Introduction
Personal development entails diverse activities that aim at improving one’s awareness, talent, potential, identity, health, self-knowledge, and building one’s human capital. Additionally, personal development also contributes towards the realisation of an individual’s dreams and aspirations.
Chambers, Schwartz, and Boath (2003) emphasise the importance of incorporating a personal development plan in one’s quest to continue his or her professional development. A personal development plan outlines the actions that one intends to concentrate on in order to attain the intended level of development (Armstrong 2008).
Consequently, it provides individuals with an opportunity to think in a structured manner the issues to address. Findings of previous studies conducted emphasise the importance of students thinking about and planning their future.
Personal development is only effective if a number of elements such as thinking deeply and in a structured manner about one’s life and ambitions, have access to the necessary information, people to trust on and share one’s reflections with, have an opportunity to test oneself in new areas, and develop the acquired skills and knowledge.
This paper illustrates a personal development plan by taking into account a number of issues. Firstly, the paper realises the existence of culture shock in learning institution and workplaces and hence the importance of ensuring effective acculturation during the induction process.
Secondly, the paper has illustrated the importance of developing effective teamwork and presentation skills in individuals’ personal development efforts coupled with developing a comparison of the report and academic journals.
The personal development plan is illustrated by outlining the personal development objectives intended to be attained and the actions that will be undertaken in order to accomplish the stated objectives. Finally, the paper gives a conclusion and reflection on the course.
Acculturation and Culture Shock
Culture is more than an asset of norms and customs. It is also composed of how individuals interact and relate (Rathje 2009). Culture is an important aspect in one’s personal development.
In the contemporary society, interacting with individuals of diverse cultural background in individuals’ effort to develop their personal or professional portfolios through academics is inevitable (Mercer 2006).
This aspect has emanated from the high rate of globalisation, which has made it easy for individuals to move across cultures (Rathje 2009).
Existence of cultural differences presents a major challenge due to possible conflicts that might emanate due to cultural differences such as meanings, values, and rules. Consequently, developing intercultural competencies is paramount.
The high rate of cultural diversity being experienced in the society has made is paramount for individuals to undergo through a comprehensive acculturation process. Ward, Bochner, and Furnham (2001) define acculturation to include the changes that occur due to continuous contact between individuals of diverse cultural background.
The first phase towards the attainment of acculturation is culture shock. Rathje (2009) defines culture shock to include “a number of emotional reactions that emanate from loss of perceptual reinforcement associated with one’s culture to new cultural stimuli which have minimal or no meaning” (p.45).
According to Yeomans and Sampson (2005), induction is a critical aspect in the student’s performance, which arises from the fact that it contributes towards students understanding the institutions practices, processes, and procedures. Induction and acculturation are closely related.
Induction is concerned with ensuring that an individual fits in a particular organisation. Therefore, it is broadly concerned with acculturation. Through induction and acculturation, students can develop effective and sustained contact with their colleagues (Marx 2001).
Ultimately, their performance is not adversely affected by the existence of cultural shock that might lead to anxiety and psychological discomfort (Passmore & Cantore 2012). During the induction into the university, cultural diversity is one of the issues that were evident.
On my part, I valued cultural diversity in a number of ways such as recognising the existence of a ‘mix of students’, ‘mix of cultures and a wide variety of people from different background.
Secondly, I appreciated the importance of cultural diversity in my learning process. Consequently, I was in a position to deal with cultural shock. Despite my ability to deal with cultural shock, one of the major challenges that I was faced with was how to become acculturated into the university.
In a bid to become acculturated effectively, I was required to internalise other student’s values, beliefs, meanings, and norms. Due to effective acculturation, I would be in a position to develop a positive perception regarding the institution’s cultural diversity.
The cultural diversity characterising the student population presented an opportunity for gaining new knowledge and ideas regarding other cultures (Gilbert 2004).
Additionally, the cultural diversity in the school would provide me with a chance to expand my horizons and meet with individuals that I would not have met in my life, which is an important aspect towards my personal development and hence future success.
The induction process was also effective due to the lecturers’ responsiveness. Over the years, the institution has adopted an ‘open door policy’, which enables students to interact with lecturers freely. The lecturers’ responsiveness has made the institution very effective in making the students to become acculturated.
Despite the effective induction and the lecturers’ responsiveness, one of the key improvement areas that I should focus on in my personal development relates to acculturation. From appendix 2, it is evident that I have been capable of nurturing a number of personal skills and knowledge.
Some of the skills that I have developed relate to teamwork skills, flexibility/adaptability, and ability to understand statistics.
Teamwork and Presentation Skills
Over the years, scholars have been defining teamwork with reference to the classical systems theory. The theory asserts that outputs, processes, and inputs develop over time. Team inputs refer to the individuality of tasks to be undertaken, and the team members’ attitude.
Team process entails the coordination and interaction required between team members in order to achieve the desired goals (Kanki, Helmreich & Anca 2010). On the other hand, team outputs entail the outcome of the team performance.
