Cairo Okba

M3.13 DEVELOP SELF AND OTHERS

INTRODUCTION

“Let him who would move the world first move himself.”

A phrase once said by Socrates (b.470 BC – d.399 BC) shows early on the social concept of self-development. A Greek philosopher whose thoughts, character and way of life had a profound influence on ancient and modern philosophy, his phrase alludes that in order to do great things, one must first become great. To become great one must develop.

Develop as defined by the Oxford Dictionary is to grow or cause to grow and become more mature, advanced or elaborate. With this in mind, we can define self-development as the growth of abilities, the maturing of attitudes and the advancement of knowledge.

As a manager, self-development is vital in order to meet the capabilities of being an effective leader and mentor. To inspire and motivate the workforce to strive for improvement you must become a role-model and develop your own skills as well as those of your team. In order to develop yourself and your team members you must also be able to assess your own strengths and weaknesses as well as others. You must listen to your team, support and build them to share your commitment to achieving the objectives of the organisation as well as their own objectives in personal and career progression.

Applying this in a work environment, CO’s role is to plan, organise and administrate training courses for staff in the organisation, maintain effective communication with internal and external personnel, support and mentor the apprentice and assist management with adhoc tasks. CN’s role is to support the team with administrative tasks as well as complete all NVQ coursework and pass the course. The development needs and objectives of myself (CO) and the apprentice team member (CN) will be identified, discussed and a plan developed in order to meet them.

1: KNOW HOW TO IDENTIFY DEVELOPMENT NEEDS

In order to identify the development needs of CO and CN, their learning styles will be analysed.

A learning style, is the preferred way in which an individual learns and if analysed the individual can use that information to better understand how they learn and apply it to learning situations. An individual can become a balanced learner if able to adapt to any learning situation by knowing which learning style will best achieve this.

There are many learning models that can be used to analyse an individual’s learning style. For the purpose of this study the Honey and Mumford and VARK learning theories have been adopted.

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The Honey and Mumford model, based on Kolb’s theory of experiential learning, proposes that there are four distinct learning styles or preferences that individuals are naturally pre-disposed to: Activist, Theorist, Pragmatist and Reflector.

Activists learn through being hands on and experiencing a situation through doing whereas theorists prefer to understand the theory of a situation and need concepts and facts to engage in the learning process. Pragmatists need to see how theory conveys into practice in real situations and reflectors learn through observation and retrospection.

The VARK learning model also suggests four preferred styles of learning: Visual, Aural, Read/Write, and Kinesthetic.It proposes that a learner will prefer to learn either by seeing and watching someone else perform the task, through listening to instructions and guidance and speaking about the task, through reading and writing about the task or through performing the task itself.

In Appendices 1a and 1b, CO and CN have completed an adapted version of the Honey and Mumford questionnaire to analyse which learning styles they prefer.

Appendix 1a represents CO’s results, from which it can be seen that CO has a low preference for the reflector and pragmatist learning styles and a moderate preference for the activist and theorist learning styles. Appendix 2a representing CO’s VARK questionnaire results could be said to support the results in Appendix 1a. Being similar if we compare the two questionnaires, a moderate preference towards kinesthetic (activist) and literary (theorist) learning and a lower preference to visual (pragmatist) and aural (reflector) learning can be shown.

These results tell us that CO can adapt to various learning situations as there is no strong preference to one particular learning style but could work on becoming a more balanced learner.CO can have an open-minded approach to learning and gets involved in the experience, enjoys challenges and analyses and processes the information obtained during the experience into logical theory. The benefits of having this approach to learning is that CO has a well-rounded experience understanding the practicality as well as the theory of the experience and can engage in the learning process in a passive or active experience. However, CO could potentially be less likely to spend time reviewing learning and self-evaluating as well as applying what has been learnt in order to become more self-aware and improve performance.

Analysing CN’s results as shown in Appendix 1b, it proposes that CN has a strong preference to the activist and reflector learning styles and a low preference to the theorist and pragmatist styles. Similar results are seen in Appendix 2b with CN’s predisposition to kinesthetic learning, however there is lower preference for literary or reflective learning showing CN to be predominantly an activist learner.This suggests that CN prefers to learn by becoming fully involved and having a proactive attitude to learning experiences, is enthusiastic towards new tasks however will tend to act first and consider the consequences afterwards. CN will tend to review a task and evaluate the experience and consider what can be improved upon however may not always put what has been learnt into practice or try to understand the theory behind a task before acting.

Having understood CO and CN’s preferences towards learning, their skills will now be assessed to better understand their development needs. Appendices 3a and 3b are skills self-assessment audits to identify

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CO and CN’s strengths and weaknesses in the areas of communication, team work, problem solving, personal effectiveness, numeracy and IT literacy. A SWOT analysis has also been used to identify their strengths and weaknesses as well as recognising the opportunities and threats they face as learners.

