Category: Personality Development

Introduction

Personality refers to the characteristics of an individual that sets him/her apart from other individuals when subjected to varying circumstances. The development of personality is as a result of the interaction between an individuals genetic composition and the surrounding. Personality development begins even before birth and is influenced by many external factors.

Many theories have been invented to explain the concept of personality development. This discussion explores the stages of personality development developed by Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson. The psychoanalytic theory was developed by Sigmund Freud and dealt with the emotional development from a sexual perspective. This theory was later modified by Erik Erikson who focused on the role of social interactions in personality development.

Sigmund Freuds Psychosexual Theory

According to Sigmund Freuds theory, a developing child has a particular erogenous zones like the anus, mouth and genitals that are sensitive at each stage. Therefore, a child focuses on what stimulates his erogenous zones at each stage. The needs of a child at each stage need to be met, otherwise he/she will end up getting stuck in that stage and this will affect him in adulthood. Freud came up with five stages of development which include the oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages (Engler, 2008).

The oral stage commences when a child is born. This stage lasts for about one and half years. At this stage, the mouth is the main point of focus for the child and the child spends most of the time sucking and trying to put everything in the mouth. At this stage, the ego and superego are not yet fully developed and, therefore, the child uses the id.

With time, the baby realizes that satisfaction of its needs might not occur immediately and, therefore, he/she must behave in a certain way in order to speed it up. For instance, a baby cries when he/she wants the needs to be satisfied. When a baby is weaned, he/she experiences a sense of loss and the baby realizes that he/she must not always get what he/she wants. A child whose demands are not met at this stage develops a personality of sarcasm, envy, pessimism, and suspicion.

Too much or too little oral satisfaction has a negative impact. A person who gets stuck in this stage may develop habits like biting nails and chewing things like pens as an adult. Someone who does not get enough oral satisfaction at this stage may also develop habits of eating and drinking excessively. However, a child whose needs are met at this stage ends up being optimistic and admires the surrounding environment (Engler, 2008).

The anal stage begins when the child is about one and half years; when he/she starts getting trained on how to use the toilet. At this stage, the childs focus is on expelling body wastes. A child may choose either to expel or retain the waste. The way in which the parents handle this conflict determines its resolution.

This crisis gets resolved when the child manages to adjust to the demands of the parents and the parents handle the child reasonably. Thus, with time the child will understand the importance of being orderly and clean, and will, therefore, end up being an adult with self control. If the parents are very harsh when training the child to use the toilet, the child may choose to comply and develop a personality of orderliness.

However, a child who refuses to comply with the demands of the parents ends up being disorderly in future. A child who enjoys excreting irresponsibly will end up being careless, reckless, messy, defiant, and disorganized. On the other hand, a child who enjoys prolonging the retention of body wastes ends up being orderly, miserly, stubborn, precise, and neat. This stage lasts for around two years (Larsen and Buss, 2009).

Next is the phallic stage in which the childs attention is on the genital area. The children become aware of the differences in their bodies and that of other children of the opposite sex. At this stage the child is obsessed with the parent of the opposite sex and desires to get rid of the other one. A male child will desire to possess the mother but sees his father as a hindrance. He starts getting envious of the father who he sees as his rival in the competition for the mothers love.

However, the boy is afraid that the father might castrate him. When the boy realizes that he cannot possess the mother, he tries to be like his father so that he can win her. Therefore, he tries to acquire the characteristics of his father. Thus, he learns his male sexual role, and this marks the resolution of the crisis. On the other hand, the female child realizes that she does not have a penis and starts longing to have one. She blames her mother for her lack of a penis and develops penis envy.

She feels that she cannot own the mother since she does not have a penis. When she realizes that she cannot get the mother, she gets attracted to the father. The girl learns her sexual role by trying to become like the mother so as to possess the father. Thus, the conflict is resolved.

Failure to resolve this conflict may lead to women having very low self esteem, a desire to prove that they are superior to men or developing habits of flirting with men. For the men, failure to overcome this stage leads to them having high aspirations and arrogance. Failure to resolve the conflicts in this stage and identify with the parent of the same sex leads to recklessness, pride, fear of close love, and conditions like homosexuality (Larsen and Buss, 2009).

The next stage is the latency period in which the childs sexual desires remain inactive. At this stage, children focus on other activities like games, schooling, and making friendships of the same sex. This stage occurs just before puberty. Failure to overcome the conflicts in the phallic stage might affect an individual in this stage and prevent him/her from engaging in the expected activities (Larsen and Buss, 2009).

The next stage is the genital stage. At this stage, a childs attention shifts back to the genitals and he/she starts making friendships with people from the opposite sex. At this stage, individuals try to detach themselves from parents and deal with the conflicts that were not resolved in the earlier stages.

A child who resolved all the conflicts in the phallic stage will have healthy and proper relationships with the members of the opposite sex. However, a child who did not overcome the conflicts at that stage will end up having troubled relationships with the opposite sex (Larsen and Buss, 2009).

Sigmund Freuds theory has several weaknesses. Firstly, personality cannot be developed only on the basis of sexuality. Erik Erikson also does not agree on the concept of basing personality development on sexual drive alone. Moreover, the stages of development are not supported by any scientific data but on case studies. Contrary to Freuds theory that an individual cannot have the ego and superego from an early age, studies show that these entities are evident in children earlier than at the ages he suggested (Ewen, 1998).

Erik Eriksons Psychosocial Theory

Erikson also believes that personality development occurs in stages. However, he does not agree with Sigmund Freuds theory of psychosexual stages. He believes that personality development occurs as a result of social interaction with the environment. Through interaction with the environment, human beings develop an ego.