Alternatively, teamwork entails a set of interpersonal, communication, and problem solving skills required by individuals in the course of executing a particular task whose objective is to achieve a common goal.
Teamwork is one of the elements that employers are increasingly valuing in the course of hiring new graduate employees. The increment in its relevance has emanated from increased shift to projects teams in organisations’ operational process (Gilbert 2004).
Development of teamwork skills enables individuals to put their teams’ objectives first. Griffith Graduate Project members assert, “The ability to work in cross-disciplinary team is the most prised workplace attribute” (Griffith University 2012, p.2).
Most institutions of higher learning organise their study practices as an individual process. However, the employers value people skills. Due to this transformation, learning institutions are increasingly adjusting their practices by incorporating group and team projects in their study programs.
Irrespective of learning institutions incorporating or not incorporating such programmes, it is vital for individuals to be concerned with how to develop their inter-personal skills.
One of the most important aspects in becoming an effective team member is effective communication. Communication enables one to express himself or herself orally, by writing, or using other visual aids.
There are diverse people skills that an individual should focus on in their effort to attain personal development. Some of these skills include listening skills, leadership skills, speaking skills, being a team member and negotiation skills (Avery, Walker & Murphy 2001).
Additionally, individuals can incorporate a number of elements in a bid to nurture effective presentation skills. Currently, governments, community groups, and businesses are increasingly shifting to teams in an effort to enhance participation, streamline processes, and improve performance (Carayon 2011).
Considering the changes in the workplace, development of teamwork skills competencies and presentation skills is paramount in my personal development. In a bid to become an effective team player, I will focus on a number of aspects. As a postgraduate student, I appreciate the existence of diverse roles in a team.
As a result, I will integrate a number of determinants in accordance with Dr. Meredith Belbin’s team roles. Some of the aspects that I will focus on include being a problem solver, cognisant of team members’ feelings, and being an implementer.
Additionally, I will be in a position to be an effective coordinator, implementer, sharper, finisher, a planter, teamwork, specialist, investigator, and a monitor. This aspect will enhance my ability to develop a balanced team.
In the course of undertaking their tasks, team members face situations that may adversely affect their effectiveness. In a bid to deal with such situation, I will focus on nurturing effective situation monitoring competencies, which will enhance my ability to evaluate the performance of fellow team members.
Ultimately, I will be in a position to ensure that the team is operating in accordance with the expected procedures. Moreover, I will also ensure the provision of effective mutual support to team members, which will be achieved by ensuring effective coaching and feedback.
In a bid to enhance a positive outcome of team projects, I will ensure that sufficient assistance is provided to team members in the course of performing the assigned tasks.
In addition to the above teamwork skill competencies, I will also focus on development of effective leadership and communication. Upon attending the residential, I gained a number of skills on leadership.
Some of the leadership skills that I gained relate to how to coordinate and direct team members, task allocation, organising and developing a positive working environment. Additionally, I gained a number of skills on how to deal with conflict that might arise amongst team members.
In a bid to ensure that I become an effective team leader, effective communication will be ensured. One of the aspects that I will ensure entails effective initiation of the intended message, its acknowledgement, and verification before sending to the intended sender.
Additionally, I will also ensure that effective communication in the team is nurtured. This aspect will contribute towards the team members developing sufficient understanding of their colleagues’ abilities and roles (Kanki, Helmreich & Anca2010).
Report and Academic Journal Comparisons
Numerous issues can contribute towards personal development. Some of the issues that other scholars have focused on entail appreciating the existence of cultural diversity in the society.
Cultural diversity has come out as one of the most important aspects individuals’ effort to attain a high level of personal development, which arises from the fact that it enables individuals to appreciate and respect the diversity that exists in our society.
The authors have emphasised on the importance of utilising the cultural differences across individuals for their personal development. One of the ways through which this goal is achievable is by gaining new knowledge and skills from the diverse culture.
Consequently, the authors have concurred that cultural differences is an important asset in learning institutions, workplaces and the society.
Another key driver that stands out in individuals’ effort to attain personal development relates to ensuring that an optimal social learning environment is developed. This element will improve the effectiveness with which individuals interact and share ideas.
Effective interaction stands out as an important aspect in teaching and learning. Considering the high rate of technological development, technology comes out as one of the most important elements that should be incorporated in individuals’ development process.
Personal Planning and Action Plan
To achieve the desired level of personal development, effective action planning is necessary (Everard & Morris 2004). The first step towards personal development entails identifying the goals that one intends to focus on in order to succeed in life.
In my quest to achieve personal development, I intend to attain a number of goals, which include educational attainment, development of my strengths, improving interpersonal relationships, developing a high level of self-awareness and improving my health.
Attainment of the above personal development goals will be dependent on how effective they will be implemented. Consequently, an action plan will be incorporated.
The action plan will outline the personal development objectives, the priority associated with the identified objective, activities that will enable achievement of the objective, the necessary resources, the target date for attainment of the objective and evidence that the milestone has been achieved.
