Introduction
The present module has been beneficial to me since I have developed various skills, which will be valuable in learning the rest of the course and in future business management. Some of the skills that I learnt include self-management tactics, inter-personal relationships, leading and influencing, people management skills, how to interpret financial information, and problem-solving skills.
The module also equipped me with the essential postgraduate skills, along with a certain level of proficiency in information technology. Although the skills were satisfactorily obtained throughout the module, there is a need for further development in many areas. This assignment provides a brief of the skills that I learnt, their evidence, and the necessary areas of further development.
Self-Management Skills
Self-management is an important part of any successful individual in the business. It also dictates how one engages with other individuals (Atzeni 2012). Atzeni (2012) observes that a person must first display certain levels of self-management for him or her to be taken seriously in the business circles. An effective manager is also one who is able to manage his or her own activities before managing others (Developing Leadership Skills 2009).
Level of Skills
The personal level of self-management that was obtained throughout the model was mainly in the area of time management. I was able to effectively plan activities based on the time available, with the main tool used being a personal timetable. A business must have a timetable of event. This skill will be crucial in the future management of such a venture (Watson & Reissner 2010).
The module was also important in the management of stress where relaxation techniques were learnt. It also provided adequate ways of stress management including the engagement of activities that reduced stress such as sporting activities. The most important skill in self-management that I learnt is the personal assessment of performance where the module provided new methods of doing this assessment. Some of these methods include personal reflections and feedback from colleagues.
Further Development
Despite the many skills that were gathered in self-management, there is room for further development in all aspects of self-management. The part that requires the most input in further development is the mode of assessing personal performance. As Gedeon, Fearne, and Poole (2009) confirm, the best assessment method should provide updated results of the actual position of any process.
There is also need to further develop the techniques of personal time management. The use of a personal timetable has been a challenge, with some of the events in this tool being missed. The further development of these skills will require personal dedication and time. There is also need to further improve the self-management skills that will make me a better manager.
Inter-Personal Relationships
After a successful personal management, the next step is how to relate with other individuals in the environment. Armstrong (2006) claims that interpersonal relationships are important in management since they dictate issues such as the organisational culture and business success. A manager should be equipped with the best skills in inter-personal relationships (Watson & Reissner 2010). Throughout the module, several skills were learnt in the management of inter-personal relationships as discussed below.
Level of Skills
The module allowed me to participate in a group work where teamwork was emphasised. It is through participation in teamwork that the skills of inter-personal relationships were learnt. Teamwork is a virtue that should be practiced in management. Managers should encourage their employees to participate in teamwork for better performance (Savaneviciene & Stankeviciute 2013).
The module also provided skills in communication, which is an important part in business in terms of engagement with other individuals (Watson & Reissner 2010). It was also possible to prepare a presentation that provided information that is relevant to business. Some of the other skills in interpersonal communication that I learnt in the module include the development of skills in problem solving in the group situation.
Further Development
The many skills that I obtained in inter-personal relationships are appropriate in the future management of organisations. However, few areas in inter-personal development need to be revisited for further development. These areas include the skills in developing and giving a business presentation. There is the need for development of courage in the presentation process since this aspect is an important part of inter-personal relationships.
The composure was inadequate during the presentation, and hence the need for more presentations to develop on this section. The other area of inter-personal relationship that needs further development is engagement in teamwork. There is a need for personal participation in more teamwork activities. Communication is an important part of management. The outcomes of communication efforts in this setting also influence the organisation’s performance. Therefore, it is important for the personal interaction with individuals in the organisation to improve.
Leading and Influencing
Leadership is an important part of any organisation since it shapes the decisions made and the eventual performance. A manager should be a leader in his or her respective positions. This entails being a role model and/or leading by example (Carmeli, Gelbard & Reiter-Palmon 2013). The manager should be able to influence employees in an organisation while convincing them to work towards the strategies and objectives of the organisation (Erskine & Meyer 2012). The module also provided necessary skills in leading and influencing individuals. These skills will be beneficial to the future management practice.
