PERSONAL DEVELOP PLAN DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT

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?)

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 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! 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