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MSCI624

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Personal Development Report

Introduction

The following report explores my experiences during the “home and away” and the

“meet the practitioners” activities. The paper focuses on the critical insights that I obtained from

the experiences. First, I will outline both the positive and the negative encounters, as well as the

immediate actions that I took. I will also use the experiences obtained from the activities to reach

different conclusions. I will also apply research to get the necessary recommendations that would

help improve my professional skills and maximize workplace success.

Table of Findings

Experience Role (Practitioner or Positive or Negative The immediate

Researcher) Action Taken

Getting to talk with Practitioner Positive I obtained knowledge

the practitioner as well as skills.

during the meeting

helped guide me on

how to grow my

career and how I can

work on my skills.

During the home and Practitioner Positive I began evaluating

away activity, I time and allocation

gained insight into for each topic and

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the importance of adjusted accordingly.

time management.

While having the Researcher Negative I began doing better

presentation, I needed research as well as

more preparation on finding more

the particular topic. straightforward

explanations that are

easier to explain to

the audience.

I experienced anxiety Researcher Negative I usually use positive

and self-confidence affirmations and

during the focus more on the

presentation audience.

I observed that going Researcher Positive I advised that the

through the methods presenters should

and formulas in better focus on the

quantitative conclusions.

presentation

complicated the

presentation.
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The excessive use of Practitioner Negative I edited the slides

technical terms used in the

without the provision presentation to ensure

of the context. better explanations.

There needed to be Researcher/Practitioner Negative I pointed out that the

more clarity presenters had to

regarding the convince the

relevance of the audience to ask more

numerical data. questions.

The well-structured Researcher/Practitioner Positive I have started to pay

diagrams improved more attention to

comprehension. using more diagrams

in the future to help

improve the clarity of

any presentation.

Dunning-Kruger Practitioner Negative I immediately

Effect engaged to

understand this

specific topic better.

I observed the Researcher/Practitioner Positive I paid more attention

importance of to audience

engagement during participation and

any presentation. focused on

developing exciting
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presentation methods.

I observed that most Researcher Positive I encouraged the

presenters looked at integration from one

the screen, with only presenter to another.

one looking at the

audience.

Listening to others' Researcher/Practitioner Positive I listen to others'

opinions or suggestions and do

suggestions improves what feels right to

your knowledge gap, me.

which gives you a

pathway to success.

Failure in work Researcher/Practitioner negative I started looking back

demotivates me for a to failures to find out

while. their root cause,

which definitely

turned into success.

Doing research in researcher Negative We started looking

groups on individual into everyone's

topics may lead to research part and

poor research and explaining within the

comprehension of group to conclude.

particular issues.

Having fear in mind Researcher / Negative I began taking

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and overthinking Practitioner guidance from other

affects the efficiency individuals as well as

of handling the working on my

activities. doubts, which helped

improve my

confidence.

Low Importance

Medium Importance

High Importance

Conclusions

Through analyzing and exploring the results obtained through the table, I developed two

conclusions that would serve as essential improvement points that would help me better the

world I work in. The first conclusion I observed was that I experienced a lack of self-awareness

and a false sense of my abilities. The conclusion was centered on the fact that I watched that I

did experience the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

The Dunning-Kruger effect results from an individual overestimating their very own

abilities. This results in the individual needing more information and enough training in a

particular area (Hofer et al., 2022, p. 10). One of the most observable consequences of the effect
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is when it makes people who are very good at a particular area believe that everybody else

around them possesses the same skills, which makes them undervalue their very own skills. On

top of that, an individual might unknowingly give in to the thought that they have obtained a skill

while, in reality, they are just a below-average performer getting closer to average levels.

Therefore, The effect could make it difficult for an individual to realize their strengths

(Muller et al., 2020, p. 474). In my case, I believe the effect may have contributed to the anxiety

and the thought that everyone else involved in the activities could do it with ease. This may have

resulted in the need for more preparation as well as the lack of proper research. As a result, I was

not able to deliver an ideal presentation and faced various challenges trying to show what I had

researched. I, therefore, had lost the capacity to recognize my skills and abilities, which

influenced my experiences during the activities.

My second conclusion is the recognition of the need for continuous growth. Continuous

growth/development involves bettering ourselves, learning new things, and developing new

abilities throughout our lifetime. It includes progress and understanding that one experiences

throughout one's lifetime and goes beyond ordinary schooling or training. This conclusion is

supported by immediate actions experienced during the activities, such as the need to encourage

audience engagement and the importance of presenters providing better clarification of the

terminologies used.

Powell and Coughlan (2020, p. 823) argue that continuous professional growth is

paramount in today's ever-changing world. It, therefore, revolves around the idea of engaging in

growth and avoiding comfort zones that become established over time hen, thus allowing us to

explore new limits. It is based on the notion that life involves a constant learning process instead

of an already established endpoint. Every time individuals expand their skills, they obtain new,
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fresh ideas and perspectives. This helps them solve various problems from various angles and

plays a critical role in developing solutions. In my case, continuous growth was well visible

throughout both activities. This was achieved through engaging positively with the practitioners,

where I was able to obtain guidance on how to build my career as well as how to improve my

skills.

Recommendations

After developing my conclusion based on the activities I engaged in, I realized that I

experienced a lack of self-awareness, as evidenced by the Dunning-Krugger effect. To solve this,

It is recommended that we all question our knowledge of a specific area and always honestly find

out what we really know about the area. This helps us determine if the perceptions we have about

our abilities are correct and what needs to be done to improve. Van Hugten et al. (2023) argue

that we can be our arbitrators, judges, and advocates by pushing ourselves to discover if we can

ever be wrong.

Another recommendation to avoid the Dunning-Krugger effect is always to reassess my

thoughts. This can be achieved by the avoidance of taking my views about myself for granted. I

need to analyze and change my opinions to help overcome biased thinking. It will also ensure

that I maintain a balanced perspective and stay open to new information and perspectives. Powell

and Coughlan (2020, p. 822) argue that most individuals tend always to tend to believe that we

can always excel in a particular field. However, to avoid the Dunning-Kruger effect, we must

consider our skills, abilities, and the areas where we possess a genuine talent. Applying this to

my activities, I will examine and determine my ability level more precisely and make more

informed conclusions. It is also recommended that we seek feedback from other individuals on

our very own performance and knowledge. However, in seeking feedback from other individuals,
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it is also advisable that we accept constructive criticism. This way, we can use the feedback as a

way to identify our failures and seek areas of improvement.

I also concluded the need to realize continuous growth. This can be achieved by getting

more knowledgeable in an area I have difficulty with and gaining a deeper understanding

through continuously learning and improving the particular craft. An individual might become

more attuned to the knowledge that is out there once they give up, assuming to know everything

there is to know about an area of study (van Assen, 2020, p. 136). Through doing this, I will

avoid believing that I am an expert in a particular field. Additionally, it can be achieved through

networking and collaborating with peers, colleagues, and experts in my field. This encourages

exchanging ideas, practices, and collaboration in different projects.

Continuous growth can also be obtained through putting more emphasis on interactions

with practitioners and peers. These interactions serve as a valuable source of guidance and

insight, as evidenced during the activities where the practitioners helped guide me on the various

ways I could work on what challenged me and hence improve my performance during such

activities. Listening to peers also helps receive feedback on one's approach. Whether the input

addresses one's failure or as a congratulatory note, it plays an essential role in one's learning

process.

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