Level of Skills
The skills on leadership and influencing people in an organisational setting were effectively learnt in the module. I was able to lead a team of other individuals, with some of them providing positive feedback on the developed leadership skills. The leadership position allowed the gathering of information that was necessary in the overall success of the team. This information will be useful in the future management of a group or an organisation. As Watson and Reissner (2010) reveal, leadership skills in organisations are crucial in determining the success of an organisation, as employees are likely to follow in the steps of the leaders. Leadership also provided an opportunity to demonstrate the innate talent of some of the individuals that were given the opportunity.
Further Development
There is a need for further development in the leadership skills that were obtained in the module, especially in the methods used to influence the subordinates. There is room to participate in more leadership activities in any areas of organisational development, as this move will equip me with more leadership skills. The methods of influencing individuals in any group by a leader should also lead to the improvement of performance and output of the individuals (Bushee, Core, Guay & Hamm 2010).
People Management Skills
The organisational setting consists of different people with different personalities and from different cultures in some cases (Hurrell & Scholarios 2014). Therefore, it is mandatory for employees and leadership to have adequate skills to manage the different people with whom they interact (Mason & Simmons 2011). These skills are obtained through interaction with people of different characters and cultures. People management skills equip one with the necessary skills of managing a large organisation.
Level of Skills
The level of skills in people management that I garnered in the module was appropriate. Some of the skills that were used in people management were mostly in the employee recruitment exercise. They include candidate selection, interviewing, and disciplinary interviewing. I was also able to prepare a presentation on the same, with the feedback available showing that this exercise was adequately done. People management skills are important to an organisation as they influence the talent available to any organisation (Rees & French 2010). The most important skill that was demonstrated in the course of the module is the ability to train other individuals.
Further Development
Despite the satisfactory skills obtained in people management, there is a need for further development of the skills. The area that needs the most improvement and further development in people management is the one on the interviewing of candidates. Throughout the module, this area presented a personal challenge. Although there were improvements, there is a need for further development of the skill.
A number of difficult questions from the candidates accompanied the practice. It was particularly difficult to select the questions that should be addressed first and/or how to address them. The training event and presentation for the same also need improvement. The main area to be improved is the mode of presentation. Further development in these areas will provide sufficient skills in people management.
Interpreting Financial Information
The skills on how to interpret financial information are only gathered through learning and participation in the same. A manager should be equipped with the right skills of interpreting financial information (Thompson & McHugh 2002). In part, the success of a business is determined by how well the people responsible for the financial performance are able to interpret and articulate the financial information that they work with (Tran & Anvari 2013). A competent manager is also one who is able to interpret financial information while offering solutions to financial problems (Shon & Ping 2009). This module was useful in providing the necessary skills of financial interpretation.
Level of Skills
Some of the skills that were obtained in the module include the analysis of the organisations’ financial reports. I was also able to construct an effective financial plan, provide a budget, and make sense of the financial data provided by other individuals in the personal organisation. The organisation that I worked in at the time of the module had an intricate management structure. One of the roles that I was allowed to participate in is the financial decision-making. The budget-making process is one of the areas in which I participated. The feedback from other managers was that this area was effectively done.
Further Development
Despite the participation in financial decision-making, some areas were particularly challenging. It was a personal challenge to develop a sensible budget. Some of the financial terms were hard to interpret. There is a need to participate in more budgetary processes and familiarise with the terms that were applied in the budget construction process. It was also particularly hard to make sense of some of the financial data provided by the human resource department. The company finances also took longer to interpret, and hence the need to perfect this skill.
IT Proficiency
In the current communication age, every manager should be equipped with appropriate knowledge in information technology. The current management environment has been made easier by the much software that is applied in businesses. Therefore, it is necessary for managers to equip themselves with the skills of using these technological elements. Throughout the module, there was a wide use of the available IT tools. This exposure equipped me with the necessary skills.