At each stage of development, an individual is concerned with getting competent. If one manages to go through a stage successfully, their ego will be boosted and they will develop a sense of competence. However, failure to manage the stage properly will result in a feeling of insufficiency. At each stage, an individual goes through a conflict that can either build or destroy their personality (Engler, 2008).

The first stage of personality development is that of trust or mistrust and occurs since a child is born up to when he/she attains the age of one year. At this stage the child is helpless and depends entirely on others to take care of him/her. The infant will develop feelings of either trust or mistrust depending on the care that he/she receives from the parents.

If the people taking care of the child are able to efficiently take care of the child, he/she will develop trust and will always feel secure and safe. However, if the parents of the child show rejection and neglect to the child, he/she will develop mistrust and will have feelings of insecurity. This child might develop depression as a child and this may go on even in adulthood (Larsen and Buss, 2009).

The next stage is when the children develop as sense to control the functions of the body and a sense of autonomy. This occurs between the ages of one and three. Children begin to make choices between food, clothes and toys. During this stage, a child can either develop a personality of autonomy or that of doubt or shame.

A child who exercises autonomy is always exploring the surrounding environment and trying to make new discoveries on his/her own. A child who develops feelings of doubt or shame is less confident and is less interested in exploring new surroundings. If a child successfully goes through this stage, he/she will develop feelings of security and confidence in future. Those who do not manage this stage well end up with feelings of insufficiency and doubt all their lives (Newman and Newman, 2007).

Before children begin going to school, they go through another stage where they can develop feelings of either initiative or guilt. This is usually between ages three and six. At this stage the children develop their personality by interacting with others through playing and other activities.

Those who develop feelings of initiative will tend to perform tasks to completion. However, children who develop a sense of guilt will be reluctant to express themselves and their interests and unwilling to try out challenging tasks. If a child manages through this stage, they will develop feelings of capability and a sense of leadership. Those who do not successfully go through this stage will end up feeling guilty, doubtful of their abilities, and devoid of inventiveness (Loevinger, 1997).

Between the age of five to eleven years, children go through a stage of industry or inferiority. Through interacting with others, children begin to take pride in their achievements and talents. Children who develop feelings of industry like taking responsibilities because they believe in their abilities. On the other hand, children who develop feelings of inferiority at this stage hate responsibilities because they doubt their ability in completing those assignments satisfactorily.

The parents, teachers, and other people can contribute to the development of feelings of either inferiority or industry. If children receive encouragement from their teachers and parents because of their abilities and achievements, they will develop feelings of proficiency and confidence in their abilities. However, those who do not receive any support from teachers or parents end up doubting their capability to succeed in life (Loevinger, 1997).

The next stage occurs during adolescence and individuals can either develop a sense of identity or confusion. This happens between ages 12 to 18. Individuals who feel a sense of identity will have a sense of direction in life and will be very sure about what they would like to become in life.

For this reason, they go through this stage with their minds focused on achieving that purpose and their self esteem will be high. However, individuals who feel a sense of confusion will lead a life devoid of purpose or direction and will not be sure about what they want to become in life.

Such individuals will not be aiming to achieve any goals in life and will be leading a life without any future plans. These individuals self esteem is likely to be low. At this stage, individuals discover themselves and if they get sufficient support, they develop a good sense of independence, self consciousness, and control. Those who do not successfully go through this stage will end up being unsure about their lives and will remain confused and insecure in future (Loevinger, 1997).

The next stage is early adulthood, between 18 to 35 years, where individuals start developing personal relationships. At this stage, people can either develop a sense of intimacy or that of isolation. People who manage to develop healthy relationships at this stage end up having secure and committed relationships in future.

These individuals will be able to form stable relationships that can end up in marriage. However, those who fail at this stage end up having poor relationships and feelings of loneliness, depression, and isolation. Such people will have very few friends and will find it difficult to be involved in serious relationships that could lead to marriage (Larsen and Buss, 2009).

When an individual enters adulthood, he/she can either develop a personality of generativity or stagnation. During this stage, people build their families and careers. A person who develops feelings of generativity will tend to be involved in some sort of productive work and will have an attitude of helping others.

An individual who experiences stagnation will not be engaged in productive work and will be reluctant to help others. People who are successful in their careers and family life will end up feeling productive since they are contributing to the society. However, those who do not succeed in their careers and family life will end up feeling fruitless and unproductive in life (Larsen and Buss, 2009).

The final stage of personality development according to Erikson occurs in old age. In this stage, individuals look back at how they have lived through their lives and may develop feelings of either despair or integrity. Individuals who look at their life and feel that they have accomplished their purpose develop feelings of honor and satisfaction and will have few or no regrets.

As they near their death, they feel at peace and feel that they have accomplished everything that they ever wanted to. Therefore, they do not fear to die as there is nothing that they would wish to change if they were given another chance. They are absolutely contented with the way they lived their lives. On the other hand, people who at this stage look back and feel that they have wasted their lives and have not accomplished their dreams will have regrets.

They will wish that they had lived their lives differently. Consequently, they will end up feeling bitter and desperate. They may develop a feeling that life is worthless. These people also fear death as they wish for another chance or more time to live so that they can do things differently and correct the mistakes that they made in the past (Loevinger, 1997).

Even though Eriksons theory of personality development has enhanced peoples understanding of social development, it has some weaknesses. The theory is unclear and does not state the real causes of personality development. It does not give a clear explanation about the factors that make individuals to develop in various ways and the impact of each stage on an individuals personality.

The theory also does not clearly explain the method of overcoming the crises at each stage and moving on to the next. It also does not state what an individual is supposed to do in order to successfully go through the problems experienced at each stage (Newman and Newman, 2007).

