"Personal Development Planning is a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development."
Or
"Personal Development Plan means a plan you make for yourself to achieve something in your life by considering your current abilities."
Personal development plan should cover all of the following aspects of person like
Current State
Desired State
How do I get their
Timeline
1.(a) Strengths
(b)Weaknesses
2. Get Feedback
3. Focus Areas
1. Prioritizing focus areas.
2. Why do I want them to be solved?
What resources need to get them?
How much time is needed to overcome the weaknesses?
Importance of PDP:
PDP is very important in life of every one because by developing the plans we can get a way to focus what we have to achieve in our life by utilizing our strengths and to minimizing the effect of weaknesses. It also helps us in developing our new skills and strengths once we implement our plan because then it highlight weaknesses we have. It also
Personal Skills:
"Each person has the ability to do certain things very well these are their personal skills"
Following are the skills which I posses in me
Time Management: I use my time efficiently and effectively. It is one of my best quality because in this way I can handle my work load and sort of my priorities like which work is most important so I can give more time to that thing and like that the less one and so on.
Problem Solving: I can solve not only my own problems in a good manner but I can solve the problems of others like I can give them good advice that how someone can solve his problem. It's also one of my key skill and ability.
Decision Making: This plays a very important part in every one's life to take decisions at right time. I think so I am also good at taking decision at right time like the decision I made to come here in UK to get higher education so when I go back to my country I can get a competitive edge over others because I have an additional degree.
Effective Communicator: I am an active learner and memorize the things easily because when someone talks to me, I listens him very carefully so in this way I can remember things. I have the ability to solve other's problem in an effective manner like if someone has a problem with other person I can ask both of them to sit side by side and whatever the issues they have with both of them ask face to face. So in this way many of the problems can be solved.
Building Relationship: I can easily make friends and can adjust in any kind of environment. I think this skill can help me out in my professional life as well.
Caring for others: Because I am a muslim so in my upbringing every one told me that you have to care for others like my elders, my brothers and sisters, to my colleagues, to my teachers, to my parents etc
Part 2
Professional Skills:
Professional Skills consists of following skills
Management skills (planning, organization, leading and controlling): The Manager of the company should have these professional skills to be succeeded in their professional life. Managers should be each of them like he should be a good planner E.g. to develop plans and policies for the Organization, he should effectively organize the plans he set for the company, and he could lead them from the front and control all the work.
Coaching skills: The manager can guide his employees and staff which come under his authority so that they can perform their duties accordingly so he could be a good coach so that others motivate while seeing him
Multi-tasking: The manager of the company can perform different tasks at one time so he should have the ability to perform multi tasks E.g. He have to develop plans for the company and then he have to guide the staff about those plans and then keep a tracking record that each and every thing is going on in a good manner.
Self Development: Good manager would always be one who keeps on learning new things like learning new skills and knowledge.
Part 3
Achieving Strategic Goals:
"Strategic goals are statements of what you wish to achieve over the period of the strategic plan (e.g. over the next year, five years, ten years.)"
Good Strategic goals should have the following characteristics like
Measurable: Strategic goals and objectives should be measurable so that i can track the success.
Specificity: Strategic goals must be specific, clear and realistic e.g. to increase market share up to 20%. If we are specific to our goals than we can easily develop plans and check it whether we are achieving them or not
Importance: Prioritize the goals which are more important for the success of the organization.
Reflective: Reflective means that by using our analytical skills, understanding of business environment and so on how we can develop strategic goal of the organization.
Conclusion:
I am working in Pakistan International Airline as an H.RManager. To achieve the strategic goals of my organization I must possess certain kind of professional as well as personal skills like I can use my time management skills in achieving strategic goals, because time plays crucial role not only in the life of a person but also in the life of an organization. I can also use my management skills like developing plans for organization, organizing those plans, leading those plans from the front and then control them to achieve the goals.
