Career Objectives With the Current Supervisor for Achieving Support - Statistics Project Example

Personal Development Plan Assignment Task 1. Produce a critical reflection on working with a number of colleagues on a given project or significant operational task. Would you describe this as a group or a team? Give reasons for your description. Identify the objectives of the project or significant operational task and your individual role and objectives. The colleagues with whom I previously worked with on a particular project could be more aptly described as a team rather than a group; because all the team members, including myself complimented each other on the required skills and abilities which contributes mainly to a common goal (Mackin 2007: 1-2). The main objective of this certain project was to have a common shared data on the local area network of the bank to limit the borrowing and physical transferring of files in hard copies between departments. My role as an Assistant Manager of the Facilities Management Services is to ensure that all necessary data for the units which I supervise are updated correctly prior to its submission to the IT department for collation and entry into the company’s data bank. 2. How did your colleagues and you interact? The interaction between me and my colleagues was amicable, since we have known each other for quite sometime having worked under the same company for several years; and also professional, in the sense that despite being acquaintances/friends, we took our responsibilities in the project seriously and held each other accountable for the overall outcome of the project (Mackin 2007: 1-2). This is due to the fact that each of us has a duty and contribution in either making the project a success or a failure. 3. How ere communications and information set up within the project or significant operational task? The communication and information set-up was done primarily by choosing an overall officer-in-charge, an assistant officer-in-charge and a secretary.. The main duty of the OIC is to provide the necessary direction and coordination needed for the smooth flow of the project from start to finish. The assistant OIC’s job was to take the place of the OIC in his absence, and the secretary is responsible for taking minutes of meetings, filing pertinent records associated with the project; and disseminating appropriate communication to all the team members 4. Provide three different examples of computer generated reports and briefly show how these were used to assist in managerial decision making. Take care that these reports do not reveal commercially sensitive material. *Sample Income Statement Income Statement Template For the Month Ended_______. Revenue   Commissions  Earned   $3,500 Expenses Equipment Rental Expenses $1,000 Wages Expenses  400 Utility Expenses 300 Total Expenses $1,700 Net Income $1,800 *(yourbusinesspal.com n.d.: 1) *Sample Balance Sheet Balance Sheet For the Month Ended __________.   Asset Liability Cash $15,300 Accounts Payable   Accounts Receivable 1,000 Equity $600 Supplies 500 Sample Business Plan, Capital 51,200 Land 10,000 Other Building 25,000 Total Liabilities   Total Assets 51,800 Owner's Equity 51,800 *(yourbusinesspal.com n.d.: 1) *Sample Cash Flow Statement Cash Flow Statement Statement For the Month Ended_________.   Cash Flow From Operating Activities     Net Income   $1,800 Non-cash Expenses and Revenues Include income Increase in Accounts Receivable      $(1,000)   Increase in Supplies                               500   Increase in Accounts Payable             600   (900) Net Cash Flow from Operating Activities   900 Cash Flows From Investing Activities     Purchase of land                                $(10,000)   Purchase of Building                            (25,000)   Net Cash Flow used by Investing Activities     Cash Flow Financing Activities     Cash Flow Statement (continued)… Invested                                                 50,000 Withdrawals                                              (600)   Net Cash Flow Provided by Financing Activities    $49,400 Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash   $15,000 *(yourbusinesspal.com n.d.: 1) The balance sheet gives detailed information regarding the company’s assets, liabilities and shareholders’ equity (SEC 2007:1-7). Assets are the things or properties owned by the company. Liabilities are the amounts of money owed by the company to others; and shareholders’ equity or capital is the money left should the company decide to sell off its assets and pay all its liabilities (SEC 2007: 1-7). The income statement on the other hand, shows the net revenue/earning or losses of a company at a given time. This financial statement presents how much a company lost or earned over a period of time (SEC 2007: 1-7). Cash flow statements give an idea of the company’s cash inflows and outflows. It illustrates whether the company was able to generate adequate cash to pay off expenses or make any purchases (SEC 2007: 1-7). The financial statements of a company are interrelated and when taken together provides a complete outlook on the financial standing of the company which provides necessary information for investors who wishes to invest. Internally, financial statements are the basis of a company on what actions to take if the company has earned a surplus or has been incurring losses. Earnings can be invested or used to purchase necessary properties or items for the office; while losses may prompt the company’s management to think of potential ways on how to recover them within a specified period of time (SEC 2007: 1-7). 