Moreover, all the stages do not match with the stages that all individuals go through in life. In some cultures, there is very little time between childhood and adulthood to discover ones identity since the individuals are married off at an early age. In other communities, an individual has no freedom to make choices as most of them are made by the parents, for instance, choice of career or marriage partner (Newman and Newman, 2007).

Conclusion

From the above discussion, it is clear that many theories have been invented to explain the stages that individuals go through in developing their personalities. Sigmund Freud felt that an individual goes through five stages that are influenced by the sexual drive. On the other hand, Erik Erikson differed with Freuds theory and invented eight stages of personality development that are influenced by the interaction of an individual with the surrounding.

However, both theories have their shortcomings and have been criticized by other people. Both theories of personality development might differ but at least the two agree on some things; like the fact that personality does not develop at once but over time and in distinct stages.

Reference List

Engler, B. (2008). Personality Theories: An Introduction (8th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Ewen, R. B. (1998). Personality, a Topical Approach: Theories, Research, Major Controversies, and Emerging Findings. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Larsen, R.J., and Buss, D. M. (2009). Personality Psychology: Domains of Knowledge about Human Nature (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Loevinger, J. (1997). Stages of personality development. Handbook of personality psychology, (pp. 199-208).

Newman, B.M., and Newman, P.R. (2007). Theories of Human Development. USA: Routledge.

Plato

Plato sees personality development as a way to happiness; judging by his Myth of the Cave where he reveals the pursuit of knowledge, seeking wisdom, and having a passion for truth as the forms of peoples self-perfection. This is how he understands the passion for truth and seeking wisdom in the context of personality development. For instance, He compares the reality of the world to a grim cave, where people live in an underworld cave deprived of sunlight. Ones destiny is at the top of this cave and as one reaches it, the glaring sun takes away ones sight and reality becomes elusive for he or she cannot see; this is an allegory of ones personal development.

Critics like William Turner have dismissed Platos argument as world ideas, it is evident that one should strive to acquire a true understanding of reality, so he can see what really exists in the world but not what he wishes to see. However, Platos allegory insinuates that a person cannot be happy while the people surrounding him are unhappy and personality development cannot be viewed as a notion separate from ethical thinking and moral values.

Malcolm X

In Coming to the Awareness of Language, Malcolm X feels desperate in prison because he cannot read and understand books. However, one can come out of this prison by learning how to read thus developing a personality as Malcolm X who developed his by reading a dictionary. The desire to write letters to the acquaintances who live immorally drives Malcolm X for he wants them to develop their moral values by converting to Islam religion.

Robert Lake

Robert Lake Medicine Grizzly Bear, in his Indian Fathers Plea, raises the problem of personality development contemplating on education process in American public schools. He calls for values-based education and practical learning opportunities for Indian children, as well as ways to deepen cultural, social, and historical awareness as a way of personal development. Roberts son cannot succeed in his personality development unless his teacher changes his outlook and this can be reached by promoting values-based education and a cooperative approach, whose ground is cultural, social, and historical awareness of those who teach.

Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King in his I have a Dream address, encourages his black brothers and sisters to move to the moral heights while peacefully struggling for equality with peace and respect as absolute good; hence, strengthening ethical thinking of an individual, as well a values-based approach to life.

George Orwell

George Orwell, in Shooting an Elephant, describes the moral pain of the hero who fails to pursue the path of self-perfection; that is, doing good to other people, as a personality development even if it means death to the hero. Moreover, Orwell raises the problem of a persons seeking wisdom where he looks at personality as contemplation on the thing someone did contrary to his wish or as pains of remorse; in this case, Orwells mistakes brought a seed of wisdom to his personality.

Conclusion

Personality development theme is common for all five primary sources being researched. The term personality development consists of a number of notions, which are committed to seeking wisdom and finding the truth, values-based approach to life, aesthetic development, deepening cultural, global, social and historical awareness, developing effective communication skills, solving problems in a creative way, along with ethical and logical thinking development.

Introduction

In todays environment, hospitality students who finish pursuing education often face difficulties in finding suitable jobs due to the competition in the job market. Hospitality students are expected to meet the challenges imposed by the prospective employers in the context of their education being relevant to the industry. Most of the academic programs in the hospitality sector are designed to teach students the techniques and skills that will keep them in high stead while performing their hospitality jobs. The main aim of these programs is to enable students to be able to manage the fast-changing expectations of such jobs in the highly competitive hospitality sector, which entails the management of employer demands and fast-changing consumer attitudes.

Main body

According to Johnstone (1994), there is a big gap in terms of employer expectations and formal education and training in the hospitality industry. He has stressed the need for academic institutions to address the skills, which are a necessity for such students to incorporate, and which are presently being left for employers to handle. Most employers in the hospitality sector feel that several skills in the sector should have been taught in the academic institutions at undergraduate levels and that there is an immediate need for hospitality education to incorporate such changing demands of the industry. The hospitality sector works in a very challenging environment, which requires catering to a continuous and swift change of consumer patterns. Hence hospitality education programs must be flexible in adapting within their curriculum such changes in the educational content as also in enabling the students to imbibe the required skills and knowledge to meet up to the job expectations.

