unit 1: Personal Development Description of Unit This unit focuses on the importance of continuous personal and professional development through self-learning and reflection. The unit will enable learners to enhance the skills required for effective management, to meet work objectives and improve performance for future career development. Learners will be provided with the opportunity to identify their own development needs through conducting a skills audit and a personal development planning process.
Evidence to achieve this unit will be continuously provided throughout the learning programme, thereby enabling learners to take ownership of their future development needs. Learners will be able to demonstrate they have a regularly updated and realistic personal development plan that fits with their own preferred learning style. This unit will also enable learners to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of their learning on their career path. Summary of learning outcomes To achieve this unit a learner must: Explore the skills and techniques needed for effective time management 2 Examine the personal and professional skills needed to manage effectively 3 Carry out a personal skills audit and produce a personal development plan to review and maintain planned life and career goals. Assessment Activities Assignment 1: Personal Development Plan Personal development is an ongoing process through the course. Task 1 1. Personal Profile Analyse the operational activity in which you are involved, including regular daily, weekly and monthly activity, occasional initiatives and projects.
Prepare a full description of this activity, focusing on: the nature of the team that you are working in and/or managing; your personal role and responsibilities; your reporting relationships; the operational links with other individuals and departments; links with other businesses and external agencies. Submission: Please see introductory email. Task 2 2. Personal Development Journal Start your Personal Development Journal with an opening which includes: • A brief “personal” profile; Your personal work goals for the next one to three years; • A copy of your workplace Personal Profile; then Keep a continuous (at least weekly) record of your: • Progress on the programme; • team leader / manager / operational ~ performance in the workplace; and Write up an 8 weekly reflection on your: • General progress; • Progress on achieving your goals; • Improvement in your personal understanding / awareness / performance. Submission: at the end of every 8 weeks for the duration of the course. Assignment 2: Personal and Professional Skills Activity Sheet 1
What is your time type? How do you perceive time, and how is this reflected in your behaviour? Please answer the following questions by circling Yes or No for each item. |1 |When you enter a new situation, do you immediately pick out familiar elements and link them to your own past experiences? |Yes |No | |2 |Are you concerned with the background history of events and their potential effect on the future? |Yes |No | |3 |Do you usually handle emergencies well? |Yes |No | |4 |Do you frequently have ‘hunches’ about the future? Yes |No | |5 |Do you pride yourself on your rationality, your objectivity? |Yes |No | |6 |Do you get upset when you have to change a schedule? |Yes |No | |7 |Have you ever kept, or felt the urge to keep, a diary? |Yes |No | |8 |Do you hate to wait? |Yes |No | |9 |Do you often foresee things that others don’t? |Yes |No | |10 |Are you particularly successful at inspiring others with your ideas? |Yes |No | |11 |Can you ‘think on your feet’ – ie respond quickly to stimuli? Yes |No | |12 |Do you enjoy planning things, step by orderly step? |Yes |No | |13 |Do you avoid changes in your life that would sever ties with the past? |Yes |No | |14 |Do you have trouble being punctual? |Yes |No | |15 |Are you curious, thriving on new experiences? |Yes |No | |16 |Do you look forward to tomorrow more than you enjoy living for today? |Yes |No | |17 |Do you have a definite view of how things ought to be done that you apply fairly and consistently? Yes |No | |18 |Are you skilful at handling tools and materials? |Yes |No | |19 |When you have to make a decision, are you very conscious of how your decision will tie in with previous ones that you have made? |Yes |No | |20 |Do you find it frustrating to have to stick to a schedule? |Yes |No | |21 |Do you often have deep emotional reactions to situations in which you find yourself? |Yes |No | |22 |Do you tend to keep constantly busy even when there’s no external pressure forcing you to do so? Yes |No | |23 |When you have a negative first impression of someone, do you usually retain it even after you’ve got to know them better? |Yes |No | |24 |Are you slow to make decisions, thinking things through thoroughly before you act? |Yes |No | |25 |Do you usually know, without looking at a calendar or watch, what day of the week and time of the day it is? |Yes |No | |26 |When confronted with a problem, do you immediately envision the outcome you’d like to see – and then find the actual process of |Yes |No | | |getting there a bother? | | |27 |Do you generally take events as they are, rather than looking for causes or between-the-lines meanings? |Yes |No | |28 |Do you develop deep but short-lived enthusiasm? |Yes |No | To determine your ‘Time type’ please total your YES answers in the spaces that follow. There are no right or wrong answers, as such, and you will probably find that like most people you are a mix of the four types – Sensing, Intuitive, Thinking and Feeling – with perhaps a greater response to one or two of the types than to the others. |Total number of YES answers | |SENSING |X x x x x | |3, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 27 | | |INTUITIVE |X x x x | |4, 9, 10, 16, 20, 26, 28 | | |THINKING |X x x x x x | |2, 5, 6, 12, 17, 24, 25 | | |FEELING |X x x x x | |1, 7, 13, 14, 19, 21, 23 | | The maximum score for a preference is 7. Your scores which come closest to 7 probably represent your strongest preferences. These are descriptions of the four preferences: SENSING |• Time is now | | |• Short memories | | |• Poor forecasters | | |• Good decision-makers | | |• High energy | |INTUITIVE |• Time begins in the future | | |• Envisage the future | | |• Push actions towards it | | |• Dreams of what might be | |THINKING |• Time follows a straight line | | |• Abstract thinkers | | |• Time is an objective | | |• ‘What’ happened rather than ‘Why’ | | |• Time is a circle | |FEELING |• Take time personally | | |• The future seems unreal | | |• Similarities in past/present | | |• ‘That reminds me of the time when | Activity Sheet Two Daily Log Analysis Keep a time diary for one week – by analysing it. This will help you see how you actually spend your time. You may be very surprised! You can then identify what changes you want to make, with the reason why. Using the daily time log produce a log of all activities carried out in the workplace (eg Monday to Friday). Select a typical one week period, which avoids public holidays, sickness periods or leave periods and record your daily activities.
You will need to be fairly disciplined about this and include every time you change activities, even opening mail, making a cup of coffee, chatting with colleagues. Prioritise each activity using the following grading system: A, B, C, D: A = very important tasks — must-do tasks which you should either finish or make progress on during the day. These contribute significantly to your work goals. B = important but non-urgent — should do tasks but the time element is less important. You may need to make progress but not necessarily complete them. C = routine, non-essential tasks — would like to do tasks which have a minor effect on the company’s performance and your job, and can be delegated, put off or handled at a low priority time.
D = non-scheduled tasks (firefighting, emergencies, interruptions, demands from more senior personnel, etc). Note the difference between urgency and importance. You may wish to use codes to save time, eg M = meetings, P = phone calls, I = interruptions, etc. Analyse your week of recordings and comment on your analysis (eg do you spend time on planning and scheduling? Are you doing work which could be delegated? ). Daily Time Log Complete one of these records for each day. Jot down the activity and decide on the priority. Add any comments which will help you when it comes to analysing this record. Include any work you do away from the office, such as traveling. Day of the week: Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Date: | |Start |End |Duration |Activity |Priority |Comments | | | | | |A/B/C/D | | |We 7am |7:15 |15mins |Daily brief |A |Necessary for client | |7:15 |10:00 |2hrs 45mins |Cleaning of rooms |A |Necessary works | |10:00 |10:15 |15mins |Tea break |C | | |10:15 |10:45 |30mins |Meeting with engineer |A |Discussing vital removement of furnishings | | | | | | |to enable cleaning tasks | |10:45 |12:45 |2hrs |Cleaning of rooms |A |Necessary works | |12:45 |13:00 |15mins |Filling out daily log book |A |Necessary for lient | |Th 7am |7:15 |15mins |Daily brief |A |Necessary for client | |7:15 |10:15 |3hrs |Cleaning of rooms |A |Late finishing as priority rooms to be | | | | | | |completed | |10:15 |10:30 |15mins |Tea break |C | | |10:30 |12:45 |2hrs 15mins |Cleaning of public area |A |Deadline to meet as furnishings have to be | | | | | | |refitted for the opening of public area | |12:45 |13:00 |15mins |Filling out daily log book |A |Necessary for client | |Fr 7am |7:15 |15mins |Daily brief |A |Necessary for client | |7:15 |10:00 |2hrs 45mins |Cleaning of rooms |A |Necessary works | |10:00 |10:15 |15mins |Tea break |C | | |10:15 |12:00 |1hr 45mins |Cleaning of rooms |A |Necessary works | |12:00 |12:45 |45mins |Walk round and assess areas |C |Check cleanliness and advise cleaners | |12:45 |13:00 |15mins |Filling out daily log book |A |Necessary for client | |Mo 7am |7:15 |15mins |Daily brief |A |Necessary for client | |7:15 |9:45 |2hrs 30mins |Cleaning of rooms and public areas |A |Necessary works | |9:45 |10:00 |15mins |Meeting with manager |A |Discuss goings in hotel | |10:00 |10:15 |15mins |Tea break |C | |10:15 |10:30 |15mins |Make note of materials needed |B |Essential to allow correct cleaning methods| |10:30 |12:45 |2hrs 15mins |Cleaning of rooms |A |Necessary works | |12:45 |13:00 |15mins |Filling out daily log book |A |Necessary for client | |Tu 7am |7:15 |15mins |Daily brief |A |Necessary for client | |7:15 |10:00 |2hrs 45mins |Cleaning of rooms and public areas |A |Necessary works | |10:00 |10:15 |15mins |Tea break |C | | |10:15 |10:45 |30mins |Meeting with housekeeping |A |Guidelines for targets, safety and goings | | | | |department | |on throughout the week | |10:45 |11:00 |15mins |Ordering vital materials needed |B |Phoned supplier to organize delivery | |11:00 |12:45 |2hrs 15mins |Cleaning of rooms |A |Necessary works | |12:45 |13:00 |15mins |Filling out daily log book |A |Necessary for client | At the end of the week you need to analyse the results.
