LEEDS METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY LEEDS BUSINESS SCHOOL

Name of the Candidate: Amit Agarwal

Module Title: Personal Effectiveness

Student ID: C7094607 Date of submission: 1st April 2011

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Executive summary

This report based on personal effectiveness describes the essential skills and competencies that are necessary to be successful strategic manager in relation to authors experience upon starting the masters program.

The report clearly states the aim of the author, objectives to be undertaken to accomplish aim. The report uses SWOT analysis and SWAIN analysis tool to develop strategy for personal and professional development. It then identifies the key personal and professional skills, elucidates providing the authors personal experience of learning.

The reflective practice and self -development strategy is used to learn and develop personal and professional skills to accomplish developmental aims and objectives

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Introduction

The concept of personal effectiveness deals with goals, success, and other related concepts that seem to be branch of self -help movement. Personal effectiveness combines ideas of positive psychology and positive thinking. It is worthwhile to be noted that personal effectiveness is a step ahead of positive thinking as it involves more systematic approach to achieve goals. Some supporters follow business process management technique approach while some followers of personal effectiveness adapt physical wellness or holistic spiritual approach. Personal effectiveness refers to making optimum use of available resources and skills / competencies to the best of ones own ability. (Kolker, 2006) At organisational level, it portrays itself in form of interpersonal and group effectiveness. At personal level, personal effectiveness, encourages well -being and happiness. It can be derived through family, or work, or any other means. Personal effectiveness is made up of many factors combined together that are credited to personal traits & external influencing factors that works in harmony. The personal effectiveness movement began in the mid-20th century and derived from business and management. Some revolutionaries like Edwards Deming, and Peter Drucker focused on concept like optimisation, efficiency, quality. Peter Drucker introduced the concept of Management by Objective which led to leadership movement and further technical progression like six sigma, lean thinking. (Stephen, 2001)

The biggest merit of personal effectiveness is stimulation of self- confidence. It is a way above efficiency. This can be gained by knowing what inspires an individual, learning and improving, getting organised and improving ones health. The latter part of the report would cover the strategy to achieve goals.

The significance of this core module can be interpreted from the fact that interpersonal skills are so crucial aspects of working like. Apart from professional or technical skills, success in ones career directly relies on the impact one make on other. This module gives an opportunity to stimulate and refresh knowledge & techniques to boost interpersonal skills and other competencies required at workplace.

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This report would state the aim, objectives and will delineate the strategy and the resources needed to achieve aims and objectives.

Aim

The aim is to become an effective marketing manager in an growth oriented organisation that offers me a stable and positive atmosphere and inspires me to enhance personal and professional skills and competencies in a dynamic and unwavering workplace.

Personal and professional objectives To complete Master of Business Administration course by the end of Dec 2011 To acquire personal skills like time management, stress management, influencing others, managing people, leadership skills, communication skills, creativity and assessment skills To acquire professional skills like delivering presentations, conducting meetings, decision making and continuous professional development

Tools to develop strategy

Before designing the appropriate strategy to achieve aims and objectives, it is necessary to undertake SWOT analysis and SWAIN analysis which can pinpoint the weakness that needs to be concentrated and and strengths that can be further developed.

SWOT analysis

Strengths Enjoys experimenting new things Can calculate probabilities Can be well organised at workplace Personal Effectiveness Page 4

 Can work in synchronisation with rest of the team members Ability to take high risk Can work with less supervision High tolerance capability Ability to stay long with problem

Weakness

Get easily irritated on negative feedback from superior Takes long time in taking action Investigate every minor pros and cons before taking action leading to frustration among other members of staff. Completely disregard feelings of other people Easily get upset when things do not go according to plan

Opportunities Holds British qualification Has high opportunity to work in multi- national company due international exposure

Threat Other candidate holding British qualification and similar experience possess threat to my current job Threat to career aspirations is caused by immediate manager who is rarely available and tries to ignore upon meeting.

The strengths can be further improved by practising it while the weakness can be converted into strength by taking appropriate actions like taking feedback from superior in professional manner and not personal manner, considering other people s feeling, designing flexible plan that can accommodate changes. This can be learned

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through reflective practice discussed latter in the report. The threats can be minimised by becoming self- aware.

SWAIN ANALYSIS

Criteria

Strengths High demand of marketing manager Global recognised British Qualificatio n Time management , stress management , creativity

Career

Weaknesse s Lack of relevant managerial experience Lack of practical training

Aspirations To be successful marketing manager To complete MBA

Interests Marketing communicatio n, brand management, advertising. Marketing, media planning

Need to do Qualification, experience, personal and professional skills Study

Qualification s / Training

Personal Skills and Qualities

Little pratical application of skills at workplace

To enhance personal skills and competencie s

All personal skills necessary to be successful manager

Training and practical implementatio n

Social Support

Family and friends support

Lack of support at work place

To be mutually supportive

Social help

Networking

It can be seen form the SWAIN analysis that lack of relevant practical experience is the biggest threat to career aspiration. This can be overcome by undertaking apprenticeship to get relevant practical work experience. The approach of experiential learning that is learning through owns experience can help to some extent.