The chart below illustrates the action plan that will be utilised in attaining personal development.
Conclusion and Reflection
Personal development planning is an important aspect in individuals’ quest to achieve their professional and career goals, which arises from the fact that the planning contributes towards effort improvement in individuals to attain the personal development goals.
A number of issues might hinder individuals’ ability to attain the desired level of personal development. One such issue relates to the existence of cultural shock. The high rate of globalisation has led to increased cultural movement.
Consequently, it is paramount for individuals to be effectively acculturated. This aspect will aid in dealing with the cultural differences prevailing amongst individuals.
Personal development planning enables effective identification of the personal development goals and formulation of an action plan to be followed in the quest to achieve the goals. This move increases the probability of attaining a high level of personal development.
The module has been of great importance in my quest to achieve personal development. Firstly, it has provided me with an opportunity to interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds. As a result, I have appreciated the importance of being an effective team player and developing sufficient communication skills.
Reference List
Armstrong, M 2008, How to be an even better manager; a complete A-Z techniques and essential skills, Kogan Page, Philadelphia.
Avery, C, Walker, M & Murphy, E 2001, Teamwork is an individual skill: getting your work done when sharing responsibility, Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco.
Carayon, P 2011, Handbook of human factors and ergonomics inn healthcare and patient safety, CRC Press, California.
Chambers, R, Schwartz, A & Boath, E 2003, Beating stress in the NHS, Radcliffe Medical, Abingdon.
Everard, K & Morris, G 2004, Effective school management, Paul Chapman, London.
Gilbert, N 2004, The best 143 business schools, Princeton Review Publishers, New York.
Griffith University: Teamwork skills toolkit 2012. Web.
Kanki, B, Helmreich, R & Anca, J 2010, Crew resource management, Academic Press Elsevier, Boston.
Marx, E 2001, Breaking through culture shock: What you need to succeed in international business, Nicholas Braeley, London.
Passmore, J & Cantore, S 2012, Top business psychology models: 50 transforming ideas for leaders, consultants, and coaches, Kogan, London.
Rathje, S 2009, ‘The definition of culture: an application-oriented overhaul’, Inter-culture Journal, vol. 8 no.1, pp. 1-25.
Ward, C, Bochner, S & Furnham, A 2001, Culture shock, Routledge, New York.
Yeomans, R & Sampson, J 2005, Mentorship in the primary school: Mentorship in action, Routledge, New York.
Appendices
Appendix 1: SWOT Analysis
The chart below illustrates an evaluation of my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Appendix 2: Skills, Knowledge Audit
Appendix 3: Personal Development Statement
The course has helped me to appreciate the importance of developing a number of personal skills as a student of business and economics. Some of the key important skills that I have appreciated relate to teamwork, self-awareness, presentation skills, and the need to appreciate cultural diversity.
Considering the changes in the workplace, the course has contributed towards a greater appreciation of the importance of developing teamwork and presentation skills. In a bid to be an effective team leader, my personal development strategy will focus on becoming an all-round team leader.
This goal will be achievable by appreciating the various team roles. Considering the increased incorporation of teamwork, there is a high probability of being a member of a team that is characterised by diverse team roles.
By being an effective team leader, I will be in a position to deal with the differences and challenges associated with these roles. Ultimately, I will be in a position to contribute to attainment of team project goals and objectives in the future. One of the requirements for being an effective team leader entails being analytical.
This element will improve the probability of identifying possible deviations and gaps that might arise in the course of executing team projects. Additionally, effective presentation skills will ensure that team members share intelligence necessary for attainment of the goals. By being an effective team leader, I will be proactive in making decisions that will mitigate and eliminate negative effects that might arise.
In addition to being an effective team leader, the personal development strategy adopted will also contribute towards improvement in my problem solving skills. Problem solving skills is one of the most important personal development elements.
This assertion arises from the fact that the ability to resolve issues that arise increases the probability of achieving the desired goals. In the course of team operation, conflicts are inevitable. However, the effectiveness with which team leaders solve team issues determines the success of the team. In my personal development, I intend to be an effective problem-solver and implementer.
In a bid to achieve this goal, it is necessary that I incorporate a high level of creativity. One of the issues that I will focus on in ensuring harmony within the team is brainstorming. This aspect will aid in identifying possible alternative courses of action. By taking into account these issues, I will become an effective team player.
In my course of personal development, communication will play a very significant role. This arises from the fact that it will enhance my presentation skills. In a bid to deal with this issue, I will incorporate diverse communication methods and tools.
Some of the aspects that will be considered in developing effective communication include being a good listener, being confident, effective handling of the audience, and being audible. Additionally, I will incorporate various communication aids such as visual aids such as PowerPoint, storytelling, and writing.
By incorporating the above communication and presentation skills, a high degree of assertiveness will be developed. Ultimately, I will become an effective communicator, which is a key requirement in succeeding in the complex work environment.