Research by Goodman and Sprague (1991) has shown that those students of hospitality who have a strong base understanding and knowledge of the industry will fare much better in the long term and prove to be of advantage to employers also. The present education levels do not fully meet the expectations of the hospitality industry and if the education can be modified in a calculated manner it would surely result in bringing about solutions in terms of the content and skills matching the industry needs. The ultimate goal of the education programs in the hospitality sector should be to equip students with the abilities to meet contemporary knowledge and skill as required by a quickly changing and competitive hospitality sector. It is quite evident that the need for hospitality education arose given the requirement of competent professionals in the hospitality sector, which was driven by high industry standards. According to Nelson and Dobson (2001), the success of hospitality education programs is determined by the quality of graduates from these institutions as also their retention rate within the industry. Unfortunately, most of the hospitality programs today lack the generality of business perspectives (Pavesic 1991), and there have been several curriculum issues debated regarding hospitality literature mainly due to the field of study being new in comparison to other areas of education. Consequently, there have been constant attempts in reconstructing the curriculum in this regard to meet the needs of the industry. Reigal (1991) has researched that there are three key elements to hospitality education, which are skills, values, and substantive knowledge. According to him, substantive knowledge is the most important in enabling the practice of the profession, skills provide the student with competency to use the knowledge in practice and the value component equips the student to adapt values essential for success in this industry.

Some theorists believe that hospitality education is not up to the mark and is in danger of losing its importance just as education in other fields such as banking, insurance, and transport, which have over time been absorbed as being part of the general business programs. It is in this context that Michael Haywood (1989) has said that, Education must adapt itself and its role to retain its effectiveness. Educators must now explore the prospects for an educational design that enable students to prepare for continuing learning and participation in the transformation of their personal lives, their careers, and their society. According to Pavesic (1993), some hospitality education programs are faulty in being extra theoretical or are like advocating too much industry focus in the curriculum with too much technical orientation. In consequence, the industry expectation of there being a standard foundation in students is not fulfilled.

An academic requirement of hospitality students is the inclusion of a course in principles of management whereby students will be required to create a real-life plan for business and to implement it along with lab studies which will require them to do research, planning, and implementation of business plans to give students a real-world experience regarding the expectations from them. The stress needs to be more on experiential learning which will give students the real-world environment and the opportunity to put their skills to test, as also to learn from their mistakes and feel good about their achievements in this regard (Crockett 2002). Breiter and Clements (1998) concluded in a study that there are three basic skills required by recruiters in the hospitality industry, which pertain to skills in leadership, employee relations, and managerial communication. In this context, it is clear that more than academic pursuits, the hospitality student needs to imbibe expertise in these three areas so that he can prove himself as effective hospitality professional. The curriculum in hospitality institutions must encourage the development of such traits by using a combination of relevant techniques. Educators must keep the expectation of the hospitality industry in mind so that students become innovators of the future in enabling the provision of the demands of the industry. Essentially excellent conceptual and human skills are the key components required to be made as an integral part of the education process.

The hospitality industry seeks talent that is skilled in enabling the productive activities entailed in the different elements of the tourism and hospitality sector and there is a strong need to change the present content of hospitality education so that new entrants can keep pace with the industry trends. Hence there has to be more emphasis on education to keep pace with the changing requirements. There is presently a big difference between what the hospitality education system offers and the expectations of the hospitality industry. Employers have indicated that most of the skills required of a hospitality professional are learned at the workplace and the formal education at best gives theoretical insight about hospitality and its percentage of the total learning process is very less, and despite this fact hospitality education institutions are still giving more emphasis on carrying this process to higher levels. Hence the pattern is now emerging that the hospitality sector is assuming higher responsibility in educating employees by offering a curriculum agenda in keeping with the demands of the industry. The vital aspects of a hospitality job cannot be fully integrated with the student by academic studies alone, hence the change in industry patterns of involving the workplace as a learning ground for students. Most of the hospitality requirements that can be mastered at the workplace are employee relations, problem resolution, leadership, employee training, internship, food and beverage management, operational controls, guest services, and managerial communications. Indeed, all these skills are much better learned on the job than as an academic area of study. Academic studies in hospitality pertain to different levels of research activities, the law relating to hospitality, tourism promotion, strategic and development planning. The academic curriculum has to be amended to accommodate the use of laptops to enhance the ability of the student to use technologies and educational deliveries of the concepts of the industry from the technological viewpoints.

Conclusion

There are limitations in corporate budgets and so is the case with educational institutions that are facing financial pressures and budget constraints in fulfilling the flow of extra demands on their curriculum. Hence there is a need for educational institutions in hospitality to review, refine and focus on the specific use of the present systems as also on each course, which is being offered in the context of educational settings and expectations. Especially in the hospitality sector, there is a strong need for the industry and educational institutions to partner in providing competent professionals to meet the rising demand for them in the competitive environment. This is all the more necessary now given cuts in budgetary expansions while the demand keeps growing for qualified and competent staff.

References

Breiter, Deborah, Clements, Christine J., (1996). Hospitality curricula for the 21st century. Hospitality & Tourism Educator: Vol. 8. N(1).

Crockett, Lori L. (2002). Real-World Training to Meet a Growing Demand Techniques, vol 77, Issue 4.

Goodman, R. J., & Sprague, L. G.(1991). The future of hospitality education; meeting the industrys needs. The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly.

Johnstone, D. (1994). College at work: partnerships and rebuilding of American competence. Journal of Higher Education.

Nelson, A.A. & Dopson, L.R. (2001). Future of hotel education: required skills and knowledge for graduates of U.S. hospitality programs beyond the year 2000 Part I. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education Pavesic.

D. V. (1991). Another view of the future of hospitality education, The Cornell H.R.A. Quarterly, 8-9.

Pavesic, D. V. (1993). Hospitality education 2005: curricular and programmatic trends. Hospitality Research Journal.

Reigel, C. D. An introduction to career opportunities in hospitality and tourism. A guide to College Programs in Hospitality and Tourism, 1991- 1992. Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education.

Introduction

An IDP (Individual Development Plan) is a tool that is essential for personal growth. As Abraham Maslow puts personal development is a desire to turn out to be more and more of yourself, to become everything that your potential can achieve. As such, a personal development plan helps an individual to scheme a plan to reach full potential. In that connection, this plan will outline a route path to being a competent manager of all times.

