2. EVALUATION OF SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION

2. EVALUATION OF SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 2.1. Technical – course-related
2.2. Social and Inter-personal
2.3. Strategic and Operational

3. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES 4. SUMMARY OF RESULTS

5. REFERENCES

1. INTRODUCTION

This report is a personal development plan that shows an evaluation of current skills and knowledge that includes my strengths and weaknesses.

Development is a lifelong of nurturing, shaping and improving an individual’s skills, knowledge and interests to ensure my maximum effectiveness and adaptability, and to minimize the obsolescence of my skills and my chances of redundancy. It does not necessarily imply upward movement; rather, it is about enabling individuals to improve and use my full potential at each career stage. (Definition of personal development planning from class material)

The personal development plan for me is a chance to know my self better, I can realize what I want to achieve or where I want to go in the plan, in the short- or long-term, and also identifying the need for skills, knowledge or competence. It also helps me to define the appropriate development to meet those perceived needs. In this report, I am going to focusing on what my strengths are and where my weaknesses are, also how to use my strengths in the field I will work into in the future, and how to develop my weaknesses to be my strengths as well.

2. EVALUATION OF SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Evaluation is the key stage to the self-development cycle because it enables me to discover whether that development activity was worthwhile, applicable, and if and how my skills or working behaviour as a result. (Kolb argued 1984 -76)

2.1. Technical – course-related
Characteristics of learning styles
Experiential leaning theorists have hypothesized four basic modes in the learning process.
a. Concrete experience (feeling)
b. Reflective observation (watching)
c. Abstract conceptualization – formation of concepts and generalizations (thinking)
d. Active experimentation – testing implications of concepts in new situation (doing)
There are eighty of the learning style questionnaire, through this questionnaire helped me pinpoint my learning preferences so that I am a better position to select learning experiences that suit my life. The score of this questionnaire showed I am a reflector, like to stand back to ponder experiences and observe them from many different perspectives. I collect data, both first hand and from others, and prefer to think about it thoroughly before coming to any conclusion. The thorough collection and analysis of data about experiences and events is what counts, so I tend to postpone reaching definitive conclusions for as long as possible. I listen to others and get the drift of the discussion before making my own point.
I also concerned about the feelings of others, relationship and maintaining wide ranging interests. I am good at listening to others and assimilating information is my strength as a reflector, however, I usually consider lots of things before making a decision cause me slow to make up my mind. When I face a problem I will think many aspect of the events and consider what will be influenced by my action, after I think all of situations then I can make up my mind. For instance, as I remember in my university in China, I have a good girl friend who is a pretty lady, and there were two boys want to be her boy friend at the same time, and she asked me to help her to choose one of them, and I made analysis to two of them including their hobbits and personality and so on, but I also cannot make a decision who is better. Also it is not my job to make a decision in that case.

In this period, I am also not good enough at English and the skills of I.T, they would be a very big problem for me to study in the university in England now. I need academic English to prepare my report and assignment during the years I study in the university and also need the skills of I.T knowledge to do the work in computer and for the future job, especially, I am study on the business management. 2.2. Social and Inter-personal
Belbin team roles – self-perception inventory
There are eight sections of roles that are company worker, chairman, shaper, plant, resource investigator, monitor/evaluator, team worker and completer/finisher. In the roles, I am good at team worker, most sensitive in the team –the one who is most aware of individual’s needs and worries, and the one who sees most clearly the emotional undercurrents within the group. Knows the most about the private lives and family affairs of the best of the team. I am the most active internal communicator, likeable, popular, and the cement of the team. I will be a good and willing listener and also helps other members to be the same. When the team is under pressure, my sympathy, understanding and support are especially valued. The uncompetitiveness and dislike of friction may make them seem a bit soft and indecisive, but I am a permanent force operating against division and disruption in the team. Individual contribution may not always be visible, but it is the one most missed when not there, especially in times of stress and pressure. For this section’s weakness is indecisive at moments of crisis and can be easily influenced.

2.3. Strategic and Operational I prefer to have as many sources of information as possible – the more data to consider the better, as I said above that I am very slow to make a decision, I think that decisions based on a through analysis of all the information are sounder than those based on intuition, and I like to ponder many alternative before making decision, so I always be perceived as indecisive. Meanwhile, I am not good at spontaneous activity which does not allow time for planning and preparation and take immediate action and short-cut to produce results. However, I am also poor at time management, I used to leave things to the last minute, I don’t know why the times always goes too quick, when they gone, I suddenly realized that I have not done my work and got very cross. Then I need to take quick action and make a quick decision, it means what I produced always not high at quality. That is what problem I have and where my weaknesses are.

3. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

At the end, I would like to shows the summary of my all strengths and weaknesses as follow:
SWOT Analysis
INRERNAL
Strengths
I got advanced education
I have Specific transferable skills for communication, teamwork
I am good at listening to others and assimilating information
I am a good and willing listener and also helps other members to be the same in a group
Weaknesses
I am lack of work experience
I am not good enough at English
I don’t organize work well; also don’t like to work to timetables or action plans
I am very slow to make up my mind
Weak of I.T skills
EXTERNAL
Opportunities
I have through greater self-knowledge, and get jobs more easily than others
I get more and high education than most people
The city where I lived in China is a huge market for jobs.

Threats
My competitors with superior skills, experience, knowledge
Competitors with better job-hutting skills than me
Competitors who went to schools with better reputation.
I am limited professional development in field, so it’s hard to stay marketable

4. SUMMARY OF RESULTS
In conclusion, I would like to improve my weaknesses in this personal development plan. I have realized my weaknesses that are sort of things like not good enough at English and I.T skills, and slow to make a decision. They are two different things for me need to progress, one is particular skill I don’t know it very well, and I can study hard, pay more attention on it to make it better in short term. As I study more and more in college, my English will be better than now, and I also will have more I.T knowledge one year after. Another thing which is slow to make a decision that is not what skill I don’t know, it is about personality that I need to improve to make me be successful in my future work. It needs to take long time to improve it, and slow to get an achievement. When I face a problem, I should make me think not too much and make a decision quickly, it is really difficult to change my mind in a short-term, I should practice myself to do it lots of time and it will be getting better day by day in the future.

5. REFERENCES
Belbin, R.M. (1993). Team Roles at Work, Rochester, Heinemann Butterworth.
Pedlar, M.,Burgoyne, J. G. and Boydell, T. H. (1994). Managers Guide to Self Development (3rd Ed), London, McGraw-Hill.
Further Education Development Agency. (1995) Learning Styles. London: FEDA.
Honey, P. and Mumford, A. (1986) Using your Learning Styles. Maidenhead: Honey Publications.
Also class material

References: Belbin, R.M. (1993). Team Roles at Work, Rochester, Heinemann Butterworth. Pedlar, M.,Burgoyne, J. G. and Boydell, T. H. (1994). Managers Guide to Self Development (3rd Ed), London, McGraw-Hill. Further Education Development Agency. (1995) Learning Styles. London: FEDA. Honey, P. and Mumford, A. (1986) Using your Learning Styles. Maidenhead: Honey Publications. Also class material