult (people)
What resources do I need (physical resources)
Finish by date
CLEAR CAREER GOALS
- Vision
- Mission
- Values
- Plans
CLEAR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Individual Development Structure
- Accountabilities
- Competencies
Interaction Skills
- Mutual respect and trust
- Support
- Inclusion
- Involvement
- Value Diversity
- Listening
- Feedback
CLEAR PROCEDURES FOR
- Problem-Solving
- Decision-Making
- Communicating
- Managing Conflict
- Completing Tasks
- Planning
- Meetings
- Managing Change
- Evaluating Performance
STRONG LEADERSHIP SKILLS
- Personal Credibility
- Strategic Focus
- Clear Expectations
- Clear Communication
- Engagement and Involvement
- Develop People
- Responsible and Accountable Members
- Manage Change
- Recognition
For First Objective:
1 Individual skills profiling
2 Different personal awareness exercises such as personality tree, Johari’s development and the ‘Whole Picture’ assessment
3 Workplace Communication Skills
Training providers such as facilitator training and in-house trainers
Me
Facilitator’s and trainer’s salary, space and supportive costs
Week 1
Week 2
Weeks 3 – 4
For Second Objective:
1 Training Needs Analysis
2 Deliverable Mapping
3 Workshops for personal development
Consultant or Mentor
-do-
Week 5
Weeks 6 – 7
Week 8
For Third Objective:
1 Core Competencies Modeling
2 Addressing issues decision-making process involvement
3 The Three-Stage Assessment
3.1 Determination of individual/personal norm and behavior patterns
Recognition of existence and influence
3.2 Measuring norms and establishing norm profile
3.3 Normative changes
Me
-do-
Weeks 9 – 10
Week 11
Weeks 12 – onwards
Week 12
Week 13 – 14
Week 15 – onwards
References
Bright, N 2004, Annual Report, retrieved on 22 May 2009, from http://www.hmvgroup.com.
Cross, L 1983, ‘Career Management Development: A system that gets results,’ Training and Development Journal, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 54-63.
Dashwood-Quick, W 2009, Discover Yourself on the Yellow Brick Road: 7 Core Principles of Career Success, Cabal Group Limited.
Honey, P and Mumford, A 1982, The Learning Styles Questionnaire, Peter Honey Publishing, Maidenhead, Berkshire.
Lorriman, J 1997, Continuing Professional Development: A Practical Approach, Institution of Electrical Engineers.
Mancini, M 2003, Time Management, McGraw-Hill Professional, New York.
Megginson, D & Whitaker, V 2003, Continuing Professional Development, CIPD Publishing.
Raddon, R 2005, Your career, your life: career management for the information professional, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Sims, R S 1990, An Experiential Learning Approach to Employee Training Systems, Quorum Books, New York.
Sims, R S 2002, Managing organizational behavior, Quorum Books, Westport, Connecticut.
Sims, R S 2006, Human resource development: today and tomorrow, IAP.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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