How did you spend your working week? Add up the time taken by each of the A, B, C and D tasks. Then calculate the percentage of time spent on each one. | |A task |B task |C task |D task | |Monday |5. 5 hrs |0. 25 hrs |0. 25 hrs | | | | | | | | |Tuesday |5. 5 hrs |0. 5 hrs |0. 25 hrs | | | | | | | | |Wednesday |5. 75 hrs | |0. 25 hrs | | | | | | | | |Thursday |5. 75 hrs | |0. 5 hrs | | | | | | | | |Friday |5 hrs | |1 hr | | | | | | | | |Saturday | | | | | | | | | | | |Weekly Totals |27. 5 hrs |0. hrs |2 hrs | | | | | | | | |% of working week |93% |1% |6% | | | | | | | | Are you spending your time on the right things? Analysis pointers • Are you in control of your time? • How much time do you spend on planned activities? • Are you so busy getting low-priority work out of the way that you do not get time for high priority activities? • How much time do you spend on tasks other people could do? • Are there areas which you want to change? What sort of changes do you want to make? Activity Sheet 3 Personal SWOT Analysis | | |STRENGTHS |WEAKNESSES | |List attributes you have which will help you achieve your goals. |Identify areas that concern or disappoint you. In what way do they not meet | | |your expectations (or those of | | |others)? | |Good at and enjoy solving problems |Emotional- having strong emotions with things and feelings. |Work well with others |Being centre of attention- get nervous and panic when all eyes are on me | |Good at learning swiftly |especially in crowds. | |Enthusiastic in all areas | | |Good at observing | | |Keen eye to detail | | |Good listener | | |Very fair | |Like challenges | | |Very thoughtful | | |Pro active | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |OPPORTUNITIES |THREATS | |What opportunities exist in your current work role? How could you build on |What threats are there to your current position? How might your weaknesses | |your strengths? How could you fully use the knowledge and skills gained on |be exposed?
How can you fill any gaps in your knowledge and skills? | |your learning programme? | | |Opportunities include working my way up in a higher position. into a |Threats to my current position include people doubting me and what i am | |supervisory role and into management. |capable of, making the wrong decisions and being unprofessional. | |I could build on my strengths by gaining necessary advice and knowledge from|Weaknesses may be exposed by not being able to cope with certain issues | |others, also practical learning in and around the workplace. |being unprepared and under certain pressures. |I could use knowledge and skills gained on learning programme by proving i |I could fill in gaps in knowledge and skills by learning my weaknesses and | |have the insight, education, skills, knowledge and advice to successfully |work hard towards making these my strengths | |excel with issues and confidence in the workplace | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Activity Sheet 4 Personal Development Plan Name: nicky bainboroughDate: 31st march 2010 Your plan should identify the learning need and how this will help the organisation achieve its goals. You need to consider all the resources needed to help you achieve your objectives, and build in realistic timescales for both achievements and review. |Learning and Development Need |How does this support the organisation’s goals? |Learning actions to be taken including resources |Date for achievement / review. | | | |needed to achieve them. | |emotions |This will not support organisations goals and will |To learn how to be mentally stronger and be less |july 2010 | | |more than likely cause problems. |emotional. May need advice on this issue. | | | | | | | | |again this will not support organisations goals and |Learn to be mentally stronger and comfortable around| | | |more than likely be a hindrance |groups.
May need advice on this issue | | |coping with being centre of attention | | |September 2010 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Activity Sheet 5 Learning styles inventory Educationalists have long realised that we learn in different ways. One widely used categorisation of different learning styles is that provided by Honey and Mumford.