Appendix 3a represents CO’s skills assessment results. From it we can see that overall CO is fairly competent in most areas and CO’s strengths include using IT packages and software. Having been tasked with creating an IT troubleshooting guide for the department shows that management recognise CO’s ability in this area. Other strengths include communicating, taking the lead and using initiative, working well in a team and retaining information which are all vital in the organisation and planning of training courses. However improvement is required in presenting, developing others and monitoring progress, time management and organisational skills in order to support management, meet deadlines, complete bookings and have information about courses readily to staff available as and when needed.CO’s SWOT analysis in Appendix 4a shows that other weakness are self-evaluation, accepting negative feedback and delegation skills but it also shows CO is has an independent, highly motivated and ambitious attitude towards learning.

Reviewing the results in Appendix 3b, CN’s strengths include sifting information from research, written communication, presenting and solving challenging queries which will assist in completion of coursework and working towards achieving a pass on the NVQ course. As for weaknesses, these include organisation, numeracy and IT skills. CN’s SWOT analysis, Appendix 4b, gives similar results but also identifies weaknesses in oral communication and time management.In a training service role, these weaknesses can have an impact on performance, especially relating to IT literacy, communicating and expressing one’s self in a professional manner. CN has very little experience in a professional work environment and can sometimes receive negative feedback based on inexperience. However, CN has a can do attitude towards completing delegated tasks showing strength in supporting team members.

Having discussed the development needs of both subjects, the learning barriers they face will now be addressed.

Barriers to learning is are obstacles one faces that can hinder their ability to learn. They can be internal or external. An internal barrier could be lack of motivation to learn or a lack of confidence. An external barrier could be lack of support from colleagues or lack of resources such as finance or study materials.

In order to identify these barriers in CO and CN an Obstacles to Effectiveness assessment has been used to understand any cognitive, emotional, motivational, or personal barriers to learning.

Appendix 5a represents some of the barriers that CO faces as a learner which include personal issues and feelings affecting work, not evaluating one’s work to see if improvements can be made, not taking on board feedback or suggestions for improvement and not planning ahead. Other threats to learning, as in Appendix 4a, include losing motivation, stress and workload.

CN’s barriers according to Appendix 5b, include lack of concentration and not planning ahead. Not prioritising has caused workload and stress to be a threat to CN’s learning, as well as personal feelings getting in the way of work and not considering own personal development. Appendix 4b shows that lack of motivation is also a threat to CN’s learning.

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In order to overcome some of the barriers faced, CO could attend regular feedback sessions and one to one meetings with the manager to improve attitude towards self-evaluation and become more self-aware. CO could schedule time to review and reflect on a task after completion to see whether improvements could have been made and also take time to plan and schedule activities by allocating timed periods for different tasks throughout the day to improve time management skills and delegate tasks to the department apprentice to reduce stress and workload. The personal issues affecting work can be overcome by addressing the issues in personal time and adjusting mindset so that professionalism is maintained at all times in the workplace.

As for CN, planning activities for the day would also be beneficial, as well as assessing the urgency, relevance and importance of tasks in order to prioritise and maximise performance. Attending a training course on time management would also assist with this. As for personal issues, CN can overcome the issue of this affecting work performance by focusing on the task at hand. CN can address issues on concentration by scheduling a variety of tasks to complete during the work day and to increase motivation towards personal development, CN could seek guidance and advice from the manager on attending courses to assist with personal and career progression.

2: KNOW HOW TO DEVELOP SELF AND OTHERS TO ACHIEVE ORGANISATIONAL OBJECTIVES

Understanding the development needs of CO and CN, the options available to meet these needs will now be discussed.

CO’s weaknesses as mentioned previously, lie in time management and organisation and self-evaluation mainly. The development options available to CO include attending the trust’s time management course, learning time management techniques and applying the knowledge gained into practice. By planning and structuring the day, setting targets and deadlines to complete work by and meeting them, CO will become more organised. This can be done using an electronic or a paper-based diary. A Gantt chart is also a good way to schedule tasks and stay on track when organising and scheduling training courses for the trust. In order to gain and improve managerial skills such as delegation and planning, CO is undertaking a management course. This as well as attending regular appraisal sessions with the manager and monitoring progress over time will also allow CO to become more self-aware of any areas which require improvement and in turn will teach CO to self-evaluate. CO should also review and reflect on a task after completion and assess any issues that occurred and how they can be overcome in future and also encourage feedback from other members of the team.