Management is a dynamic practice that requires skills and abilities that are also dynamic. This is due to various emerging organizational trends and issues, as well as the ever-changing behavior of human resources. In addition, with the changing world, roles and situations change prompting a need to concentrate on certain areas, and to draw a plan that provides direction for further training and advice.

The plan, should, therefore, not act as a sense of security in the management career path but it should be subjected to gradual review and updates. This will facilitate the incorporation of newly acquired skills and areas of weakness that need to be enhanced.

As a future manager, there are certain areas that require development. Some of the areas include; communicating, decision making, leadership, prioritizing, valuing and supporting others, motivating, analyzing, delegating and reporting.

On the other hand, areas that require skills like planning, monitoring, information management, problem solving, evaluating, consulting, reviewing, thinking strategically and presenting information represents the strengths that are evident in the development process of being a future manager. The plan will discuss these weaknesses and strengths in details later.

For a development management plan to be successful, it must stipulate the set career objective of the individual. In light of this, my career objectives are highlighted as. below.

Career objective

My primary career objective is to be part of a workforce dedicated to the achievement of organizational goals and objectives while providing an opportunity for skill enhancement and of ensuring that scarce resources within an organization are fully utilized and its management done appropriately.

The other secondary objectives include; to improve the body of knowledge and skills on areas that are critical in carrying out the roles and functions as a manager.

This will be in line with conducting research so as to establish the gap in skills and abilities that exist in the management arena. Furthermore, my other core objective is to be the leading manager nationally as well as globally in terms of management of human resources, innovation and creativity.

Management Strengths

My strengths in management are visible in areas that require skills like planning, monitoring, information management, problem solving, evaluating, consulting, reviewing, thinking strategically and presenting information. Planning is a major function in management. In light of this, I have skills and abilities in goal and objective setting. Goal and objective setting is a vital ingredient in any planning function.

This is coupled by the knowledge that I have in the planning process steps that involve; creating mission statement, assessing the current situation, stating goals, evaluating the gap between current position in goals, specifying assumptions about the future, creating the plan, implementing the plan, and eventually, evaluating the results.

Moreover, this is strengthen by the understanding of factors that influence planning such as technological development, market development, economic factors, financial resources and personnel resources (Rughani 91).

Monitoring and evaluation skills are necessary in any management function. As such, the skills that I have acquired in monitoring and evaluating of organizational performance indicate my ability and capability. The skills have been acquired both in class and through workshops and seminars that I have attended.

The other skills and abilities that I possess is the ability to solve problem. A considerable number of individuals spend a lot of energy and time in going around problems and less time in trying to solve the problem. As such, good problem solving abilities and skills empower managers both in their personal and professional lives. It is rare for problem solving skills to come naturally; rather they are nurtured and learnt.

Through the knowledge that I have acquired and my ability to deliberate with issues pointed out in the exercises, it gives me confidence to handle and solve any problem that may arise in an organization.

This I can achieve through developing innovative and creative solutions, developing practical solutions, applying a variety of strategies in solving problems, showing initiative and independence in problem identification and solving. To me every problem provides an opportunity for development, thus I should be keen in seeking solutions to the problems.

Strategically thinking is a crucial element in strategy formulation and execution. The process of strategy formulation entails looking at the organizations grave issues as well as establishing how the strength and skills of the organization will aid in addressing the grave issues.

This will be coupled by brainstorming that will necessitate investigation and evaluation of the possible strategies. In that connection, it makes it necessary for me to employ the skills that I have in strategically thinking in strategy formulation, as well as its execution.

Information management is one of the strengths. Recent times have witnessed an increase in the utilization of modern technology in the provision of services in various sectors. One of the areas in which such technology has been useful is in human resource department.

The skills that I have in relation to technology and human resource computerized information system will be of immense help in maintaining human resource records of an organization.

Consultation together with reviewing existing policies and procedures are among the key skills and abilities of a manager. A manager needs to consult widely in relation to matters and issues of an organization.

This coupled with routine review of existing policies and procedures. In line with these noble skills, I can consult properly and carry out reviews with minimal difficulties or challenges. This forms part of my management strength that I foresee.

Likewise, in terms of information presentation I have a wealth of skills that can aid me conduct a good presentation of the company performance and future plans. This is strengthened by my speech eloquence and attractive voice.

My presentation is clear and audible, and by extension it is augmented by good report writing skills and research paper writing. The knowledge that I have gained in relation to research writing and format will be helpful in my presentations.

Management Weaknesses

Managers require nearly all the skills in order to perform their duties efficiently and in an effective way. However, a time they lack on some of the perquisite skills, as such as a manager to be, I have identified some of my weak points. According to me one of the weaknesses that I have is poor listening skills. This is evident by my often lack to ask clarity in issues I come across.

In light of this, research indicates that it is essential for managers to ask clarity questions to draw the ideas and opinions of employees. Most of the conversations that occur in an organization are an iterative process. This is a weakness that I find it difficult to admit, but most people argue that indeed I am a poor listener.

The other weakness is my continual demand for perfection. In everything, I do, I insist for perfection. As such, the demand for excellence is a bad thing in management since workers cannot do their work in perfection. The need for thorough job may ruin the morale of workers and damage relationships in the workplace.

This has creating an atmosphere of discomfort I have managed to it through using courteous language and apologizing. However, I am aware of the weakness I have found it difficult to tame it. To curb this problem I should develop requiring and relating skills, thus I will help workers to grow professionally, and at the same time deliver great results and performances.

Insights Gained from Management Exercises

Management is a function of an organization that is universal, purposeful, multidisciplinary, and a continuous process. With the changing global environment, the way management is done has also changed.