They identify four different characters with quite different preferred learning styles — the Activist, the Pragmatist, the Reflector and the Theorist. Diagnostic tests exist to establish which learning style is most appropriate for you and to help you develop an action plan to develop your learning skills. The following exercise helps you establish whether you consider yourself a Pragmatist, Theorist, Activist or Reflector. You should give yourself a score between one and ten for how well each of the descriptors (bullet points) describes you. If you give it one, it is a very poor description of you. If you give it ten, it is a very good description of you. Definitions |Descriptors |Scores | |Pragmatist |• you are a practical person |10 | | |• you like to solve problems |10 | | |• you enjoy experimenting to improve techniques |10 | | |• you frequently come up with the answer to a | | | |problem |8 | | |• your only interest in theories is to see if they| | | |work in practice |8 | | |• you dislike situations where there is no clear, | | | |practical outcome |10 | | |• you work well to deadlines. | | | | | | |You learn well when: |8 | | |• you are expected to make practical decisions | | | |• using simulations and case studies | | | |• learning from proven good practice, using the |10 | | |examples and the expertise of others. | | | |10 | | | | | | | |10 | | |Pragmatist Total = |94 | |Theorist |• you seek a logical explanation for everything |6 | | |• you like to think through all the possible | | | |implications |4 | | |• you are only comfortable once you can account | | |for what is happening |10 | | |• some might regard you as a little detached | | | |• you prefer not to deal with very emotional |1 | | |situations | | | |• you prefer structured situations |10 | | |• you prefer dealing with facts rather than |5 | | |feelings. 10 | | |You learn well when: | | | |• you have to analyse the activity | | | |• carrying out a lengthy and detailed task that |10 | | |requires much thought |3 | | |• discussing the views and experience of others. | | | |10 | | | | | | | | | | |Theorist Total = |69 | |Activist: |• you are an enthusiast who will try anything |5 | | • you enjoy a challenge | | | |• you enjoy working with others |10 | | |• you prefer to be the centre of attention |10 | | |• long-term implementation is a weakness |1 | | |• you are easily bored | | | |• you don’t always put in enough thought before |5 | | |starting | | | |• you thrive on responsibility. |2 | | |You learn well when: |7 | | |• thrown in at the deep end (ie under pressure) | | | |• faced with role-plays and outward-bound |8 | | |activities. | | | |1 | | | | | | | |2 | | |Activist Total = |52 | |Reflector: |• you are a thoughtful person who thinks hard |10 | |before acting | | | |• you prefer to observe how things are done first |10 | | |• you make notes and ponder on them before acting | | | |• most of your discussions are about work, not |10 | | |chit chat | | | |• you find it difficult to make quick decisions |4 | | |• you would prefer not to take a leading role | | | |• you dislike having no time for reflection. 8 | | |You learn well when: | | | |• listening to (and discussing) the views and |1 | | |experience of others | | | |• carrying out a lengthy and detailed task that |10 | | |requires much thought. | | | | | | | |10 | | | | | | | |3 | | |Reflector Total = |66 | |Definitions |Descriptors | |Activist: |An Activist is an enthusiast who will try anything. They enjoy a challenge and working with others, preferring to be the | | |centre of attention. Their weaknesses are longer-term implementation (because they are easily bored) and perhaps not putting | | |in enough thought before they get started. | |Activists learn well when: | | |• presented with challenging activities | | |• working with others | | |• given responsibility | | |• thrown in at the deep end (ie under pressure) | | |• they are the centre of attention. | | |Activists will particularly benefit from training which involves role-plays and outward-bound activities. | |Activists learn less when: | | |• in a passive situation | | |• listening to others (eg a lecture) | | |• they feel they are not being listened to | | |• undertaking repetitive tasks | | |• carrying out a lengthy and detailed task, following the lead of others. | | |Watching an Activist open a present is like a piece of theatre. They tear into the wrapping with such verve that they may | | |even risk damaging the fragile contents.
They will only read the gift tag after they have opened the present (if they can | | |find it amongst the torn wrapping). | |Reflector |Reflector: A Reflector is a thoughtful person. They prefer to observe how things are done and to ponder on the notes they | | |make. Most of their discussions with others will relate to their current project rather than social pleasantries. Their main | | |weakness is in making quick decisions. They are unlikely to do well if they are forced into a leading role where quick | | |decisions are essential and there is no time for reflection. | |Reflectors learn well when: | | |• listening to others (eg a lecture) | | |• attention is not focused on them | | |• undertaking repetitive tasks with time for reflection | | |• following the lead of others | | |• carrying out a lengthy and detailed task that requires much thought. | |Reflectors will particularly benefit from training which involves plenty of opportunities for contemplation and discussion of| | |the views and experience of others. | | |Reflectors learn less well when: | | |• presented with challenging activities | | |• working with others | | • given responsibility | | |• thrown in at the deep end. (ie under pressure) | | |• they are the centre of attention. | | |A Reflector will be happy for others to open their presents first. They will note what is happening and consider the | | |implications before opening their own presents. They are likely to keep a list of their presents, noting who sent the gift | | |before opening it. Once they have (slowly) opened the present, they note what it is next to the name.