I can also use my problem solving skill in organization to resolve the conflicts arise during achievement of strategic goals of the organization. Effective Communication plays a key role in achieving organization's strategic goals and for that purpose I can introduce MIS in the organization because it is the backbone for any kind of organization nowadays. With the help of this system all of the employees can communicate with each other and can get the help from others if they face any problem regarding their tasks in achieving goals of the organization. I have the skill to look after the persons who are close to me in my personal life, I can use this skill in organization to look after my sub ordinates because by doing so they can co-operate with me in achieving organization goals.
Learning Outcome 2
Be able to conduct a skills audit to identify Learning Styles
Part 1
Skills Audit:
"A skills audit is a process where skills held by employees are identified and compared with skills required now and in the future so that the skill shortfall or surplus can be determined." (By Heather Watson)
SWOT analysis:
Strengths
Weaknesses
I can manage my time effectively
I have the ability to solve problem
I have the ability to take decision at right time.
I am a passionate person
I am a hard working person
One of my strength is that I never give up whatever the situation may be
I am quick learner of things and new systems.
I can easily adjust in any environment
I always there to help and care for others (Friends, family etc)
I can't communicate in English fluently
I become angry if someone don't co-operate with me
I want others to see things according to my perspective
I always think that I am right
I become depressive sometimes
Conclusion:
The leadership skills which are required in my current organization are somewhat close to my strengths which I have mentioned in strengths and weaknesses table. So strengths can be used to achieve my job responsibilities and the future requirement could be to overcome my weaknesses which could become hurdles if I don't consider them.
Part 2
Identify preferred learning styles:
There are so many learning styles but I am explaining only the following to get knowledge about what the learning styles are
Honey and Mumford:
Research by Peter Honey and Alan Mumford suggests that we might usefully consider four basic "learning styles"
1. Activist: They are open minded and flexible people and love to face new challenges. They learn by doing to get experience about the things. They play a leading role and have the ability to solve problems. They are not biased to things.
2. Pragmatist: The kinds of people in this category want some guidance to put their learning into action. They respond to problems and opportunities as a challenge and try new things. They are very down-to-earth and are problem solvers. They look to the practicality of things and are realistic about them. They want to apply things first to get knowledge about it.
3. Theorist: The people lies in this category are perfectionist and want everything to be perfect. They do things in a systematic way and want reasons and logical behind them. They want models and theories before implementing anything.
4. Reflector: The people of this category don't want to take any risks instead they sit aside and want to learn by watching others. When they act it consists of experience of their past, present and others as well.
ACTIVIST
PRAGMATIST
THEORIST
Kolb's Learning Style:
This model consists of four steps which are as follows
Concrete Experience (Feelings):
It means that everyone is participating actively and learning by doing. Learners should be adaptable and want to learn from others.
Observation and Reflection (Watching)
In this stage we have to sit and watch the issues arise by implementing change and to solve those problems.
Forming Abstract Concepts (Thinking)
In this stage the manager applies his strategy which he has developed opposing to others feeling to get correct situation. Manager can use plans and theories as part of it.
Testing in new situation (Doing)
The manager test it by implementing it on the organization so that to learn.
His learning styles can be explained with the help of diagram.
Diverging: Some people use a combination of their experience (CE) and observation (RO) by watching others how they perform in this situation.
Assimilating: Some people use a combination of Observation (AC) and thinking (RO) so assimilate things and use them in future.
Converging: Some people use a combination of thinking (AC) and doing (AE) means their focus is to apply their thinking practically to get results.
Accommodating: Some people use a combination of doing (AE) and experiencing (CE) means that after doing something they get results. If they face a failure they learn from their mistakes and then try not to do it again. By this way they also get experience.
Conclusion:
The learning style which suits me is a mixture of Honey and Mumford and Kolb. Like from the learning style of Honey and Mumford the activist style and from Kolb Diverging style suits me. I am an activist person and I see things in a positive manner and want to learn new things by doing it myself and don't depend on others to do it for myself. I love to face new challenges in my life and at work so that to solve them in my style. I am very open minded person and don't blame others if something goes wrong.
Diverging style also suits me because I want to solve challenges and for that I should focused on my thinking and learning of how to solve that problem and then use different methods to solve them by implementing them. So I can use a mixture of these two styles to of diverging and activist in my organization to solve conflicts and problems.