The exercises have enabled me to get an insight on certain actions such as; development of a marketing framework, that is, as a manager it is essential to identify customers for your products, as well as know how to market the services and products being produced in the organization. Management entails also the management of product and services.

More so, the other insight that I have gained is the need for a policy that covers the health and safety of the workers. When an organization has got an efficient and effective health and safety policy it stands to benefit from good health of workers. This is because the policy will help the organization curb against injuries, and at the same time strengthen the reputation of the organization among its suppliers and customers.

In addition, the exercises have helped me point out the need for having additional finances in the organization, as well as the selection of a number of finance sources and finance providers who will assist the organization in funding the proposed activities. Finance is a source of livelihood for the organization, and ensures smooth running of the business operations.

Moreover, there is also the need to encourage and nurture technological processes in the business. This means that the business should get the necessary technology and make sure that it utilizes it in a more profitable manner. Therefore, technology is a requisite for today business success, and as such, every manager including me should embrace new technologies.

The other insight I gained is how to manage a budget. It is necessary to prepare a budget and as such, it should be reconciled with the actual outcome of the operation. It is therefore, essential to capture unforeseen circumstances in the budget to gather for any inconveniences.

Areas that Need Development

As a future manager, there are certain areas that require development. Some of the areas include; communicating, decision making, leadership, prioritizing, valuing and supporting others, motivating, analyzing, delegating and reporting.

The areas that I have identified need some improvement to polish up the necessary skills and abilities. As such, I should focus more on developing them through learning and undertaking personal actions. These areas indicate the abilities and skills that are deficient and need to be improved.

As a future manager, it is essential to identify such areas as earlier as possible so that before the actual time, I will be well equipped to face the challenges and difficulties that accompany these management operations.

The deficiencies do not imply a point of weakness, but a point that need to be strengthened and enhanced. The development of these skills should be put in an order of preference, and in line with inter-linkages that are present in them.

Most of the managers who register poor results do not address their areas of need, and as such, they blame their employees for poor performance. It is essential to point out these areas so as plan for a training program that will address the deficiency, and at the same time learn new ways and methods of performing those tasks. It is, therefore, necessary for me to register for further training on these areas.

Personal Actions

From the areas identified above that need to be developed further, I need get some advice and brush up on certain skills that will enable me perform these tasks with excellence. These are some of the personal actions that I will take to improve skills and abilities.

The first action is to encourage innovation in the organization. In case of excellent performance in this, I will be able to make certain that an innovation strategy that is well communicated and align with the overall objective of the organization exist.

Motivate individuals within the organization to come up with viable ideas for new services and product development; ensure availability of resources such as time for idea generation, idea development and idea testing.

Moreover, evaluate business plans and cases as well as approving those, which are viable and at the same time monitor their progress. In that light, I should ensure that developers and originators of any ideas are recognized for their achievement (Daft 67).

In order to improve further, there is need to seek advice on how to design a business strategy, techniques for identifying and implementing opportunities. There is also the need to identify and manage risks and how to give a constructive feedback concerning ideas to individuals and teams.

Its important also to establish how to evaluate development plans, as well as business cases, and finally, how to put in place systems necessary for reporting and measuring to relevant parties.

The second action is to plan change. This will result in excellent performance that will equip me with skills such as the ability to assess the gap present in the current and anticipated state of procedures, structures, systems and roles.

Other actions includes the ability to assess the benefits and risks associated with plans and strategies as well as come up with contingency arrangements, ability to ensure that plans comprise of short-run wins and long-run deliverables.

The the ability to develop systems that are useful in monitoring and evaluating progress is also another one including the ability to build up a communication strategy that facilitate proper feedback; and the ability to identify support and training needs and at the same time plan how to accomplish those needs.

In order to record improvement, it may be necessary to seek advice concerning; the main methods and models that can be used to manage change effectively; effective techniques for planning; theory as well as application of performance curve or change; and how to understand teams behavior and team building techniques.

The third line of action is to lead change.

A proper accomplishment of this task will lead to the attainment of skills and abilities such as being able to communicate my future vision, the need for the change and at the same time the benefits associated with the change; ensure that planners and implementers of change identify with their responsibilities; set and organize in order of priority the objectives for change; identifying and communicating properly the strategies that will be utilized in achieving change; communicate progress and at the same time celebrate achievement; and identify and provide solutions to impediments of change.

For an improvement in this area, it is also prudent to seek advice on the main methods and models that are necessary for an organizational change as well as their weaknesses and strengths. Advice is also required in application and principles of risk assessment, how to employ different behaviors and leadership styles for varying situations and the resource.

Others are bureaucratic and political barriers to change, and the ways to deal with such barriers, how to apply the different forms of communication in dissimilar situations; and the expectations of the shareholders as well as their influence on the process of change.

The fourth action is to manage a program of projects. This action will ensure acquisition of certain abilities and skills such as, being able to ascertain that everyone involved in the program can link the program to the strategic targets.

Considering all important needs and at the same time translate targets into efficient, effective and practical actions and ensuring that every individual is certain of the programs critical aspects are other actions.

There are also the ways of dealing with contingencies; control and monitor the program in order to achieve the stipulated objectives in terms of time and budget; make recommendations that points out good practice together with areas that need improvement; and finally, inform everyone involved on essential issue and at the same time the outcome of having the program practically.

In order to record improvement, I will seek advice on; the difference between program and project management, as well as the role that a program manager plays; techniques, tools, processes and principles for managing programs; the techniques, methods and basic principles of overall quality management; how to assess, monitor, plan, motivate and manage people; how to evaluate and manage risk; and ways of managing change within programs and projects of an organization.

