Personal and professional development Essay

Self managed training is a when an individual plans, executes and evaluates his or her own learning. The learner is in control of when learning can happen, the duration and the learning experience or outcome. It is important to always review and adapt your training plan. It is unproductive to remain rigid with the plan, and allowing adaptations will improve its applicability and suitability to individual needs. On the job training is another way to self manage training as it allows the individual to apply what they have learnt to real life experience and develop their skill set by actively taking on tasks and duties within their role. This allows the individual to understand their skill set and realize any deficiencies which can be rectified through on the job learning. Learning such as this is lifelong and it is only by exposure to new tasks that the person can develop. This can be applied whilst working. Again a plan can help to keep you on track and provides a reminder of the objectives you have set. Self managed training allows individuals to learn at their own pace while managing their time constraints and work duties. It gives control back to students in deciding how they take on the learning, how much they learn and the content they learn. This, in turn, can make happier and therefore more successful students as they will be able to apply a concentrated effort to the tasks at hand rather than spread themselves thin in meeting deadlines, learning courses that don’t interest them and balancing work at the same time. 1. 2: Proposing ways in which lifelong learning in personal and professional contexts can be encouraged. There are no formal institutions instead it’s an on-going process where one learns from day-to-day interactions with different people, by observing the world around us and imbibe them to form a definite ‘knowledge’ of what has been experienced by the individual (Herminia, 2003). Lifelong learning in a professional context can be encouraged by providing incentives such as monetary rewards and career development. These are well suited to the most ambitious employees who thrive on challenge and have a deep rooted interest in self development. This has the benefit of companies retaining their employees, as developing their skill set will result in a diverse work force that can tackle many problems. Employees that feel invaluable to their company will thrive and perform better knowing they are a vital part of the workforce. In a personal context, it is important to appeal to the individual based on their personality, their life experiences and their future ambitions. The realization of personal development and its applicability to their future goals will enable them to realize their potential and motivate them to continuously learn and develop. 1. 3: Evaluating the benefits of self-managed learning to the individual and organisation In self managed learning the individual is solely responsible for their own learning and time management. In order to see if this method is effective for the individual, a comparative analysis can be undertaken where any change in work output has occurred after successful completion of the course. An improvement in performance would suggest the training was well received. A further promotion would be a strong indicator of how effective the overall process was. Another indicator is if upon successful completion of a course, if the individual has volunteered for further courses as it shows they have been encouraged to accomplish more and the style of learning was well suited to them. For the employer, if self managed learning has proved to be successful through a visible improvement in employees work output then it is evidenced that it has been useful. It is also beneficial in that the organization does not need to invest more time, effort or money towards the process of self development for individuals thereby saving extra costs for the company but simultaneously consistently improving their work force and making them more efficient. Through the method of self managed learning operational costs can be brought down by not having to spend more money on arranging workshops and further courses internally. By improving their workforce through self managed learning they can utilize employees within the organization to carry out more specialized duties instead of outsourcing to external employees. The progression path can be monitored through arranging regular reviews and collating information on work performance, this information can be stored on a database to compare in reviews and track progress. This is also useful to highlight any changes to be made to further improve. It has also been corroborated that self-managed learning benefits the individual and well the organisation (Murphy-Latta, 2008). TASK 2 2. 1: Evaluating one’s own current skills and competencies against professional standards and organisational standards During the meeting with the training manager of United Utilities I discussed methods to evaluate competencies skills against standards both professional and organizational. The employee review each month with the manager can be compared with the organizational standards to check for areas of improvement and whether employee is reaching targets. The competencies within professional standards can then be used to identify the current skills that the individual has achieved and what more he/she need to do to reach a professional standard. A log or journal of the individuals owns learning and performance can be an ideal way to record progress. Thus, one’s own current skills and competencies do contribute to set a definite professional standards and organizational standards (Bandura, 1997). 2. 2: Identifying own developmental needs and the activities required to meet them In order to identify own development needs it is helpful if a record of learning is kept. Individuals can use a diary or log to do this and can look back at this to reflect and decide on a way forward. This is an opportunity to self reflect, analyse and highlight weaknesses. The individual when put through self-managed learning process he or she would be well aware about their own positive as well as negative sides (Jasper, 2006). A review or a meeting with your manager is a good way to seek advice on areas of concern that may need to be developed. The professional and organizational standards must always be referred to in order to compare and form an idea about the skills that need to be enhanced. The skills or competencies that are highlighted as weak can then be focused on to improve. The training manager can be informed of these issues and suggest the relevant training/course which is beneficial for those issues. 2. 3: Identifying development opportunities to meet current and future defined needs A regular review with managers and trainers is the best way forward as this gives the individual an opportunity to identify which activities are proving to be difficult. It is also a chance for the individual to voice their concerns and request additional training that they feel will be beneficial. Employees can be proactive and request to be placed onto a course that they feel will be beneficial. An employee could devise a business plan to show to the manager how the course will benefit the employee and how it will achieve development needs. The objective and goals should be outlined in the plan and a time frame given to achieve those goals including any reasonable steps that should be taken to achieving said goals. 2. 