The development options that could meet CN’s needs include, attending an IT course through the trust’s IT department to improve CN’s competency in using Microsoft packages such as Excel. CN could also have 1-1 tutorials with a colleague to understand the training management system and have first-hand experience of how to use it and apply the knowledge gained in the work environment. This allows for CN’s predisposition to have direct involvement in the learning experience.Attending the communication course offered by the trust could assist CN with communicating effectively and expressing one’s self in a professional manner and maintaining a consistent and regular approach to attending tutorial sessions, completing coursework and achieving pass grades in the NVQ course can motivate CN to continue to learn as confidence in learning ability will grow.

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As well as the development options available CO and CN require support mechanisms to achieve personal and professional development.

CO and CN’s manager can offer vital support in terms of approving study days, offering guidance and support, giving feedback, monitoring and reviewing progress, appraising performance and sponsorship of courses.

The trust offers staff access to the e-learning centre, Kings College libraries and various short courses are also available.

Working in the learning and development department, the opportunities for personal development are readily available and both CO and CN are completing vocational courses whilst working in the department. The course tutors act as a support mechanism towards achieving the learning goals of the course by providing study material, guidance and mentorship. The tutors can also provide feedback and advice on how to apply the skills learnt in the work environment

Colleagues can provide support by sharing workload and allowing CO and CN time to complete more important or urgent tasks, or assisting with their workload while they attend study sessions and take study leave.

CO and CN have completed personal development plans to be reviewed and completed over a twelve month period. These can be seen in Appendices 6a and 6b.

Appendix 6a, CO’s personal development plan, shows that CO is committed to completing the ILM course, and understands that in order to achieve this, time, resources and support from her tutor and manager will be vital. Aspiring to progress into a managerial role, CO will need to apply what has been learnt on the ILM course into practice in the work environment, have mentoring sessions with the line manager as well as apply for management positions available in the department. Additionally, to continue to improve the service provided by the Learning and Development department CO will need to improve communication and time management skills through attending short courses offered by the trust as well as becoming more organised and efficient.

CN’s personal development plan, as in Appendix 6b, shows an aspiration to gain a permanent role in the department by applying the knowledge gained from the NVQ course into practice, as well as on the job coaching from colleagues and the manager, attending short courses and attending the interview for the role. As well as this, CN aims to pass the NVQ course and move onto the next level by passing the course through completion of coursework to pass standard, attending tutorials, support of line manager, dedicating study time and gaining sponsorship to continue studying onto the next level.

Having agreed a plan for development, CO and CN will need to monitor their development and review their progress in order to continue achieving their goals.

The method used to measure the progress made includes monthly review meetings to be scheduled with each subject.CO will attend 1-1 meetings with the line manager to discuss the targets and goals set and what support can be given to help her meet them.

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The progress made on the ILM course and the application of knowledge gained will be measured, looking at assignment grades and feedback from tutor and colleagues.CO will assist the line manager with managerial tasks once a week and review and reflect on performance. CO will also observe CN’s review meetings to better understand the process of appraising and developing staff and to gain skills to develop her own managerial style.Review meetings will also be conducted with CN independently, putting into practice the managerial skills being learnt on the course and in the work environment.Additionally CO will monitor her own time management by conducting time studies whilst completing tasks and prioritising her workload to become more efficient.

CN’s monthly reviews will discuss the progress made on the NVQ course, looking at grades achieved on coursework as well as tutor reports.CN’s ability to put knowledge into practice will be assessed by measuring the quality of work produced within the work environment using feedback from colleagues as well as service users.CN will also attend weekly coaching sessions with CO to improve on the efficiency of the service she delivers and to better understand the trust IT systems.

Overall, the monthly meetings will measure progression, identify any barriers being encountered, review goals and ensure that both subjects are meeting personal as well as organisational objectives.

CONCLUSION

This module makes it clear that in order to develop others as a manager, you must first develop yourself.

To be an effective manager you must know who you are. You must know your strengths and weaknesses and those of the people around you. It is vital to know exactly what your objectives are and have a structured and detailed plan to achieve them. You should constantly strive for self-improvement and reflect and assess your performance to better understand how you can improve. You have a duty to provide your staff with the support they need to achieve their goals and motivate them to constantly self-evaluate and improve their own performance.

Having better understood my own learning style, development needs and how to meet them, I can now apply this by meeting the targets set in my personal development plan as well as mentoring and coaching my team member to meet her own targets. By attending the monthly review meetings and following my development plan, I will be able to apply what has been learnt in this module to my work environment as well as my personal development and better support my line manager, team members and the service of my department.

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REFERENCES

www.oxforddictionaries.com – The Oxford Dictionary

www.goodreads.com - Quotes

www.brittanica.com – Encyclopedia Britannica

www.le.ac.uk – University of Leicester – E-resources

Learning Styles hand-out – Stephanie Kingdon

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