The firth action is to implement change.

A successful accomplishment of this task will mean that I am able to; create a vision plus all supportive targets and operational plans, as well; communicate regularly by use of all different forms of communication; come up with different leadership styles and utilize them to appropriate people and situations; support and advice community members especially in terms of change and setback; and encourage individuals to pioneer and show willingness in their area of expertise.

In order to improve further, advice can be sought on; how to design a vision which is compelling within a given area of responsibility; how to source for and utilize feedback from people; types of challenges and difficulties that may arise and how to overcome them; and how to create and maintain, as well as the benefits of a culture that boost innovation and creativity.

Summary and Conclusions

This personal development plan is a tool that will smooth the progress of development as a manager. The accomplishment of this plan should be guided by timelines that must be adhered to and followed to the later. The development in skills and abilities should both be learned and nurtured coupled with a sign of willingness.

The weaknesses must be translated to strengths and opportunities that will propel the achievement of business targets and mission. Given the nature of the plan, it should be personalized and internalized in order for it to fetch the required outcome. Personal actions and advice are also necessary for the total achievement of the requisite skills and abilities.

In conclusion, it is of essence for any trainer undertaking management to prepare a guideline that will ensure that he or she develop the necessary skills in the line of responsibility. This will help in developing a career path that is successful because of the knowledge and insights that anyone gain from brainstorming the necessities for a whole round manager.

Works Cited

Daft, Richard L. Management. New York: South-Western, 2011. Print.

Rughani, Amar. The GPs guide to personal development plans. Abingdon: Radcliffe Publishing, 2001. Print.

Appendix

Exercises Performed and Summary of Results

What Is Meant by Cultural Grain?

Before implementing a particular strategy, an organization should examine the peculiarities of a cultural change process within its structure. In order to understand the specifics of organizational culture, a particular emphasis should be put on the development of leadership competencies, analysis of critical incidents disclosing the patterns of acceptable and unacceptable behaviors, effectiveness of working relationships among team members, and, finally, organizational environment assessment (Watson, Gallagher, and Armstrong, 2005, p. 196). With regard to these aspects, schemes of cultural shifts can be too complicated if culture has been developing for a long period of time. Being firmly embedded within an organizational structure, it can be quite difficult to introduce changes quickly and provide a new platform for strategic and cultural development. Furthermore, rapidly introduced leadership competencies can go discordantly with initially established cultural norms and values, or the co-called cultural grains, that were introduced and formed long before the implementation.

The above-presented discussion reveals that a cultural grain phenomenon can present the greatest challenge for the managerial stuff to work out organizational priorities. Owing to the fact that organizational culture and development are often based on processes and actions carried out within the structure, practice and experience rather than theoretical models serve as the basis for cultural formation of an organization. In other words, cross-cultural aspects and shifts must be considered extremely carefully to meet peoples needs and values and weave all changes in a cultural story (Ulrich and Brockbank, 2008, p. 19). Defining behavior patterns, cultural priorities established in the past will contribute to a more comfortable and effective implementation of new patterns and priorities aimed at improving companys strategic platform.

Effective Cross-Functional Involvement in Terms of Personal Development and Relation-Building

Effective cross-functional involvement should rely on acquiring specific cognitive, technical, and social skills. In particular, an organization should have a strict and comprehensive plan of personal development, the success of which will be based on the extent to which employee adjust to cultural and strategic changes occurred to company (Horn, 2010, p. 25). According to Megginson and Whitaker (2007), the managerial staff should develop clear goals and activities for employees to be engaged as well as work out specific concepts and theories to describe the change process and understand what challenges this process can undergo. All these plans of relation-building and personal development should be aimed at enriching working members experience and motivations and advancing organizational competence and profitability.

While taking all the above-discussed developmental issues, cross-functional involvement should be largely dependent on the analysis of learning opportunities and recognition of development solutions in terms of cultural and technological risks to be taken to increase companys performance (Megginson and Whitaker, 2007, p. 66). Organizational learning and development will turn out to be much more effective if the major focus is made on the analysis of person-oriented policies (Winstanley, 2005, p. 13). Particularly, the personal development orientation should be aimed at improving employees awareness and professionalism and fulfilling cognitive and experience gaps in relation to ongoing changes. Relation-building and decision-making can also be improved via establishing the essential match between the demand of a position and job candidates for identifying more comprehensive learning needs and striking the balance between performance and reward (Whiddett and Hollyforde, 2003, p. 24). Introducing these cross-cultural schemes makes it possible to provide a link between people management practices and business objectives.

Reference List

Horn, R. (2010, May). The business skills handbook. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development.

Megginson, D., and Whitaker, V. (2007). Continuing professional development. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development.

Ulrich, D., and Brockbank, W. (2008). HR competencies: mastery at the intersection between people and business. Washington, DC: Society for Human Resource Management.

Watson, G., Gallagher, K., and Armstrong, M. (2005). Managing for results. London: CIPD Publishing.

Whiddett, S. and Hollyforde, S. (2003). A Practical Guide to Competence: How to enhance individual and organizational performance. London: CIPD Publishing.

Winstanley, D. (2005). Personal effectiveness: A guide to action. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development.

A theory is a system of interconnected concepts, constructs, and principles that explain specific observations of reality. Personality theories are various assumptions that explain the origin of personality and the determinism of its development (Cattell, 2017). They provide researchers and scholars with an opportunity to understand the nature of the human subject. Modern psychology cannot now offer a single, commonly accepted definition of personality. Many concepts and hypotheses about the nature and mechanisms of personality development are combined in the fundamental theories of personality (Cattell, 2017). Thus, it is essential to research the main theories of personality and establish their similar and different characteristics.