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Personal skill learned / to be learned

Stress management

Stress is now- a- days very usually observed among business managers due to heavy workload and time pressure. Stress management pertains to improve chronic stress that is generated due to an individual inability to tackle the heavy flow of work in a given limited period of time. When a person takes too much work that is beyond his ability, the body hormones breaks the conscious level of the brain to minor extent and therefore a person cannot concentrate at work. Stress management techniques like deep breathing, walking in parks, exercise, and yoga helps to relieves stress to greater extent.

For example, working with Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) back at home country generates stress due to daily targets to be achieved. The stress was managed with following techniques Stress management techniques Deep breathing exercise Deep meditation Yoga Noortropics supplements Physical exercise Minutes How often and when Effects

20 30 30 30

Everyday 06:00 to 06:20 Everyday 06:20 to 06:50 Everyday 19:00 to 19:30 Everyday before bed time Every alternative days 19:30 to 20:00

Calm down the heart beats Calms brain Keep physically fit Energise mind Keeps physical mental fitness

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Time management Time is such a resource that cannot be substituted by any other resources (Mullins, 2010). In some organisation output if an employees is measured in terms of time. An organisation that pays on hourly basis to its employees expects productive results every hour. Time management is very crucial skill to be a successful strategic manager. In business language, time is equivalent to money and therefore loosing time is just as losing money.

For example, the author of this report manages the time by creating time log as shown below Daily time Log Time for studies at home Time for studies at college Time at workplace Time for other activities (sleeping, entertainment , shopping) Mon (Hours ) 2 Tue (Hours ) 4 Wed (Hours ) 4 Thur. (Hours ) 4 Fri (Hours ) 4 Sat (Hours ) Sun (Hours ) 2 Total (Hours ) 20

18

10

10

20

12

10

16

12

14

24

22

110

Leadership skills A leader is said to be effective only if he guides and leads the subordinate to perform organizational task in an effective manner. Alford (2009) defines leadership is the ability to secured desire action from group of follower voluntarily without the use of coercion. A good leader must possess qualities like innovative, communication skills, initiative good personality, judgement, discipline, administration skills, patience, human skills, coach and Personal Effectiveness Page 8

guide, self -confidence, intelligence, self motivated. To be a successful manager. It is necessary to possess those leadership qualities. For example, the author got promoted to team leader at workplace by adapting those leadership qualities and following situational approach to leadership.

Creativity and logical argument skill

This skill is utmost important at marketing level where the challenge is to attract customer by using innovative way. Creativity and logical argument skills includes studying cause and effect, patterning, deductive & inductive reasoning, forecasting, analogies, webbing, critiquing, planning, webbing, classification and comparison. It also involves creating original or new that is never discovered before. It involves skills of elaborating, brainstorming, fluency, originality, imagery, forced relationship, modification, metaphorical thinking.

For example, the author created a unique sales pitch to attract customers through telephonic conversation.

Assessments skills

It is very necessary for strategic managers to have high assessment skills. As all jobs involves some sort of calculations. The numerical skills can helps an individual to take faster decision. The only way to improve skill is constant practice.

The author is in the process of acquiring this skill by calculating in mind without the use of calculator.

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Managing people

Another very important skill for a successful manager is managing people. Managing people is an art of getting things done through people (Vaz ,2003 cited by Henri Fayol) by making them happy. People can be managed by motivating them through provision of monetary and non -monetary factors.

As a team leader in call centre, the author was in charge in managing team of 12 people. The author believes that the best way to manage people is to give them respect and due dignity and to follow consultative leadership style where team members are consulted before taking any critical decision which makes them feel happy and proud.

Communication skill

At any business level, communication is the prime skill needed. The communication can be oral or verbal. One can master the communication skill through consistent practice as it is rightly said practice makes man perfect.

For example, the author improved the communication skill upon taking masters course. The group discussion and presentation at class room level has raised the confidence to speak in public. Professional skills learned and or to be learned since starting masters program

Continuous professional development

Continuous professional development is similar to taking oath in medical profession. Just like a doctor take oath that every endeavour will be made to save patients life, an individual commits to improve and update his professional related knowledge throughout his entire life Personal Effectiveness Page 10

time. An individual can update and remain expert by being member of professional association like chartered institute of marketing, or chamber of commerce or any other recognised body. Continuous professional development can help an individual to accomplish personal and professional goals in his life.

The author career aspiration is in marketing manager and seeks to be member of professional bodies to get updated knowledge on marketing issues. The author regularly browses the marketing magazines like marketing week, marketing campaign, broadcast but the achievement of developmental objective remain incomplete as the author have not got any prospects to become fellow member of professional body.

