Progress Statement and Development Plan - Essay Example

?Progress ment The purpose of this progress ment is to identify the weaknesses I have encountered during my study as a first year undergraduate examining my personal, academic and career progress, placing particular attention on the efforts which I should undertake in overcoming the weaknesses. Firstly, I am exposed to friends with a mix of nationalities and countries having different background and culture. I found difficulties in expressing my views and communicating effectively especially during group works due to difference in language and cultural beliefs. Misunderstandings occurred occasionally due to communication breakdown and conflicts arose between team mates when there were different thoughts and ideas. I attempt to develop my communication skills and work in a multicultural group by slowing down my speaking speed and pronounce the words correctly in order to convey my ideas and messages clearly. I also try to improve my vocabularies by extensive reading. Besides that, I would like to make effort in developing my interpersonal skills by practising patience and high tolerance rather than being aggressive when facing conflicts. Two-way communications, mutual understanding and positive feedbacks are important in resolving conflicts and disputes (Agar, 1994). Thus, I have learnt to be a good listener and be open to constructive feedbacks and comments. This is especially important if I am to work in a diversity workplace in the future. Time management is another challenge which I have encountered. I faced obstacles in balancing my in-class time, time spent on assignments, study and entertainment. Time management skill is important in overcoming the problem such as careful planning of work, tight monitoring of progress and revision of plan when necessary (Smith, 1994). It would be useful to set a personal goal and develop a flexible schedule to assist me in prioritising my activities. I plan my day ahead and maintain a list of activities which must be done daily at the same allowing room of flexibility for unexpected incidents. It enables me to recognize tasks which are urgent and in need of special focus and attention followed by the important ones. In this case, I would be able to meet deadlines such as assignments deadline without any last minute rush. This skill would definitely assist me in future career success as the optimum use of time would lead to increase work efficiency and productivity. On the other hand, it ensures that I am not overloaded with work contributing to less stress and pressures. Additionally, numerical skill is another area which is in need of improvement as it is critical for my accounting module. Numerical skills involve the ability to recognise and utilize numerical data and reflect on a person’s general intelligence and ability to rapidly perceives, processes and calculates numbers (Psychometric Success, 2011). Employers often recognise the importance of numerical skills in work practise and incorporate it as one of the selection criteria in the recruitment process. This is evidenced by the compulsory completion of numerical ability test by candidates during a job interview. The level of tests would however depend on the relevance of skill to the job (Royal Holloway University of London, 2011). As practise make perfect, I am commit to perform mathematical exercise on a weekly basis and apply it on a daily basis to resolve practical calculations. Moreover, I attempt the numerical skills test available online to assess my skills and continuously monitor my progress. This would not only assist in my current academic success but also increase my employability. Besides that, I would require to enhance my presentation skills as it is useful in every aspect of work and life. Effective presentation and public speaking skills are essential in my university as it is part of the assessment requirements. From a business perspective, it is insufficient to only display capability in work but also be able to be presentable and talk and write well in order to be competitive in this challenging business environment. I faced difficulties in catching the attention of the audiences and communicate effectively with the listeners contributed by my low confidence level. Hence, I would make sure that I am well prepared by conducting an in-depth and comprehensive study on the presentation topic, organise and structure my presentation and boost my confidence level by continuous practises (Newcastle University, 2011). Creativity and innovation are key elements in attracting and maintaining the interest of the audiences such as the use of visual aids by incorporating images and graphics in my presentation slides and making my presentation more convincing and persuasive. Body languages and appearance are taken into consideration aim to give a deep impression to the audiences. Teamwork has been a hot topic in recent years and the importance of teamwork and collaborations are emphasized in modern organizations as study show that organizations which emphasize in teamwork resulted in improved efficiency and cost effectiveness. In university, we have group assignments which formed a substantial part of assessment. Teamwork aims to achieve quality result by sharing different views and opinions. The combination of skills and abilities provide a platform for us to learn from each other and share responsibilities. Nonetheless, the team spirit motivates people and drive the work to success (Collins & Clark, 2003). However, I found it time-consuming working in groups as we need to have regular meetings for discussions and there might be free talk which are irrelevant to our assigned task. Decision making process is lengthened as we need to resolve conflicts and reach a consensus when different opinions arose. This is especially difficult for me as I am lack of experience in dealing and handling with contradictions. I seek to manage the difficulties by making sufficient planning so that there is a clear