5. Produce a Personal Development Plan (PDP) which shows transferable management skills which you have developed over the course of the programme. This should contain: a skills audit; selection of skills to be developed; the resources used to develop those skills; the date on which the skill development was achieved: evidence of skills development. a) Skills Audit SKILL TYPICAL DESCRIPTORS SKILL LEVEL Low High SPECIFIC COMMENTS Initiative and Problem Solving Readiness to tackle challenges in the workplace and logic reasoning to solve problems/issues. 1 2 3 4 5 Teamwork and Leadership Ability to work well with others and provide the necessary direction to achieve goals. 1 2 3 4 5 Flexibility Able to adapt easily to new environment and surroundings. And can accomplish tasks with minimum supervision. 1 2 3 4 5 Time Management Focusing on what needs to be done and prioritizing tasks according to their importance and need. 1 2 3 4 5 Reliability Is trustworthy, result-oriented and can get the job done at a specified deadline. 1 2 3 4 5 b) Resources Used to Develop Skills The basic source used to develop the needed skills came from previous knowledge and experience which was supplemented by reading online articles related to the needed skill and attending in-house trainings/seminars that were sponsored by the company and available for employees. c) Date Skills were Achieved The skills were attained within three months after I began to read online articles and strove to do the suggestions written therein. This action was in addition to what I know and learned about said skills. While the in-house seminars did not come by often, I attended the ones that did. And all these contributed greatly to having accomplished the target level I have set for the skills I needed. d) Evidence of Skills Development There are certificates from the seminars which I attended and my work, including my attitude towards it and the people I work with have improved greatly. I am now able to view new things associated with the job with more enthusiasm than usual which makes working with others easier. This also enhanced my ability to perform other job roles aside from doing my usual one, and I make sure that I plan and organize my work including my private activities in advance to avoid unexpected issues that may hinder me from doing what I have originally planned and promised to do. 6. Write a critical reflection on the process of skills development you experienced. Personal development is about evaluating and improving one’s way of life (Personal Development Plan 2007: 1-6). In reality there is no wrong or right way on how to go about it (Personal Development Plan 2007: 1-6), because improving oneself and becoming a better person with new skills is an everyday endeavour that people must sought after. This means having self-awareness and being honest with yourself about what abilities and skills you possess and what you still need to develop. Relatively, our lifetime is short; hence it is essential that we maximize our time to improve ourselves (Loh 2007: 1-6). If a person is determined to improve and learn he or she can do it – if one’s mind is really put to it. Determination is an important factor, because as a person learns new things, he or she becomes better and will know what direction in life to take in order to achieve self-fulfilment (Loh 2007: 1-6). Maximizing one’s potential along with other things in life, like being happy, is good so long as the source of pursuit is based on something good and enhancing oneself to achieve better things. Being aware of what we are and what we become ultimately leads to the fact that things which happen around us are generally generated by our own thoughts and actions (whatmegsaid 2009: 1-6). This being so, there is no good reason why we cannot change negative or limited issues, like having mediocre skills, into a more constructive one. While this may entail having to do a lot of planning, organizing and requires a tremendous effort on our parts, the good thing about doing a personal development plan is that in the end we become better persons in the light of having achieve something to change our lives for a more positive outlook (whatmegsaid 2009: 1-6). In truth, skills development is considered critical at every phase (homepages n.d.: 1-4). The constant changes in the working world require individuals who have skills that can be applied readily in answer to new demands; and these are the individuals who can go far in the corporate ladder (homepages n.d.: 1-4). Below are significant steps which are considered essential to career moves and its enhancement: Motivations Actions to be taken