Decision making and problem solving

Decision making and problem solving skill are very crucial for management & leadership. There are various tools designed to help an individual to come up with correct decision like SWOT analysis, PEST analysis, brainstorming, and other statistical tools like Decision Trees, simulation, linear programming, and decision pertaining to projects can be solved using tools like project evaluation review technique (PERT) and critical path analysis (CPA). Upon starting the masters course, the author uses SWOT and PEST analysis to arrive at decision. However, the other statistical and project based tools are yet to be studied at masters programme.

Business networking

Business networking skill is just like social networking skill. The only difference is that in business networking people meets only for business purpose and not to entertain themselves. Such type of skills helps to expand business. Its involves less of companys funds but more of personal commitment. Personal Effectiveness Page 11

The author has so far not experiences business networking but seeks and opportunity to attend business trades or events that allows business networking

Delegation

The manager cannot concentrate on all activities simultaneously and therefore he needs to delegate work to his team members. Delegation must be done with utmost care as if the person to whom the work is delegated is unaware of the process may ruin up the task.

Delivering presentation

The managers sometime are asked to given business presentation to the existing clients or potential clients. The presentation can be about issue, or new product or updating of any information. The level of confidence is what attract the most of the clients.

Upon taking this master programme, the author has learned to give presentation with the help of class presentation and raised confidence.

Running meetings

Conducting meeting is the basic skill that a manager must possess. This skill can be sharpen by understanding the process of conducting meeting and diving the work into before, during and after meeting activities.

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The author practiced this skill in an informal manner with the class mates before delivering presentation. The meeting is conducted at class room with agenda to be discussed and each member comes up with their views.

Strategies to accomplish developmental objectives

Reflective practice / experiential learning Reflective practice is described by Donald, 2000 as the calibre to reflect on action so as to involve in course of unceasing learning. In other words it refers to set of skills and abilities to show taking of critical standpoint an orientation to problem solving. It is an active process of examining ones own experience to have a closer look. Upon developing the capacity to explore the personal experience and being curious about experience one can possibly open up purposeful learning which is not coming from books or thought of experts but from ones own life experiences. In involves range of activities that needs to be undertaken for the purpose of learning. Reflective practice is an independent learning that aims to develop critical thinking skills. (Mathews, 2006)

Reflective practitioners are those who are engaged into professional activity which they can use to reflect on their strengths, weakness, & area of development. The author adapts the reflective practitioner style of learning like highlighting of what has been learnt in the class tutorials, group discussion, presentation, placements etc. the author keeps the notes of the themes of what has been discussed, and recalls the main concepts taught. The author learns from its own experiences.

Reflective practices will help the author to learn and develop personal skills like stress management, time management, managing people, creativity, assessment skills and communication skills and professional skills like conducting meeting, delivering presentations, continuous professional development, problem solving skill through own experiences that occurred at work place and at masters programme

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Self -development

Self- development is a group of activities that improves an individual competences and skill, self- knowledge & identity, boost quality of life, builds human capital, and activities that contributes to fulfilment of personal dreams and career (professional) aspirations. Self development activities includes self -awareness, self- knowledge, developing strengths, improving health, improving social abilities, executing personal development plans, spiritual development (Bandura, 2007)

Of these, the main approach to self- development is self- awareness. It is rightly said that knowing other is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightment By becoming self awareness, one knows what good he is onto and what motivates him to do. By becoming aware of what are his weaknesses, he can improve by taking appropriate actions. Selfawareness means focusing the attention on oneself and evaluating and comparing the existing behaviour and performance to internal standards & values that are systematically set right from birth until the entire life. People are said to be self-aware when their behaviour is aligned to the internal standards. But if the people do not live according to their internal personal standards they may be negatively affected.

For example, the author is truly aware of what he wants; why he wants which empowers him consciously & actively to turn wants into reality. The personal and professional skills can be gained through self- development approach by having selfawareness and self -knowledge.

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Summarising learning and development skills with resources and time frame

Learning and development needed Time management Stress Management Leadership Assessment skills Managing people Continuous professional development Problem solving skills Business networking Running meeting Making presentations

Learning action to be taken including resources Making use of time log consistently Exercise, supplements, deep breathing Reflective practice Reflective practice Reflective practice Membership, reflective practice Reflective practice Attending events, awards Reflective practice Reflective practice

Monitoring and feedback

Time frame for success

Everyday

6 weeks

Every week

6 weeks

Every week Every week Every week Every month

8 weeks 8 weeks 8 weeks On going

Every month Every six months Every three months Every three months

Every month On going 2 months 2 months

Conclusion: It can be concluded that managerial career is significantly relying on learning and development of range of intellectual skills and competencies that must be developed before and during the managerial career. To become a successful manager, one need to boost self- awareness and follow reflective practice by utilising ones own experiences from past life to be better in future.

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References

Bandura, A. (2007). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman

Kolker, R. Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, p. 106, Oxford University Press US, 2006

Matthews, R. (2006) . "Intelligent strategy" (PDF). Kingston upon Thames: Kingston Business School

Stephen, V. 2001 The Insanity Defense, p. 9, Yale University Press,

Web references

http://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files/whatisreflectivepractice.pdf accessed on 21st March 2011

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