Introduction
The idea of unceasing professional development is far from being new, yet innovative solutions for maintaining the process of learning consistent and unceasing are introduced regularly. The observed phenomenon is far from being incidental; on the contrary, the importance of investing in one’s professional development results in a staggering increase in one’s professional potential and competitive advantage in the selected area of expertise.
Moreover, engaging in the professional development causes one to experience the sense of fulfillment asset objectives are achieved, which leads to an increase in motivation, self-esteem, and enthusiasm for further learning (Smith & Dodds 2017). Therefore, as an expert, I need to evaluate personal strengths and weaknesses in light of the recent experience with a group project to define the course for the future progress.
As the exposure to a realistic economic setting and the relevant factors has shown, the acquisition of leadership skills and especially communication-related abilities should be the focus of the personal development plan in the future (Hassan et al. 2017). By studying how theories of leadership, project management, and communication in the workplace are translated into the actual business setting, I will be able to gain critical abilities for encouraging business growth.
These include negotiation skills, the ability to motivate project participants, and the skill to incorporate innovative solutions into the strategies used for problem-solving. In addition, as a project manager and a leader in a business setting, I will have to apply strategies for encouraging cross-disciplinary cooperation in the business environment. Thus, I will reach another milestone of professional development.
Opportunities for Personal Development and Academic Progress
Taking retrospect on the experience of project management mentioned above, one will have to admit that there are numerous areas that I will have to cover in order to attain business excellence. Working in a team to build a coherent project was a priceless experience that has proven the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration and effective communication. In addition, the opportunities for personal and professional growth currently include a change to gain a profound understanding of project management and leadership in business by applying theory to the analysis of business practice accomplished during the project.
The experience gained during the implementation of the project tasks was critical in embracing the idea of project management and essential aspects thereof, such as quality management, time constraints, addressing risks, and similar concerns, was truly priceless (Muller & Turner 2017). However, with a more mature hindsight as a result of the described experience, One will need to apply a theoretical perspective to analyze the outcomes and gain new insights into professional learning.
A brief overview of the effects of project management in question will show that the necessity to connect academic theory to business practice is essential. Although entering the actual business environment may make one feel that the actual challenges are far too distanced from the polished academic description of key economic concerns, the link between theory and practice remains consistent. Locating this link and exploring it to delve into the analysis of b business processes, particularly, the ones related to data management and arrangement of tasks, will allow one to infer crucial conclusions about time management strategies, methods of handling disagreements in the workplace, and approaches to keeping the levels of participants’ motivation high.
Skills for Independent and Group Learning: An Overview
Knowledge acquisition and the application of learned theories to practical problem-solving have helped to build a set of skills of personal learning and group-oriented progress. Among the key advantages that have been gained in the course of the project planning and implementation, one should mention time and information management, as well as the ability to solve complex problems and collaborate in a team. However, the described skills need to be developed further in order to achieve excellence in project management and leadership, thus amplifying the effects of the actions taken in the business context.
Applying the SWOT framework to evaluate the changes that the group project has entailed, one will realize that the ability to adapt is one of the key advantages that can be used to encourage the further professional growth, whereas the lack of focus and absence of planning skills are the critical issues that require further improvements.
As far as communication is concerned, building intercultural communication skills should also be regarded as a key objective in managing projects and business processes successfully. Asa leader, one should be capable of engaging in a cross-cultural dialogue with team members to ensure that every participant understands their task and is aware of their role in a company. As soon as any threat of miscommunication of cultural misconception is eliminated, business processes will take place at the required pace. The described issue is especially important in maangign a supply chain or specific logistics processes in a project due to the need to manage deadlines and transfer information about the tasks and schedules clearly.
Strategies for Improving Employability
The present level of employability within the team is quite high, as the results of our collaborative effort have shown. However, there are ways of improving the employability of the group, in general, and my personal levels thereof, in particular. For this purpose, the application of tools that will boost the levels of professional and personal growth should be seen as the first strategy to consider in the described scenario (Wen & Quiang 2019).
In the case under analysis, tools for promoting professional development and developing the focus on innovation-driven decision-making should be regarded as a priority (Dingsøyr et al. 2017). Since the assessment of personal and group skills has indicated a problem with time and information management, one will have to develop the ability to arrange the work flow and train the skill of working under the pressure of time and demand for increased quality. Therefore, prioritizing tasks, utilizing appropriate innovative tools such as scheduling applications, and integrating advanced communication skills should become the main strategies for improvement.
Another approach that will lead to better employability concerns the focus on innovation-driven performance and the use of continuous learning as the foundation for improving team performance and the leadership process, in general. The proposed framework will incentivize participants for the active professional development and encourage them to use innovative thinking when approaching workplace issues.
