The Nature of Professionalism - Essay Example

?Professional Development Introduction The development of personal skills and competencies can be a challenging task, especially when the time available is quite limited. However, the continuous self-improvement is a prerequisite for the success in all aspects of life; in the professional life, personal development is not standardized, meaning that the areas, which need to be improved, are often difficult to be identified and evaluated. Moreover, the needs of each profession are different requiring different personal skills, a fact which has been taken into consideration when developing current professional development plan. In current plan empirical material has been used in order to identify the personal skills that need to be improved, in order to meet the requirements of the chosen profession. Part 2 (1) Reflection on the nature of professionalism required in chosen career The chosen career is related to the management consultancy; the nature of professionalism required in the specific career will be depended on the following criteria: a) the personal skills and capabilities – as revealed through appropriately customized self-assessment questionnaires and through the feedback of colleagues and friends; b) the conditions of the target market, meaning the requirements set by employers for the specific job position, as these requirements have been identified though job adverts and the websites of organizations supporting the professional development of employees in the particular industry and c) the responses of the environment, as they have been estimated by reviewing relevant literature. In any case, reference should be made primarily to professionalism, as a framework that can influence the performance on the chosen career. In accordance with a definition published by the Oxford Dictionary online, the term professionalism is used in order to show “the competence or skill expected of a professional: the key to quality and efficiency is professionalism” (Oxford Dictionary online, 2011). In the chosen career, professionalism is expected to have certain form, which will be related to a series of different criteria, such as values, ethics, attitude, knowledge and so on. These criteria/ elements of professionalism can be identified primarily through the literature published in the particular field. Then, additional evidence can be used in order to verify the effectiveness of the literature findings – referring to the studies focusing on the examination and the evaluation of professionalism as a key element for the successful performance of individuals in the workplace. It should be noted that the term ‘professionalism’ in consultancy might include different elements and respond to different needs compared to other career paths (Rhoton et al. 2001). In any case, the professional development cannot be completed before the entrance in the workplace; this means, that the period of study and training – as a preparatory phase before applying for a particular position – cannot fully support the professional development of an individual (Hristozova, 2006). Through another approach Scott (2000) made clear that professional development is continuous, being similar to the self-development which is likely to be continuous; thus, professional development, as an aspect of self-development, need also to be continuous securing the improvement of the employee’s position within his organization. The skills of consultants, which would help them to develop a high level of professionalism, can be retrieved through the literature published on the specific field. In accordance with Margerison (2011, p.31) the key advantage of consultants would be the self-organizing, i.e. their ability to categorize and appropriately evaluated the material related to a specific social/ scientific area (see Table 1, Appendix). On the other hand, Niewiem (2005) noted that the most important skill of consultants would be their interaction ability (meaning the ability to communicate with others and use appropriate evidence for supporting the suggestions made in regard to the organization development). Moreover, Wickham et al. (2008) emphasized on the importance of interpersonal and decisional skills in consultancy – under the terms that consultants have often to respond to emergent organizational problems which need to be addressed through plans that are flexible and easy to be developed. Through a similar point of view, Biech (2007) noted that consultants have to be self-disciplined (a characteristic similar to self-organizing which is also highlighted in this plan) and able to evaluate the business data – it is at this point mainly that the value of IT skills in consultancy is proved. One of the key capabilities of management consultants is their ability to transfer their skills – reference is made in the study of Zackrison et al. (2000, p.46) to the employees of each organization (in which consultants are asked to provide their services). On the other hand, Rothwell et al. (2009) noted the importance of interpersonal skills in consultancy; in accordance with the above researchers, in consultancy, interpersonal skills help to effectively promote change, i.e. interpersonal skills are not related to self-development (as suggested Scott, 2000, above) but to the need of the organization for change (see also Table 1, Appendix). At the next level, the skills necessary for the specific career path are described in job adverts related to such positions (see Table 1, Appendix); additionally, the websites of organizations focusing on professional development also include valuable information on the potential requirements of such job positions (see Table 1, Appendix). In this context, in order for me to succeed in such role I would have to improve my existing skills – as derived through the feedback of colleagues and friends (Table 1, Appendix) – focusing on specific issues, as