4: Devising a personal and professional development plan based on identified needs Once development needs have been identified and established, a plan should be implemented to tackle those issues. The plan must include both the personal and professional development as the success in one will inevitably lead to success in the other. The plan must specify objectives that reflect the individual’s needs and how the objectives can be achieved alongside a reasonable timescale. Each objective may have an associated set of steps or actions which will enable the objective to be met in a timely manner. The development needs or gaps in knowledge are normally a priority objective before further development can ensue. A chat with your manager, colleagues or other professionals may ascertain any gaps in knowledge or issues to improve on. The plan should allow for some flexibility upon periodic progress reviews. TASK 3 3. 1: The process and activities required to implement the development plan The process required to implement the development plan occurs after identifying the development needs and once the plan has been arranged. In this case the BT PLC Group human resources manager will need to identify the course that is relevant for employees and will need to assess the workforce and establish what percentage of the workforce can attend training. The company has to remain operational therefore it is important to work out a schedule for employees to attend training/courses without sacrificing current company strategy. The next phase is to make arrangements regarding the actual training program, where the course will be held, for how long and enlisting our services as a training provider. A timetable has to be arranged, fees established and enrolment conducted. 3. 2: Undertaking and document development activities as planned Development activities can be documented by having a record of activities that are derived from the development plan needs that were established. After each training session a form or list can be issued to evaluate what the learner has achieved. This can then be compared to the actual objectives to tick off targets that have been met. This method can also highlight anyone who is struggling to meet targets, which gives the trainer a chance to create other ways to fulfil those goals by making adjustments to their learning plans and varying methods of delivery of the course. The person in charge of the individual’s development prepares a suitable method of recording progress made through adhering to the plan. The documents then get cross-checked by the superior in the administration and approval for the changes is secured from the ultimate authority. At every point in implementing the development program, any progress, accomplishment or changes of the tasks is signed by senior authorities in charge to confirm it has been approved. 3. 3: Critically reflecting on own learning against original aims and objectives set in the developmental plan The learner can critically reflect on own learning by reviewing after each training session what they have learnt or achieved. This can be either done individually or discussed with the trainer. Where there were areas that learners struggled on, those issues can be discussed and an alteration within the action plan will focus the learner. Testing learners is another way to establish what they have been successful in and what they haven’t. An overall score can be given to realize any further areas of development. Learning progress must be compared to the original aims and objectives that were suggested in the development plan. A comparison can be made with the actual learning and the objectives, so as to view where there are any gaps remaining if any. 3. 4 How to update reflect critically on own learning against original aims and objectives set in the development plan Based on the review and evaluation of own learning it is then important to adjust the development plan specifying those areas that still need to be concentrated on. The adjusted plan of action will specify how this can be achieved and set a realistic time frame. The development plan must be reviewed again once this further change of action has been addressed to see how much improvement has been made. The process of planning and reviewing is a lifelong learning tool that will enable the learner to gain knowledge about their own capabilities and to develop a sense of self awareness. TASK 4 4. 1: Selecting work based solution on various situational problems The presentation that I will conduct with employees of Hounslow Council as requested by their Human resources manager is regarding work based solutions on various situational problems. In the presentation I will hand out a document with a quiz in order to interact with the audience. There will be ten questions each giving a scenario with an example of a work based problem. There will be four options listed for the learners to choose from. The learners will need to answer each question keeping in mind the best possible solution. A prize will be offered to the person with the most points out of ten. An example of a one of the questions is if an employee has a voluntary dinner conference at a graduate bureau but then an emergency meeting is arranged for the employee with the manager. Four possible answers are given and the learner must select one. Once the papers are marked, a discussion can occur between learners attending the workshop regarding the answers. Learners gain knowledge on handling work based problems in a relaxed and interactive way. 4. 2: The various communication methods available for being effective at workplace and various situations to use it There are many methods of communication in the workplace with the increasing influence of technology and its usefulness. The different methods are firstly, written communication which can be paper based that can be stored in files for later references and also in digital format such as e-mails and fax (Murphy-Latta, 2008). Written communication is mostly used by the companies to communicate in the workplace. If there is a crisis such as documents stored on the computer deleted in error then written documents can be used as testimonials. Secondly, it is oral communication, either face to face or over the telephone and now with latest technology Skype is an alternative. Oral communication is mostly used in the stock exchanges where everyone is within the audible reach (Susan, 2002). Meetings can provide an opportunity to communicate face to face and can be an effective method to liaise with colleagues and provide the ideal environment for collaborative endeavours. Speaking over the telephone can be a hindrance depending on the quality of the phone line, also relying on people actually answering the phone. However, telephone conferences are a good method of briefing employees, which can save companies time and money. Thirdly, latest technology such as emails, internal memos, fax and intranet sites are effective as it is an instant method to communicate information within the company as it is quick, easy and cost effective. 4. 3: The various factors of time management and strategies Time management is one of the most important elements of successful work and being recognized as an efficient employee. There are various factors on which time management depends such as individual characteristics of the employees, balance in one’s work life, and the influence of the organisation on the individual, the usage of the latest technology that saves time and adds to the accuracy (Golding and Gray, 2006). In order to efficiently manage time employees should plan tasks according to the priority. Employees must be aware of the risk of distraction and wasting time in conducting tasks which will inevitably affect productivity. This eventuality will in turn affect revenue of the company and the employee job security. The strategy to manage time is to plan ahead in all tasks, keeping a checklist of tasks to do and updating this as tasks are being completed. Prioritise the most important or relevant jobs to do, also allocating sufficient time is vital to enable the task to be performed correctly.