Be able to implement a personal development plan:
Part 1
Current State
Desired State
How do I get their
Timeline
1.(a) Strengths
> Time Management:
> Problem Solving
> Decision Making
> Effective
Communicator
> Hard worker
> Passionate
> Quick learner
> Easily adjust in any
environment
> To help and care
people
(b)Weaknesses
> Angry management
> Get Depressed
> I am Always right
Thinking
2. I can get feedback from others
3. Focus Areas means to pin point my weaknesses
1. Prioritizing my focus areas so that I can solve my weaknesses on importance basis like which weakness should be solved first.
2. Why do I want them to be solved means that if I don't solve them then they would create hurdles in my professional life and personal as well.
Means that I can solve my weaknesses by using resources like reading books, get training courses and get help from coaches or experienced persons.
Means that how much time is required to me to get over my weaknesses.
3.2 Use Suitable methods to assess the outcomes of personal objectives
Personal work objectives and obstacles
Objectives
Obstacles
1. To make my organization (PIA) a profitable one.
2. I was seeing myself as director HR in few years
3. To develop a co-operative culture in the organization and a healthy competition culture among employees.
4. To shut down the routes which are burden on the organization and incur loss to it
1. The Employees and the higher authorities don't co-operate with me.
2. The leg pulling culture and the reference system is hurdle for me.
3. The hurdle was their thinking that if we guide or give knowledge to a person then in future he will become a threat for my job
4. The obstacle is that it is state-owned organization and it must have its franchises all over the world to represent the country.
Conclusion:
Learning and development is a continuous development so there are problems which I have faced in my development but I am planning to overcome these problems so that I could be a developed person in future. The obstacles can be overcome by firstly making their minds that if can't do these think then there could be a situation to shut down the whole organization because the country's situation is not reliable and can't have enough funds not only to give grants to PIA but to run the country for more than 1 year.
3.3 Evaluate the impact of own learning against the achievement of strategic goals:
What are the things which I have learned from this unit and how this can help me out in future like?
I learned how to manage my time in an efficient and effective manner
I enhance my leadership skills
I learnt how to prioritize things in order of importance.
What could have gone better?
I could understand the subject if I got the visa and attend my classes from the very first day.
I can could understand the subject if I can understand the English language.
I can do better if English could be my native language
I can done better if the time duration of studies comprises of four months not two months and there should be one lecture per day instead of two.
I can do better if I can do my class tasks on day basis
What went well?
The course is completed within the time frame.
Directive Approach towards learning outcomes like whatever our teacher teaches us it covers our learning outcome questions.
I completed my tasks within given time frame because I completed it on daily basis
How can this subject help me in future?
I can use the knowledge of this course to guide and help other people.
I can easily find of managerial job with the help of this course because I know what leadership skills does a manager posses for his job.
I could be a good professional Manager because of this course.
I can also judge people
How can I put what I have learnt in practice?
To teach others what I have learnt in this course to develop skills in them
To implement what I have learnt in real life to manage things.
Conclusion:
It will help me in my higher studies like MBA or MS. It will also help me out to get a job which suits my knowledge and skills.
Sources:
http://www.qualityresearchinternational.com/glossary/pdp.htm
http://www.self-improvement-mentor.com/personal-development-plan-template.html
http://www.how-to-change-careers.com/a-list-of-personal-skills.html
http://career.cabalgroup.com/exercises/professional_skillls.htm
http://work911.com/planningmaster/faq/whataregoals.htm
http://work911.com/planningmaster/faq/goalsgood.htm
www.fasset.org.za/downloads/SDF5_skills_audit_full_article.doc
http://www.brainboxx.co.uk/a2_learnstyles/pages/activists.htm
http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ssds/sd/pgrd/resources/teaching/theories/honey-mumford
http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Learning_style
http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Learning_style#Kolb.27s_learning_styles
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=sHCRrDbZb54C&pg=PA37&dq=david+kolb+learning+styles&hl=en&ei=O0bqTezLLMaq8QOy74m8AQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CF0Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=david%20kolb%20learning%20styles&f=false