The various organisational management processes that were previously challenging to managers have been simplified by the use of information technology (Shihkuan & Ping-Yin 2013). The number of individuals and the time required to perform tasks in the organisational setting has also been reduced because of the same (Watson & Reissner 2010).
Level of Skills
I was able to demonstrate proficiency in the use of the various information technology tools in management. The tools that assisted in the management practices in this module include the Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint. These tools were particularly important in the construction of the budget, a time management tool, calculation of the various financial elements in the organisation, and the development of business strategies.
Microsoft PowerPoint was also important in the development of presentations, which were important in most of the areas that I worked in. The skills in IT also assisted me in the management of employees, as they allowed easier communication of the strategies that were to be followed. The use of the internet was a skill that I used widely during the module, with most of the information being obtained from the platform.
Further Development
There is a need to further develop the information technology skills that were gathered in the module. The construction of spreadsheets using Microsoft Office was particularly challenging. Therefore, there is a need to practice the development of this skill. The other skill in the IT sector that was particularly challenging is the use of internet tools such as those used in the construction of the budget. However, such skills may be obtained through adequate practice.
Problem Solving
The organisational environment is an area where interaction of many individuals may be accompanied by several problems. The ability to solve these problems determines the success in management (Nickerson, Yen & Mahoney 2012). It is necessary that leaders and managers in any organisation have the skills to solve the relevant problems in the organisation (Mor, Morris & Joh 2013). This section provides evidence of the skills gathered in problem solving in management.
Level of Skills
During the course of the module, several problems cropped up. I participated in solving some of these problems. This participation was important in equipping me with the necessary skills in problem solving including formulating the necessary plan of solving the problems. It also involved listening to the concerned different parties and developing the changes that should be put in place to oversee the provision of amicable solutions to the problems.
The other skill I gathered in the process of problem solving involved is the provision of effective consultative solutions. In most of the cases, problems emerge in organisations. The provided solutions should be inclusive of all the parties involved. I also gathered the skill of reconciling people who were locked in dispute at the organisation. This opportunity allowed a better organisational culture at the place of work.
Further Development
There were challenges in problem solving process, with the outcomes in some of the solve problems not being satisfactory. In the teams that I participated in, some of the problems that emerged were related to the different characters of the individuals in the team. Some of these individuals were hard to convince to change their attitudes and views. Therefore, there is a need for application of better interpersonal skills in problem solving process.
Postgraduate Study Skills
The module was an example of effective postgraduate studies. This module began with the development of objectives that were to be achieved at the end. The module required that the skills listed above be obtained. This task required personal participation (Greiff, Holt & Funke 2013). A considerable success was evident in obtaining the postgraduate skills that were required at the start of the module. These skills were adequately demonstrated. The postgraduate skills that were learnt in the module will be important not only in the future business management, but also in the modules that will follow.
Level of Skills
The level of skills learnt during the course of the module was satisfactory, with one of the evidence being the improved performance in the personal studies. One of the skills that were personally obtained is the ability to write essays and reports. Throughout the module, I wrote a number of essays and reports on the progress that I was making together with some of the areas I had covered. In most of the essays, the important skill that I gathered was the use of the various formats and presentation methods.
The other important aspect of the essays is the organisation and wording, which are important in the creation of quality works. One of the other important postgraduate skills that were satisfactorily acquired in the course of the module is how to analyse secondary research. This skill is important as it allows the student to gather knowledge on the various business areas (Collins 2008). The exams that were in the module were also a success. I passed in most of them.
Further Development
There is a need for further development in the postgraduate skills that will make me a better manager. One of the areas that need improvement is the exam performance. There is a need for practice in this area since the performance may not have been according to the personal target. There is also need to analyse secondary sources of information and/or participate in secondary research because the secondary research that I carried out was not satisfactory.
Conclusion
The module was important in equipping me with the most basic postgraduate skills. The above reflections show that there was adequate input to improve the personal management skills. Despite the evidence of success in developing the different skills as required in the module, there is a need for further development in most of the areas.
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