highlighted in the answers to a self-assessment questionnaire (Table 1, Appendix). In accordance with the issues discussed above, the chosen career is related to a specific type of professionalism: a) in terms of knowledge, a broad knowledge on business structure, strategies and ethics is required; since management consultancy refers, mostly, to the suggestion of appropriate solutions for facing various business problems, it is necessary for a management consultant to be appropriately educated and trained being able to respond to different organizational needs, b) in terms of skills, a management consultant would have a variety of competencies, the most important of which would be the following ones: b1) self-organizing skills (for evaluating and prioritising tasks), b2) technical skills (for using technology in order to present and support his ideas but also to communicate with employees in different organizational levels), and b3) interaction skills (for locating valuable information on key organizational operations and for securing the acceptance by the employees of important plans of organizational change); also interaction skills, would help a consultant to transfer his knowledge to the employees of the organization which the particular consultant has been asked to support (Zackrison et al., 2000, p. 46); c) in terms of motivation, consultants would be highly motivated, even if they are adequately supported by the organization in which they have been asked to intervene. (2) Evaluation of your learning and professional development as a result of putting your PD Plans into action As noted above, the three skills on which current PD plan is based are the following ones: a) Self-management (or self-organizing) skills, b) Technical competency and c) Interaction skills. At this point, it would be necessary to describe the professional development, as the target, which current Plan aims to achieve. In accordance with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, ‘the professional development reflects the ability of the effort of a professional ‘to always be actively seeking improved performance’ (The Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, 2011). In accordance with another definition, the professional development is characterized as ‘the systematic maintenance and improvement of knowledge, skills and competence throughout a professional's working life’ (The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, 2011). In accordance with the above, the activation of the various phases of current PD plan, should lead to the improvement of my current learning status but also to the support of my professional development, as an effort to increase my current skills and knowledge. In order for the specific outcome to become clear it would be necessary to describe my chosen career path, in all its phases. In terms of career, I would prefer to work in a management consultancy – related role, no matter the level of the particular position (see also my answers in a self-assessment questionnaire, Table 1, Appendix); in any case, after entering the workplace the development of each employee is gradual, meaning that, initially, a period for understanding the needs of the organization need to pass; then, the promotion to a higher position is quite possible, especially if the efforts for self-improvement in the particular job position are clear. When I graduate, I intend to apply for a consultancy role, starting from a trainee or assistant position. In the next 5-10 years I intend to increase my skills in regard to the specific role and improve my position as a consultant. In practice, this means, that I would like to work in a Consultant – Director role, preferable in the HR department without rejecting other potential organizational sectors, such as the IT systems or the Public Relations sector of the particular organization. As for the industrial sector preferred, the following issues should be mentioned: a) in general, the services industry would be better respond to my ambitions, as it is highly related to interaction with customers, while in the product industry the communication with customers is likely to be framed, as set by the organization’s management and as influenced by the local market conditions and ethics; b) furthermore, particular interest exists for the financial services industry, as I would be given the chance to use the knowledge I acquired through my studies; c) in terms of location, I would prefer the UK and especially London, mostly because the particular city is considered as a major centre of the financial services industry globally. However, in case that a similar position is available in another country of the European Union, I would consider the case to relocate, especially if the prospects and the benefits of the specific position would be important. I expect that my career will help me towards the achievement of the following targets: a) to further improve my skills/ competencies and b) to combine my professional development with my personal development, as possible; in regard to the achievement of this target, it would be necessary that the appropriate job position is chosen in advance; a failure in choosing the appropriate role would result to the loss of important time but also to the financial loss - in case, for example, that training has been required for the particular role and so on. At this point, I should note that, for me, success in terms of professional development incorporates a wide range of achievements – not being necessarily related to the benefits of a particular role but rather to the content of the role, i.e. the tasks/ duties incorporated. Moreover, success in this field could be related to the prospects for future development either in the same role or in a similar one. The three skills mentioned above, i.e. the a) self-management (or self-organizing) skills, b) the technical competency and c) the interaction