Professional Management Skills

Professional Management Skills

BUSN11128
ASSESSMENT 2- Personal Development Plan
This PDP should be 2500 words in length, and will make up 80 per cent of your overall mark.
Please submit this via Turnitin on Aula.

WHAT IS A PERSONAL DEVELOP PLAN (PDP)?

The Personal Development Plan (PDP) student portfolio is a practical tool to help you reflect
on your learning, performance and achievements. This process is important for all MBA
students and it will help you organise your personal, educational and career development.
When you graduate from university, you will have a good understanding of your subject
discipline (pathway). Although this is very desirable, it is only part of the story… Doing an
MBA provides opportunities for you to mix with a wide range of people, to learn and
develop skills, to take part in new activities, to manage positions of responsibility and to
broaden your outlook on life. Many of these possibilities lie outside the curriculum. The PDP
portfolio encourages you adopt a broad-based approach to the MBA experience and to use
your time and opportunities in positive and imaginative ways.
The PDP is a very useful portfolio for placements, internships and employment - and has
other uses too which will be outlined in class. Completion of this counts towards 80% of
your final grade.
The process of personal development planning usually includes the following elements:
THINKING: about where you stand now, where your interests lie, what your strengths and
weaknesses are and the improvements you would like to achieve.
PLANNING: where you want to go, what skills and knowledge you need to get there and
how you might acquire them, make sure you include a timeframe for getting there.
ACTION: setting yourself goals and specific targets and monitoring your progress towards
them.
REFLECTING: reviewing your academic achievements and deciding on further areas for
personal, academic and career development.
You need to include in your reflection:
How am I improving my Critical Thinking skills?
How can I improve my Time Management skills?
How do I deal with stress and what can I do to make it easier for myself?
Which learning cycle can I apply to my development? (Gibb’s Learning Cycle or Kolb’s
Learning Cycle?)
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Before you submit your PDP, you might like to tick off each section with the checklist
below:

SUMMARY OF PDP AND CHECKLIST

 WELCOME (Section A)
Introduction to who you are with text, pictures, etc.
You might like to include a recent employment history, academic background, any forms of
specialist knowledge you might hold.

 GOALS and AIMS (Section B)

Your long-term vision (specify a longer time frame for achievement)
Your short-term goals (specify a shorter time frame for achievement)
Your extra-curricular activities (clubs? societies? internships? professional networks?)

 PERSONAL/INTERPERSONAL SKILLS (SECTION C)

Identify and reflect on Your Basic Learning Style (draw on Gibb’s Learning Cycle or Kolb’s
Learning Cycle)
Reflect on your Self-Management Skills (time, stress, planning)
Identify and reflect on your interpersonal skills and how to move forward
Reflect on Leadership skills & team building (illustrate this with your work experiences)
Do you have an example of using your Emotional Intelligence at work?
What is your personal brand? Ensure you relate to the course materials and readings where
appropriate (personal brand, emotional intelligence, social capital, leadership qualities etc.).

 ACADEMIC SKILLS (SECTION D)

Identify and reflect on your Study Habits
Reflect on your Critical Thinking Skills
Reflect on your Essay Writing, Oral Presentation and Exam-taking Skills
Create a workable plan with time limits for your personal development goals
Include a diagram that explains the steps of a PDP and relate it to your aims
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Essay Guidance
Further guidance on how to write the essay is below.
PDP IN MORE DETAIL
A. WELCOME PAGE
Say something about yourself, perhaps with photos, words and pictures, as you wish. This is
a brief introduction to who you are. You might mention, for example, where you are from,
where you have lived (where is ‘home’?) and travelled, and what you are studying.
B. GOALS & AIMS
Include both short-term goals (what you want to achieve this year), and some longer-term
goals about your time in London and perhaps beyond. This should ideally include a wide
range of areas including academic, social and career areas. This should be about a page,
depending on whether you use lists or a more conversational style. On this page, you might
include goals like:
• gain a deeper understanding of my specialist subject or pathway
• stretch myself intellectually
• gain self-confidence and the ability to speak in groups
• join in professional networks or online business societies
• work with a wide range of people
• gain volunteer or intern experience
• extend my networking and make useful contacts
• develop my emotional intelligence (you could use the theory on emotion regulation from
the course materials)
• take positions of responsibility
List clubs and societies professional networks or online networks you’ve joined that help
toward these goals. Think about the changes you have made so far and the changes you
want to make. You should articulate your long-term vision and short-term goals both
academically and in a wider context.
C. PERSONAL/INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Acquiring transferable skills is an important part of life at University - and beyond!

