Work in the Public Sector - Assignment Example

Incident Report Analyzing the Main Features of Management Task 1 The topics I would like to tell about are concentrated around my work in the public sector. With a desire to make a career rise I understood it is essential for me to improve the skill of time management time and other people’s time as in order to achieve excellent skills and proficiency in different settings to complete projects and manage team requires a lot of efforts and emotions, as well as time. As a result I can say that practical skills are more useful and understandable than theoretical ones. In that point I share the idea of David Kolb and his experiential learning theory for that “learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. Knowledge results from the combination of grasping experience and transforming it” (Kolb 1984). I faced with small but diverse conflicts during my activity. There is a tendency that the middle managers have proven to be more mobile. So first of all I estimated the conflict in order to give an answer to the question of what we can change the current situation. The manager should properly analyze what the person needs or do not needs, and what will only confuse the worker, to be able to articulate the problem and extract the desired information (Aldair 2009). I was needed to think and act quickly in order to satisfy the tasks proposed, I used to concentrate and express my ideas and thoughts correctly in order not to offend anyone ant at the same time be understood by my interlocutors. Kolb proposed six main characteristics for experiential learning (Kolb, 1999), including the following points: The best was for learning is a process, but not the sum of outcomes. It is represented as a continuous process, based on experience. Learning requires the solution of different conflicts and realizing of the exist ion of the opposed ideas. This process is holistic in connection of adaptation to the world. It can not avoid interaction between the people and the environment. This process forms social and personal knowledge as an achievement of the process of getting knowledge itself. His experiential learning theory was developed in order to give a model to develop our practice. This theory has appeared under the different titles like The Learning Cycle, The Kolb Cycle or The Experiential Learning Cycle. It was interesting for me to check this theory during improvement of my skills in coping with increased responsibilities. The Kolb Cycle is divided into four different stages and it is possible to start at any point, however the order of the stages of learning from experience must not be ruined to achieve the successful results. The Experiential Learning Cycle says that is not enough to get an experience in order of learning. The experience is essential thing when it is necessary to formulate generalisations and concepts, useful for the new situations. In order to prove the skills you should get to the new situations. According to the written above the idea is to link theory and action by planning with reflections back to the theory. As for me now I can clearly define task priorities and pay attention on those that cannot be postponed, I was involved into the most pressing and urgent tasks (Jasper 2003). The Kolb theory in the process is working in following way (pic.1) (pic 1. The Kolb theory, ldu.leeds.ac.uk) In order to join it to my activity I need to open each category a bit more. Concrete experience is getting during the relating to people and specific achievements sensitive to other's feelings. It is impossible to avoid this stage as at every workplace we are involved in the process of interacting between personnel and clients. In the area of management it is essential to find the key to every client in order to satisfy his needs. You need to be calm and friendly not depending on the circumstances and act and think quickly. The second stage, reflective observation is helping to make a judgment about the environment from different perspectives. According to this I can chose the special strategy how to act and manage with my duties. Abstract conceptualization is applied often after the certain events. I’m ready to analyse my actions in order to understand where and why I could behave in the other way and what profit this would bring for me in that case. The stage of active experimentation includes risk-talking as when we appear to the new circumstances we do not know the inner rules, so we need to find new way to influence people and events through our activity. In fact you can enter the cycle at every of these four stages and it is possible to get the best skills only after practicing all four modes. Kolb is sure that learning styles are not depending and fixed on the traits of personality, but they are relatively stable models of behaviour, taking them as a background. So, they can be analysed not as the styles, but more as preferences in learning. Diverging way can be concentrated in emphasizing of the innovative approach to the process of learning and working. After we look through the situations from more than one perspective we discover we are interested and feeling-oriented for people. For this purpose I was embracing new ideas to the organization, religious groups and to the family and volunteering to become a leader in these group activities. The method of assimilating combines a number of different observations into the whole. It encourages making experiments and designing projects. Converging stage is emphasizing the practical side of applying ideas and problem solutions. In this stage I can define the decision-making and problem-solving necessity using the strategies I have learned form articles and journals. Accommodating method looks like the method of “try and error” and is goof for changing circumstances and especially at the beginning of the learning and working process (McCalman 2000). According to written above I try to check myself and to my mind I have followed almost all the necessary tasks I needed to improve my skills in the definite area. Task 2 My aim is to describe particular learning experiences in this part, analyzing and focusing on the following questions, such as learning strategy of the work-based learning topic, aspects of the experience of using a reflective framework, decision-making and problem-solving process, relevant benefits of mine and my colleagues’ activity and so on. I have recently discussed my working schedules time management as my chosen subject this year has not been a great start hence delayed pots on TGF but slowly getting back to it. What we discussed was how I can use my time more efficiently working part time as a stylist and having a full time job can be pretty scary we had planned a few photo shoots for the summer for the 2015 summer campaign which I uncharged to oversee the make up and styling and directing which I was so excited about this will put my organisation skills to the test. As for my friend who is also an OU student is very good at balancing both her studies and outside life she is always ahead and finishes all her assignments before due time we sat down last Friday and went through how I can add this to my busy life schedule and we came up with a good plan of setting up tools and what my goals are before the end of the summer and she will be there to make sure I would achieve my goals in due time.  