skills, would help to perform more effectively in the chosen role. The above fact is proved in the literature published in the specific field – where reference is made to the role of the above skills – among other skills – in the increase of performance of consultants. The effectiveness of these skills in the chosen role can be tested using the CSMART Objectives, which highlight the role of specific competencies in promoting professional development. As noted above, each of the skills required in the context of the chosen career path are likely to be related to a series of objectives; three such objectives have been identified for each one of the chosen competencies. In regard to the self-management skills: a) for developing the self-management skills, the following objectives should be met: a1) improvement of the ability of self-organizing in terms of tasks allocated; this objective is achievable, taking into consideration the time available – period of studies, training period and practicing in work; however, this objective is not quite specific, incorporating a series of activities and tasks; another problem of this objective is that it is not easily measurable and from this point of view it can be characterized as a challenging initiative. In any case, this objective is relevant to the chosen career – where a lot of paperwork is involved. Finally, in terms of the time required for its completion, this objective can be characterized as non-standardized; the efforts for achieving this objective can be continued even after entering the workplace; a2) improvement of time management skills; the above objective can be characterized as challenging, having in mind the difficulties in effectively controlling time, especially if critical activities are involved; in any case, the specific objective is achievable, even it will take longer time to be achieved – compared to the other objectives; also, despite the fact that it is a specific objective, it is not easily measurable; rather through comparing the average time required for the development of each task, the performance in regard to the achievement of this objective can be evaluated. The above objective is relevant, being a prerequisite for the success in any job position. Moreover, the above objective can be characterized as time defined but, again, reference is made to the time as an average period necessary for completing a specific task; a3) improvement of resource management skills; the above objective is achievable, without time limitations in regard to each achievement, i.e. it is not time specified; however, the particular objective is not quite specific and, at the same time, cannot be easily measured; its achievement could be only identified through the performance in various tasks – either in terms of quality and the terms of time spent on the completion of each task, having in mind that allocation of resources refers to the improvement of the resources chosen but also to the limitation of the time required for their identification. Furthermore, the above objective is relevant, taking into consideration the needs of a consultancy role. b) As for the development of my technical skills, the following objectives should be achieved: b1) improvement of the ability to identify the technology required for the successful completion of a task; the above objective can be characterized as achievable and relevant to the particular role, where IT systems are necessary for the development of a wide range of activities; moreover, the above objective is specific but not easily measured; in fact, it is while working on such systems that the improvement of technical skills can be revealed; also the above objective is challenging, taking into consideration the continuous development of IT technology used in management activities; in any case, the above objective is not time defined; the improvement of IT skills can be continued even after entering the workplace; b2) improvement of the ability to face any potential failure of this technology; the above objective is challenging since my personal experience on IT systems is rather limited; however, in any case it is a relevant and achievable objective under the terms that the practice on IT systems will be continuous; again, this objective is specific but not easily measured, being evaluated rather while using these systems in practice; b3) improvement of my skills to manage the technology required for the completion of a task – referring to my skills as a user; the above objective is not a challenging one; rather it is easy achievable taking into consideration the fact that my practice on IT systems (software and hardware) related to business processes is continuous. Furthermore, this objective is not time defined, since the relevant activities will be developed on a daily basis after getting the required job position. In any case, the above objective is specific, referring to particular activities and tasks and it can be measured through the daily performance in the particular field. c) Finally, for developing my interaction skills, the objectives that would be achieved are the following ones: c1) increase of ability to work as part of a team for the completion of a particular task (an objective that can be characterized as challenging and not easily measured; it could be also characterized as specific but not time defined; in any case it would be a relevant objective, since consultancy involves mostly in team working), c2) increase of my ability to communicate effectively with the members of the team of which I am a member; as in the previous case, this objective would be characterized as relevant and specific but not measurable; it could be also characterized as achievable, even in the long term, and challenging, c3) increase of the ability to handle crises as a member of a team; the above objective would be characterized as relevant – being related to the chosen career path – and