They savour all aspects| | |of | | |the experience. | |Pragmatist |Pragmatist: A Pragmatist is a practical person who likes to solve problems. They enjoy | | |experimenting to improve techniques. They frequently come up with the answer to a problem. Their only interest in theories is| | |to see if they work in practice. They dislike situations where there is no clear, practical outcome. | |Pragmatists learn well when: | | |• they are expected to make practical decisions | | |• timescales are tight | | |• they must (quickly) find better ways to do things | | |• learning from proven good practice | | |• learning from examples and the expertise of others | | |• they are expected to plan the next step. | | |Pragmatists will particularly benefit from training which involves simulations and case studies. | |Pragmatists learn less well when: | | |• they are expected to come up with new ideas themselves | | |• the practical relevance of what they are doing is unclear | | |• they are expected to work out why a technique works (ie reflect on it). | | |A Pragmatist is constantly searching for the most efficient way to open a package. Whilst opening their presents they will | | |enjoy experimenting with different methods of unwrapping. |Theorist: |A Theorist seeks a logical explanation for everything. When presented with a new way of working they prefer to take time to | | |think through all the possible implications. They are only comfortable once they have developed a theory that accounts for | | |what is happening. Their main weakness is that others regard them as rather detached and they may not be good in dealing with| | |very emotional situations. They dislike unstructured situations and also | | |dealing with subjective (rather than objective) information. | |Theorists learn well when: | | |• analysis of the activity is required | | |• there is chance to ask questions | | |• the activity is methodical | | |• in lectures | |• there is a systematic course of study linking many areas | | |• exploring complex issues and interrelationships | | |• attention is not focused on them | | |• undertaking repetitive tasks with time for reflection | | |• following the lead of others | | |• carrying out a lengthy and detailed task that requires much thought. | | |Theorists will particularly benefit from training that involves plenty of opportunities for contemplation and discussion of | | |the views and experience of others. | |Theorists learn less well when: | | |• they are not stretched | | |• they are expected to show their emotions | | |• there is no structure | | |• there is no context | | |• there is no time for analysis | | |• the purpose of the activity is not clear. | | |A Theorist is aware of many different ways of unwrapping presents and has a clear view of the best way of doing it. They will| | |think through any method they don’t fully understand and work out the implications of using it. From this they will develop a| | |clear idea of how to start the unwrapping process. | Activity Sheet 6 How much stress do we need? Stress is not necessarily a bad thing, and often it helps us to get organised and accomplish tasks.
However, sometimes when we are overloaded with work, the stress becomes too great and this is a very unpleasant experience. Equally we can have too little stress and become bored and listless. • What do you like doing that causes you stress? Trying to win and/or succeed • What do you not like doing that is stressful? Rushing • What things make you bored, fed up and listless? Boring tasks and meaningless things • What do you like doing that is not stressful? Relaxing and spending quality time with people and things Identify your stress signals Below are listed some examples of stress signals. Please continue the list with those signals you experience more strongly. Immediate stress signals |Long-term stress signals | |• Touchy/sulky |• Headaches/migraines | |• Heartburn/hiccups |• Restless nights | |• Tense, aching neck/shoulder muscles |• Depression | |• Smoking more |• Complete lack of interest in food | |• Eating less/more |-loss of hair | |-biting nails x |-heart problems | |-biting inside of mouth x |-personal problems | |-feeling anxious x |-breakdowns |-feeling worried | | |-wanting to be left alone | | | | | | | | | | | | | | When you have added all you can to these lists, choose three signals which you experience most often, and underline them to remind you that they are your personal warning signs. Support materials Books Bailey K et al — Pursuing Professional Development (Heinle & Heinle, 2000) ISBN: 0838411304
Earley P and Bubb S — Leading and Managing Continuing Professional Development (Paul Chapman Publications, 2004) ISBN: 0761943226 Harrison R — Learning and Development (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2002) ISBN: 0852929277 Megginson D — Continuing Professional Development (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2003) ISBN: 0852929900 Moon J — Reflection in Learning and Professional Development: Theory and Practice (RoutledgeFalmer, 2000) ISBN: 074943452X Mumford A and Gold J — Management Development (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2004) ISBN: 0852929846 Treacy D — Successful Time Management in a Week (Hodder Stoughton, 1998) ISBN: 0340705477