Organizational skills such as the ability to manage deadlines, set goals and seek the methods of attaining them, and collaborating with every participant of the project management process will have to be acquired to increase the employability levels and the general quality of performance (Wirtz et al. 2016; Bacon 2016). The described approaches toward increasing the extent of employability will also serve as the foundation for acquiring new competencies that will facilitate further learning, such as the development of skills needed for connecting the described processes into a single one to build a competitive supply chain within a business system.
Presently, there are several factors that boost the levels of my employability in the target market, experience being one of the main characteristics. Due to the presence of certain knowledge of enrollment practices, as well as participation in collaborative projects, my employability can be seen as rather high. However, there are opportunities of increasing the levels of employability even higher by deriving critical insights from the project under analysis and adding another piece of information to my current system of knowledge (Clauss 2016). The information about managing processes on the international level from the perspective of an international business student should also be regarded as an asset since it provides insights into the unique characteristics of the international business arena and the challenges by which it is characterized.
The introduction of tools for enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration will also be the focus of attention in the future since it is expected to increase the value of the team as well as personal potential of each participant, including my skills (Manai & Holmlund 2015; Bynum & Haque 2016). While the notion of the cross-disciplinary cooperation as the platform for building a coherent communication framework and implementing a project has been established, it needs further adjustments to address possible concerns in the management of projects within a workplace environment.
Importance of a Professional Development Programme
The impact that the professional development programme has had on me and the team is truly priceless. Every aspect of the process involving planning, data management, and collaboration was highly informative in terms of the aspects that every participant had to improve in order to advance in business planning and project implementation. The professional development programme has also incentivized all of the team members to engage in the improvement of personal and professional characteristics, specifically, collaboration, negotiation, and the management of conflicts, time, and objectives.
In the grand scheme, the significance of the program rises when considering its effects on the identification of key strengths and weakness is very high. The practice has shown the areas that require further improvements, such as planning, time management, and interdisciplinary communication. Therefore, the current action plan consists of three key steps (Dong et al. 2016; Ramasobana & Fatoki 2018). The first action involves building a platform for lifelong learning of business skills, including motivational leadership and management of time and resources. The objective is to learn to engage in continuous professional development.
The next step will be to explore the idea of innovative management and innovative thinking as the strategies for decision-making and project management in the context of a business setting. The goals associated with this step include maximizing the utility of the organization’s performance and promoting expansion into other markets (Bundy et al. 2016). Finally, creating a leadership approach that will prompt active learning and greater loyalty levels in staff members is the third goal. The specified stage of professional development will incite a positive shift in the personal progress and the professional skills of project participants.
Table 1. SWOT Analysis: Personal Progress.
As the SWOT analysis above has shown, the development of training strategies for building the skills needed for time management, conflict resolution, and planning should be placed at the forefront of the personal development plan (Riol & Thuillier 2015). The acquisition of time management skills will require especially close attention due to the challenges associated with the process. As the analysis of the project outcomes has shown, the issue of meeting the deadlines set in the schedule has become a particularly challenging obstacle to overcome (Smit et al. 2017). To address the described concern, the use of advanced technology, including IT tools, will be needed (Serrador & Turner 2015). For instance, the use of scheduling applications and apps for meeting the set deadline will be required.
Conclusion
The participation in the Professional Development Programme has indicated that there are several areas for me as a future business leader to pay attention to, including communication, leadership, and management issues. The reconsideration of the current approaches toward knowledge acquisition will allow one to introduce oneself to the idea of lifelong learning. Thus, one will receive an impressive impetus for professional growth and personal development. The analysis of strengths and weaknesses has also shown that a different approach toward leadership and management will have to be adopted.
By focusing on motivation of participants as a leader and maximizing the utility of their efforts as a manager, one will become an effective business person and improve the performance of an organization to a considerable extent. Thus, the experience described above was crucial in understanding how professional and personal development processes are intertwined, and how the acquisition of skills in a particular domain requires improving one’s competencies in other areas.
Overall, the assessment of the personal progress and the design of a plan for the future professional development have pointed to the need to establish a people- and innovation-oriented approaches toward business skills development.
By training the ability to focus, I will be able to motivate and engage team members as a leader, while controlling critical processes such as quality management as a manager. The introduction of time and information management tools, in turn, will allow making the planning process smoother and encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration. Overall, the analysis shows that the further goals will include the enhancement of communication strategies and the study of the leadership strategies that align with the strengths identified in the course of the assessment. Thus, a path toward professional and personal progress will be built.
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