specific – in terms of the nature of the responses required; however, it is a challenging objective, having in mind my lack of experience on this field; also, it is an objective difficult to be measured, not being defined in terms of time; rather it can be evaluated by observing the relevant responses for a long period of time. (3) Evidence to support 1) and 2) above - Appendix Evidence on career direction Industry publications Consultants need to have advanced time organizing skills, being able to develop flexible plans for resolving various organizational problems [Margerison, 2011, p.31] Consultants should have interaction skills (using examples and appropriately customized political behavior for responding to the needs of their role) [Niewiem, 2005, p.148] Consultants would have strong interpersonal and decisional skills (being able to identify the appropriate solution within a short period of time) [Wickham et al. 2008, p.28] Consultants need to be self-disciplined, be able to deal with a high volume of paperwork and appropriately evaluate business data [Biech, 2007, p.27] Consultants should be able to transfer their skills to others – referring especially to the employees of each organization (in which consultants are asked to provide their services) [Zackrison et al., 2000, p. 46] Consultants need to have strong interpersonal skills, especially if they are interested in getting involved in advanced forms of management consultancy, such as the Organization Development consultancy [Cummings et al. 2008, p.66] Consultants need to have strong interpersonal skills in order to be able to promote change across the organization [Rothwell et al., 2009, p.136] Professional websites or Trade Associations CMI - http://www.managers.org.uk ILM - http://www.i-l-m.com CIM - http://www.cim.co.uk – CIPD - http://www.cipd.co.uk CILT - http://www.ciltuk.org.uk – CIPS - http://www.cips.org Adverts related to the particular role Recruiter: NSL Recruitment Location: Gauteng Category: Sales And Marketing Requirements: Sales/Marketing Degree/Diploma advantageous. Knowledge of payment systems / acquiring advantageous. Min 2 years sales experience. [http://www.pnet.co.za/index.php?s=view_recr_jobs&g=272. Company: WURTH UK LIMITED Role: Field Sales Consultant Requirements: Successful candidates are expected to possess the drive, enthusiasm and desire to break into a professional field sales environment. The aim is to develop your territory through a combination of new business and existing customer management. It would be advantageous to have previous field sales or relevant trade experience. You should be able to display great people skills, a strong and honest work ethic and the drive and motivation to thrive in a tough and demanding sales environment. [http://jobview.monster.co.uk/GetJob.aspx?JobID=98766697&from=indeed] Company: Telecommunications company, Manning Global Group Role: Business Consultant Requirements: Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering or Business is required; MBA is highly desirable. Good knowledge and experience in telecommunications industry is required. Good communication skills. Able to work in a fast-paced working environment. Easygoing with an open mind and willingness to learn new things quickly [http://www.jobsite.co.uk/job/business-consultant-uk-938744149?tid=742812] Evidence on skill levels Self-assessment questionnaire (followed by answers) Are my self-management skills developed? At an average level Would I have to further improve my self-management skills in regard to the chosen profession? Yes How my technical skills could be characterized? Quite low Would I have the potentials to improve my technical skills? Yes Would I need a long period of time to achieve the above target? Yes Would I need external support? Definitely. What about my interaction skills? Rather at low level. How I could improve them? By participating in team-working activities. Should I need external support? Yes. Previous employment Feedback from colleagues Personal characteristics as included in the feedback from colleagues: ‘team-working, highly-committed, willing to improve himself, need for increasing his technical skills, he tends to state his view no matter the consequences’ Previous hobbies and interests Feedback from friends Hobbies and interests as included in the feedback from friends: ‘traveling, participating in team-based activities/ sports’ Evidence on putting plans into action Self-assessment questionnaire (Followed by answers) On which area of consultancy would I be more interested in working: management consultancy. Am I willing to be appropriately trained – as necessary? Yes In the long term in which job position I would like to be engaged in? in a HR consultancy role Which type of industrial activities I would prefer – in terms of the chosen role? The services industry Is there an industrial sector I would prefer to work in? The financial services industry Table 1 – Skills for management consultants (source/ evidence) Conclusion The use of a professional development plan, which is CSMART, as tested above, is the only way to secure the achievement of the plan’s targets, i.e. the improvement of the personal skills and competencies for responding to the requirement of the profession chosen. Despite the fact that all phases of the relevant process have been critically evaluated as of their feasibility and credibility, it is still possible that differentiations are presented regarding the performance of its activity in practice – referring to the realization of the plan’s phases. The testing of the plan’s activities using empirical material – as available – reduces the chances for such failures and increases the value of the plan as a tool for achieving the personal development in regard to the job position mostly preferred. Bibliography Biech, E. (2007) The business of consulting: the basics and beyond. 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