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PERSONAL SKILLS include aspects of your development such as flexibility, self-confidence

and self-discipline; assertiveness is also important and is related to the ability to take
appropriate risks, be polite and stand up for yourself. Other personal skills include how to
balance life/ work/ study and the social demands on your time - together with looking after
your physical health.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS include your relationships with others, working as a team member,
managing yourself in a group and leading others.
In this section reflect on your Learning Style, Time Management, and Stress Management.
Identify your basic learning style(s), indicate your strengths and weaknesses in relation to
managing time, stress, finances, and identify those interpersonal skills you are good at and
those you are looking to improve. This should be at least one page. Plot your future learning
by drawing on Gibb’s Learning Cycle or Kolb’s Learning Cycle.

D. ACADEMIC SKILLS CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

These are essential for your academic life and future career.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS involve your ability to use a variety of written, visual, aural and
verbal means in which you communicate with others. Technical skills such as numerical
ability are important for many kinds of academic and career pathways.
CREATIVE SKILLS are equally as important in all walks of life. These all include problem-
solving, research, critical thinking and research skills – all vital components of the academic
skill-set needed at university. Some questions to ask yourself:
What are my study habits? (Reflect on your strengths and weaknesses).
What are my critical thinking skills?
How are your essay writing, oral presentation and group work skills?
Identify the academic areas in which you excel and those in which you need to improve. This
should be at least one page. Ensure you set strict time limits for developing each new skill.

Submission Reminder
You must include the Declaration Below with your submission:
Declaration
I, [Banner ID], the author of this assessment, hereby declare that:
✓ I have read and understood Regulations 3.49—3.55 of Chapter 3 of the Regulatory
Framework of the University of the West of Scotland regarding cheating and plagiarism;
✓ This assessment is the result of my own work, except for those parts that are
explicitly referenced, and contribu3on of others is clearly indicated;
✓ No material presented in this assessment has been written, wholly or in parts, by any
other
person(s);
✓ This assessment has not been submitted — partially or in full — in support of the
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completion of assessment(s) on any other module, regardless of previously or the current

academic year (self-plagiarism).
Date:

MARKING CRITERIA
You should pay attention to the weighting of marks in the table below to assist you in where
to place emphasis on the space you have available.

Criteria Weighting
All sections of the PDP (Sections A-D) are recognisable and
complete 20%
There is a clear, well-crafted structure that is easy to read 20%
Concepts are explained clearly, with reference to the course
material including theories 25%
Appropriate academic references have been used, and the
bibliography is in the correct format 15%
The PDP is achievable within the stated time-period and the overall
stated outcomes are appropriate to the given industry. 20%
TOTAL 100%

Feedback will be available on Turnitin, and you will be emailed when your marks are ready. You
should expect your marks within 28 days of submission.
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UWS Marking & Grading Scheme

Grade Numerical (%) Definition Descriptor

A1 90-100 Exceptional Student work is exemplary and exceeds the threshold standard by a
significant margin. It displays exceptional knowledge and
understanding; insight, originality and exceptional ability in analysis,
evaluation, problem solving or other process skills; very high ability
in professional practice skills (where relevant) including evidence of
high degree of almost complete autonomy and independent judgement
relative to threshold expectations.

A2 80-89 Outstanding Student work significantly exceeds the threshold standard. It displays
a consistently thorough, deep and extensive knowledge and
understanding; originality and/or very high ability in analysis,
evaluation, problem solving or other process skills; very high ability
in professional practice skills (where relevant) including evidence of
high degree of autonomy and independent judgement relative to
threshold expectations.

A3 70-79 Excellent Student work very much exceeds the threshold standard. It displays a
consistently thorough, deep and/or extensive knowledge and
understanding; originality and/or very high ability in analysis,
evaluation, problem solving or other process skills; very high ability
in professional practice skills (where relevant) including evidence of
high degree of autonomy and independent judgement relative to
threshold expectations.

B1 60-69 Very good Student work is well above the threshold standard. It displays a
Commendable consistently very good level of knowledge and understanding; high
ability in analysis, evaluation, problem solving or other process skills;
high ability in professional practice skills (where relevant) including
exercise of significant independent judgement relative to threshold
expectations.

B2 50-59 Good/ Student work is clearly above the threshold standard. It displays
Highly generally good knowledge and understanding; good ability in
competent analysis, evaluation, problem solving or other process skills;
evidences highly competent performance of professional practice
skills (where relevant).

C 40-49 Satisfactory Student work is at the threshold standard. It displays generally

Competent satisfactory knowledge and understanding in most key respects;
competence in analysis and most other process skills; evidences
competent performance of professional practice skills (where
relevant).

D 30-39 Unsatisfactory Student work is marginally below the threshold standard. It displays
some knowledge and understanding but this is incomplete or partial;
limited ability in analysis and other process skills; evidences lack of
or partial competence in professional practice skills (where relevant).

E 1-29 Very Student work is well below the threshold standard. It displays very
unsatisfactory limited knowledge and understanding; evidences very limited or no
analytical or other process skills; very limited competence over the
range of professional practice skills.
N 0 (at first diet) No work There is no work to assess at first diet or no further attainment at the
0-100 at second or to assess resit diet or either incomplete or no engagement with re-assessment
subsequent diet diet
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