Technical to Management: You find yourself ready to move on from your technical position to a supervisory one. Be on the lookout for management or supervisory roles in present position where skills development ideas can be applied. Take in-house courses/trainings/seminars offered by the company. Discuss career objectives with current supervisor to achieve support. Administrative to Management: Having attained high proficiency in your current position, you consider having the ability to lead and manage others. Seek ways on how to enhance managerial skills on-the-job. Confer with your manager and request assignments/projects where you can show your management and leadership abilities. Take management and supervisory seminars/trainings. Skill Incompatibility: Your current job can use your current skills. But you have other skills that can give you more satisfaction and energy once you make use of them. Recognize the skills which you prefer to use and look for prospects in terms of projects and assignments that will draw said skills out from you. Skill Overuse/Burnout: Doing work that is routine for a length of time does not pose any challenge or change. This eventually causes burnout. Identify overuse skills and try employing latent skills which can be similarly applied to your current job. Recognize the routine parts of your work and lessen them from time-to-time. Attend seminars/trainings to produce new ideas for activities on skill development. Be on the lookout for positions in your company which you are qualified for that offers greater challenges and work variation. Greater Earnings Potential: Present and future earnings cannot meet your needs and expectations. Seek other opportunities that will provide better earning potentials. Identify knowledge and skills needed to make a job change which will pay more. Compare current skills and knowledge with those who are currently at higher paying position levels. Taking into consideration the information given on the table above means not waiting for change to happen but making thins happen. It is important to keep an updated portfolio of skills and be able to identify the talents you possess in order to be competitive in the career arena (homepages n.d.: 1-4). To be able to successfully achieve a personal development plan, a goal must be predetermined (smart-goal-setting-tips n.d.: 1-2). Prior to anything else, it is essential to create a personal mission statement that helps you foresee important things and how they are supposed to be achieved. Second is to set your goals, classify them accordingly whether they are the sort-term ones or the long-term ones. Then take appropriate action. This is the difficult stage since you have to put theory into action. But taking it one simple step at a time will help deal with the surrounding difficulties (smart-goal-setting-tips n.d.: 1-2). And last comes being responsible – simply put – prepared to accept the consequences of any failures or shortcomings, which in a way should help in doing things correctly the second time around (smart-goal-setting-tips n.d.: 1-2). The road to fulfilling a dream is not really that easy, but with a set of clear goals in mind and the determination to go through it all seems all worth it. It is vital to stick to the goal and do anything possible to achieve it; and equally important to take a look at oneself at the end of the day and contemplate whether the right track is actually being pursued. References homepages. n.d. Skill Development Troubleshooting Guide. [Online]. Available: http://homepages.bw.edu/intro/Cap/SkillDevelopment/SDGuide.html [23 April 2010] Loh, Roger. 2007. 5 Reasons Why Having A Personal Development Plan Is Essential For Your Internet MLM Business. [Online]. Available: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roger_Loh [22 April 2010] Mackin, Deborah. 2007. The Difference Between a Team and a Group. [Online]. Available: http://www.sideroad.com/Team_Building/difference-between-team-and-group.html [23 April 2010] Personal Development Plan. 2007. Personal Development. [Online]. Available: http://personal-development-articles.blogspot.com/ [22 April 2010] SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). 2007. Beginner’s Guide to Financial Statements. [Online]. Available: http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/begfinstmtguide.htm [24 April 2010] smart-goal-setting-tips. n.d. Personal Development Plan: How to Create Your Plan Effectively. [Online]. Available: http://www.smart-goal-setting-tips.com/personal-development-plan.html [22 April 2010] whatmegsaid. 2009. Daydream Your Way to Success. [Online]. Available: http://personal-development-articles.blogspot.com/ [22 April 2010] yourbusinesspal.com. n.d. Sample Balance Sheet. [Online]. Available: http://www.yourbusinesspal.com/sample_balance_sheet.html [24 April 2010] yourbusinesspal.com. n.d. Sample Cash Flow Statement. [Online]. Available: http://www.yourbusinesspal.com/sample_cash_flow.html [24 April 2010] yourbusinesspal.com. n.d. Sample Income Statement. [Online]. Available: http://www.yourbusinesspal.com/sample_income_statement.html [24 April 2010] Read More