guidance on tasks to be performed. It also works as a basis for monitoring our progress ensuring that we would be able to meet the submission deadlines. Open discussions are held to resolve conflicts aim to minimize the disruptions to our work and finally, misunderstandings are avoided by setting clear roles and responsibilities before the work commenced. I try to play the role as a good team player offering my skills, be co-operative and provide assistance when necessary. I hope that the measures can sharpen my teamwork skills contributing to overall team success and goals achievement. Lastly, writing skill is another major area of concern. Writing is an important part of communication and is one of the most important transferable skills that workers possess. Excellent writing skill is necessary to properly convey ideas and concepts ranging from emails, reports to an agenda in a meeting in the business world. Efforts are taken to produce messages which are concise, clear and self-explanatory in order to avoid misinterpretation and save time for further clarifications. Additionally, good writing skills add credibility and portray a positive image to the writer. I seek to develop my writing skills by organizing the structure of my essay and outlining the ideas and details of content before writing. Quality content is enhanced by reading as it widens my vocabularies and gives me an insight to other writing styles and techniques. Particular attention is placed on the style and presentation of the essay or report as it helps the reader to understanding the content and seeks information. Proof reading and editing are also important to ensure that the final essay is solid and error free. On the other hand, the feedbacks obtained from lecturers and tutors are valuable and allow me to recognise my weaknesses and area of improvement. In conclusion, the progress statement above gave me an opportunity to identify my personal weaknesses and devise a plan to improve myself for personal good whilst enhancing my academic, employability skills and work towards a better professional development. It is noted that my personal weaknesses include communication skills, time management, numerical skills, presentation skills, managing teamwork and writing skills. Nevertheless, the measures that I have undertaken facilitated a broader individual development and entrepreneurship for a promising academic and career success. References 1. Agar, M. (1994) Language shock: Understanding the culture of conversation. New York: William Morrow. 2. Smith, H. W. (1994) 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management: Proven Strategies for Increased Productivity and Inner Peace. New York: Warner Books. 3. Royal Holloway University of London (2011) Numerical Skills. [Online] Available at: http://www.rhul.ac.uk/careers/cocurricularactivities/skills/numericalskills.aspx [Accessed 30 April 2011] 4. Psychometric Success (2011) Numerical Reasoning Tests. . [Online] Available at: http://www.psychometric-success.com/faq/faq-numerical-reasoning-tests.htm [Accessed 30 April 2011] 5. Newcastle University (2011) Communication Skills – making oral presentations. [Online] Available at: http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/dept/tips/present/comms.htm [Accessed 30 April 2011] 6. Collins C.J. & Clark K.D. (2003) ‘Strategic Human Resources Practices, Top Management Team Social Networks, and Firm Performance: The Role of Human Resource practices in creating Organizational Competitive Advantage.’ Academy of Management Journal. Vol. 46, No. 6, 2003, p. 740-751. [Online] Available at: http://www87.homepage.villanova.edu/kevin.d.clark/CollinsClark%20SHRM%20networks%20and%20performance%20AMJ%202003.pdf [Accessed 30 April 2011] Skills Development for Business Development Plan Name: Course: Date of plan: Details of my objective How do I intend to achieve my objective? How will I measure my progress towards achieving my objective? Who will I consult for help and advice in achieving my objective? How often will I review my progress towards achieving my objective? Initial deadline for achieving my objective To allocate one hour daily to reading modules and extra relevant materials in the next semester. Schedule a realistic daily timetable. Improve self discipline and commitment. - Keep records and monitoring the time spent on reading. - By the achievement of desirable assessment results. Module Leader Friends Parents Daily End of semester To allocate two hours weekly to solve mathematical questions and resolve daily practical calculations in the next semester. Schedule a realistic weekly timetable. Improve self discipline and commitment. - Keep records and monitoring the time spent on solving mathematical questions. Attempt the numerical online tests to assess my progress. Module Leader Friends Parents Weekly End of semester To join the English Language Society and widen my friends with multicultural background in the next semester. Be participative by taking part in the activities organized by the society. Voice my opinions and gives suggestions in the team. Keep records of the number of activities participated. Fellow students Friends Parents Semester End of semester To allocate two hours weekly to write on the book which I have read during the week in the next semester. Schedule a realistic weekly timetable. Improve self discipline and commitment. - Keep records and monitoring the time spent on writing. - By the achievement of desirable assessment results. Module Leader Friends Parents Weekly End of semester Volunteer at least once to present the topic of the module in the next semester. Communicate to the module leader. - By the achievement of desirable assessment results. Module Leader Fellow Students Friends Parents Semester End of semester Volunteer to be the leader in the next group assignment. Communicate to the module leader and fellow students. - By the achievement of desirable assessment results. Module Leader Fellow Students Friends Parents Semester End of semester Read More