My learning journal was based on the Kolb’s theory and it helped me to reflect on life and how I can self-improve and help change the world to be a better pace. I can sum I need to plan ahead time to implement these changes to this community and make a development of several ideas to make the situation better from all sides and for all the participants. My colleagues have also achieved some progress in their time managing, having a more controlled and organised plans for the workdays. According to this they have also a chance to use the previous learning and working experiences to the practise. I have read some advices of them. For example, I found it very useful to create a clear office and conduct a tidy desk policy, keeping all things on their particular place. During the meetings many of us can face the problem of privacy, when the whole office is able to hear everything you are talking about. So, I can not to object the separate meeting room would be useful and avoid both worker and client from being distracted and interrupted. It is an excellent way to prioritize tasks day to day, thus you do what is urgently and then you are able to throw yourself on the tasks of second importance. Once I saw the timetable divided into four categories: important (meaning the high priority) and urgent, important and not urgent, urgent but not important, not important and not urgent. So for myself I conducted such a plan of actions including weekly reviews, brainstorming and analyze of prioritizing. I found the way I can divide the time into small blocks and review what I have learned. Talking about reflective frameworks I would like to say what ideas and phrases we should exclude from our mind and dictionary. A failing strategy is to think you would have a lack of time. It is a sign that you need a break to act more efficient, when you brain throws and idea that you would guilty unless you and your project are working. Never guide on a negative result. Do not program the subconscious on a priori wrong mood. It can easily cause the feeling of dishearten when you leave all efforts too soon. When you say "I'll do it tomorrow" you can get all your tasks like an avalanche, which will cover you totally. The most efficient is to make some efforts on you and do the tasks piecemeal. One more theory that has been offered by my colleagues was Maslow Hierarchy Theory. It was called key to all basic needs of the person. It is very important to find out what is the most necessary need at the current stage of your life to achieve harmony and happiness. Task 3 Learning Contract Learning Objectives: What do you want to learn? What tasks and learning activities will you engage in at the agency to reach your learning objectives? How will you measure what you have learned? I gained competence in the professional area I combined attending meetings, reading and researching Development of documents, Discussions, Presentations I improved my communication skills Individual and group contact, attending meetings Individual, uninterrupted weekly supervision, Presentations I have deepen my awareness of the hierarchy of manufacturing I attend meetings, read documents and conducted some researches Development of documents, Willingness to be observed I learned about the newest tendencies in the job Individual and group contacts Individual, uninterrupted weekly supervision, Presentations I learned about how to manage and save time Reading articles, journal and special literature Discussions, using readings and resources I explored how to operate with documentation I combined working with Documentation, Reading, Research Development of documents, using readings and resources My professional skills were improved due to these activities. My program for managing time has helped me to deal with these tasks on a decent level. I really found some document operations and literature a bit difficult. It is not the case when I can quickly look through it. I faced with the difficulty with operating with the clients to convince them in the usefulness and reliability of our services. My aim was to achieve good results through trying the best to practice what I learn in the workplace. The process of finding out my ability to use relevant knowledge and key skills to engage critically with a range continues. References Aldair E, J. 2009. Effective Leadership: How to Be a Successful Leader.London: Pan Macmillan. Aldair E, J.2009. Effective Time Management: How to Save Time and Spend It Wisely.London: Pan Macmillan. Boud D, Keogh R and Walker D (1985) 'Reflection: Turning Experience in to Learning', London: Kogan Page. Brockbank A and McGill I (1998) 'Facilitating Reflective Learning in Higher Education', Buckingham: SHRE/Open University Press. Coffield, F., Moseley, D., Hall, E., & Ecclestone, K. (2004). Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning: A systematic and critical review. www.LSRC.ac.uk: Learning and Skills Research Centre. Retrieved January, 15, 2008: http://www.lsda.org.uk/files/PDF/1543.pdf. Jasper, M. 2003. Beginning Reflective Practice. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. Kolb D. (1984). Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Kolb D. (1999). The Kolb Learning Style Inventory, Version 3. Boston: Hay Group. McCalman J. (2000).Change management: a guide to effective implementation .New York: Sage. Ramsey C. & Reid K. (2012). Learning Contract Guidance. London: Martins the Printers. The Kolb theory, ldu.leeds.ac.uk. Read More