Within any given career field throughout the world, there are a range of qualities specific to the role in which one works that must be demonstrated and adhered to by the individual in order to have sustained success within that field. These traits are such in nature that they enable one to actually be able to work, quite simply, in their desired role and do so effectively. This is in essence the purpose behind professional development. The official description is that professional development is the process in which the capabilities of staff are improved and increased in order to boost morale and ensure a high quality of staff are at the establishment. (Dictionary, 2019) The basic skills must be there in order to enter the industry in the first place, however, the more these skills are enhanced, the further one will go within their career. Companies also endorse professional development greatly as they will try to improve the skills of their staff through different courses, on-site training and team-building exercises. (Kasimu Sendawula, 2018)
Personal development on the other hand is slightly different. Its core difference is that it is instead the fundamental skills needed to succeed on a much broader basis that are improved. These skills are essential regardless of the industry one works in- widely described as a “conscious pursuit” to improve oneself. (Thum, 2012) Upon obtaining and refining these traits, it not only boosts one’s career, it also enriches a person’s personality and the crux of their ultimate being- improving interpersonal relations and the quality of life. With the combination of both personal and professional development, one can achieve their goals, realise their potential and live in an all-round more positive manner. (Johns, 2012) Within this report, I would like to discuss the means in which this is possible adjoined to my journey of personal and professional development.
Methods of Determining Strengths and Weaknesses
To decide what specifically were my strengths and weaknesses there were a range of methods used which were of massive aid towards this report. Firstly, perhaps the most commonly used method of them all, was the SWOT analysis. This abbreviation stands for “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats”. This particular method is useful as it begins to form a basis of self-improvement- taking into account both internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats. (Mind Tools, 2018) The way this was done was by manifesting a SWOT matrix, which is a table listing different points that are categorised by the above segments. The whole point of this is to transform strengths into opportunities and stop weaknesses from becoming threats. (Ommani, 2011) As a foundation, there are fewer places better to begin. Another way was undertaking several character/ personality tests on Careers Edge. These multiple-choice style situational questions allude to where your strengths lie and as a result what would generally be your weaknesses. Undergoing a series of questions to receive a Belbin report was also used, determining the role I would undertake in a group based on my personality. The final method- Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle directly correlated with the above two tests in that one reflects on a past experience in order to gather what can be done to deal with the situation better- creating action plans created in response to improving my weaknesses and elevating my strengths. (Belbin, 2019) After identifying my strengths and weaknesses and processing information into the SWOT analysis, forcing me to think critically and objectively, it became clear that the opportunities, professionally and personally, that these could open up to me would be vast.
Strengths Identified and Actions in Response to this
From a strengths and weaknesses test completed, a strength of mine was shown to be good communication skills. Before entering any career no matter what the role may be, the industrial norm is to participate in an interview whereby an “interchange occurs in which one person… attempts to elicit information or expressions of opinion or belief from another person or persons”. (Young, 2018) Now of course it is imperative in an interview to make oneself stand out and display themselves in the best possible regard. Good communication skills are important because they allow you to clearly translate your ideas and thoughts to the employer usually in response to a question. Clear communication reflects an image of intellectuality and almost validates one’s words due to the conviction at which it is said. (Georgia Hardavella, 2016) It also gives off an incredible first impression.
In a management test, I scored 93- suggesting I am a strong, competent leader. Within a professional working environment in the accounting field, with every member of the team having similar qualifications and experiences, it would be reasonable to say that there would be many strong personalities. Therefore, it is key to have good management skills as the ability to work together in a team would create a positive working environment as well as efficiency in both the completion of tasks such as accruals and balance sheets and the speed at which a client’s demands are met, enhancing ones reputation and career prospects. ACCA proclaim themselves, that exceeding expectations is key to success mentioning that efficiency is vital and reports should be intended on being handed in a few days before the deadline (ACCA, n.d.)- further highlighting my point.
To improve communication skills, a variety of tweaks were undertaken such as practising conversing clearly in the mirror and recording myself in order to critique how I present myself and sound. Noticing a marked improvement is difficult as well as charting progress, however, the way I monitored my improvement was, in essence, simple as I made it a priority to make conversation with different people in different situations whether it be on the train, in a shop or in a café. This broadened my range of acquaintances and slowly it became easier- reflecting my improved communication skills.
In terms of my management skills- my role in Sim-Venture certainly helped me profusely as the mix of members within my team meant that working together to everyone’s strengths was of high importance. Despite the arguments in the early stages, we completed the task and delivered a presentation to a high standard without any more disagreements, highlighting the steps made in the right direction.
Regarding my personal life, empathy is a strength that is of huge aid in personal development. Empathy is essential in all aspects in life, helping to build all types of relationships and enables one to generally be of a pleasant nature. As the law of attraction suggests, this would attract like-natured individuals to gravitate hence improving the company one keeps (MindValley, 2019). Empathy is a difficult skill to develop, however, in my opinion can be grown by meeting new people from all walks of life as with life experience, one’s eyes are opened to different situations never previously experienced, broadening one’s wider understanding of the world.
Weaknesses Identified and Actions in Response to this
In discussion now are the weaknesses highlighted. Based on the strengths and weaknesses test completed on Careers Edge, there was one very apparent weakness highlighted which was time-management. Time-management, for my personal goals within the field of accounting, is an essential aspect of the job. Deadlines are set for income statements and profit and loss accounts to be delivered before periods such as different financial quarters or year ends. Consequently, missing deadlines is a major issue for both the reputation of the company and the individual as well as having a detrimental effect on the client. (Jackson, 2009) During this current period of my professional life, time-management is also very important as missing deadlines for assignments is catastrophic to getting the desired grade and also missing a lecture, for instance, is potentially the difference between passing or failing.
As a result, I attempted to tackle this by creating a timetable, marking down hours in the week that are occupied. I highlighted the amount of free time available and what hours of the day were wasted (Fels, 2018). This enabled me to plan my time wisely, setting aside time to revise, complete assignments and also unwind- a naturally good balance. The results were visible as assignment tasks were completed in due time as well as University work completed promptly. Interestingly, my sleeping pattern also improved as I no longer had to complete work through the night.
Upon completion of another test, evaluating your temperament, it showed that I am an extroverted person who is very intuitive. While there are positives to take from this, a major negative that was highlighted was that I perhaps need to draw a line between confrontation and meliorism. When compared with my Belbin role, which is a Shaper, the parallels are very strong. In my Belbin report, it showed that I had the drive and confidence to succeed in high pressure situations, nonetheless, I am prone to confrontation if things hadn’t gone my way (Belbin, 2004). In any high-level position at a firm, particularly within the field of accounting, it is of utmost importance to be able to lead a diverse group of people effectively to reach certain targets and goals. To keep harmony within a group is a skill valued by many employers- progressing them to higher levels.
In order to achieve this, I immersed myself within the Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle- reflecting on past experiences as a leader. Now of course, I drew on both positive and negative aspects of the tasks (Gibbs, 1988), however, one key element was a reoccurring factor; losing composure and sensibility when faced with situations such as members perhaps lacking in contribution or not working collectively. This caused tempers to rise and as a result the action plan formulated was to take a step back, think rationally and remain civil- attempting to reason with the individual rather than confronting them. Of course, the results, albeit not perfect, were seen in the Sim-Venture task as I actively tried to implement my plan and avoided confrontation- suggesting I was on the right track.