The Concept and Characteristics

Freud formulated the basic principles of the psychodynamic theory of personality in the framework of the developed approach, called classical psychoanalysis. According to Freud, the primary driving factor of personality development is innate instincts, the whole variety of which is united into two main categories: the instincts of life (Eros) and the instincts of death (Thanatos) (Lester, 2019). Freud considered sexual instincts to be the most important for personality development. Subsequently, Freud introduced the term libido to refer to the energy of life instincts as a whole. Freud distinguished three basic structures of personality: Id, Ego, and Superego (Lester, 2019). An essential stage in the history of the psychodynamic direction was the emergence of several new theories.

In this way, the authors attempted to revise Freuds classical theory. Adler and Jung were the most prominent representatives of the psychoanalytical movement, who criticized Freud and created their own theories of personality (Lester, 2019). Adler emphasized the integrity, creativity, and self-determined essence of a person whose driving force for development is the desire for superiority to compensate for feelings of inferiority experienced in childhood. Each person produces a unique way of life in which they strive to achieve their life goals. In contrast to Freud, Jung viewed the libido as a creative life energy that could contribute to constant personal growth (Lester, 2019). Jung distinguished three structures in personality: ego, individual and collective unconscious. The ego represents everything a person is aware of and understands. The personal unconscious contains the experiences repressed and displaced from the realm of consciousness and clusters in the complex, which are bundles of thoughts and feelings (Lester, 2019). The collective unconscious consists of the archaic, original elements of archetypes, which encapsulate the experience of all humanity, predisposing the individual to react in a certain way in response to what occurs to the person.

Phenomenological Theory of Personality

The phenomenological trend emphasizes that human behavior can be understood only in terms of ones subjective perception and cognition of reality. This approach proceeds from the fact that objective reality is a reality consciously perceived and interpreted by a person at a particular moment. Another essential thesis underlying this approach is that the individual is capable of determining their destiny (Lester, 2019). Individuals are also free to make decisions about their lives and, at the same time, are fully responsible for their own future. The third position of the phenomenological approach reflects the positive nature of people and their desire for self-realization, development, and perfection. The phenomenological method is most consistently seen in the views of the American psychologist Rogers (Lester, 2019). The specialist considered that human beings are positive and reasonable creatures who genuinely wish to live in harmony with themselves and others. Therefore, they can best demonstrate the best qualities that are inherent.

Dispositional Personality Theory

This direction is often referred to as trait theory because it assumes that people have certain drives that determine them. These dispositions are designed to respond in a specific way to different situations; these dispositions became known as traits (Lester, 2019). That is, people are constant in their actions, thoughts, and feelings regardless of circumstances, events, and life experiences. Each personality is unique and can be defined by describing its specific traits. Gordon Allport and Hans Eysenck are the most influential representatives of this direction (Lester, 2019). Therefore, the underlying tenets of the theory are that individuals show a certain consistency in their concessions, thoughts, and emotions. Indeed, the essence of personality is defined by themes of dispositions that people bring through life, which belong to them and are inseparable from them.

Behavioral Theories of Personality

This branch is often called learning theories due to the fact that its central thesis is the assertion that personality is the experience a person has acquired in life, that is, what a person has learned. The principal basis of personality growth is the environment in the broad sense of the word, and reflexes and social skills are the primary elements of personality. There are two basic directions in behavioral theories of personality (Abbott, 2021). The first is represented by the works of well-known American psychologists Watson and Skinner, which outline the main ideas of classical behaviorism. According to which external circumstances determine human behavior. From the opinion of representatives of the second direction, human behavior is regulated instead by internal factors, such as goals, expectations, and self-perception, then by external ones. Representatives of this direction are Bandura and Rotter (Abbott, 2021). Hence, according to the behavioral theory of personality, personality structure is a complexly arranged hierarchy of reflexes or social abilities.

Cognitive Theories of Personality

Cognitive personality approach highlights the impact of intellectual functions on a persons conduct. The founder of this approach was the American psychologist George Kelly (Abbott, 2021). The psychologist believed that people are explorers, attempting to understand what occurs to them and to predict what will become of them in the future. In this context, human behavior is greatly influenced by cognitive and intellectual processes. A person perceives and interprets the world with the help of specific models, which Kelly called constructs (Abbott, 2021). Therefore, personality is an organized system of essential constructs. That is, personality is the way a person perceives and interprets their life experiences. In addition, friendship, love, and normal relationships are only possible when people have similar constructs.

Psychosocial Theory

Eriksons theory of personality development emerged from the practice of psychoanalysis. The central point of Eriksons theory of the development of the self is the assumption that a person goes through several stages in the course of life that are universal for all humanity. The epigenetic principle of maturation governs the process of unfolding these stages. The epigenetic concept of development is based on the notion that each life cycle stage occurs at a specific time (Nwoye, 2015). It is also founded on the idea that a fully functioning personality is formed only by progressing through all stages of its development.

Similarities and Differences of Theories

It is essential to mention that the driving force behind personality development is the past, in other words, innate qualities, according to Freuds theory. Thus, psychodynamic theories of personality differ from the cognitive theory of personality in that in the former; these motivating forces should be searched for in the future (Lester, 2019). At the same time, Rogers, in the phenomenological theory of personality, argued that in the study of developmental moving forces, one should proceed from the present (Lester, 2019). Accordingly, these theories have distinct ideas about where influences on the evolution of a particular personality originate.

Significantly, the dispositive theory of personality also indicates that although people are unique, their actions have a certain consistency determined by traits. In turn, the behavioral theory of personality suggests that the main determinants influencing peoples actions are experiences. Thus, the development of personalities depends on the environment where they form skills and reflexes (Lester, 2019). The distinction between these theories is that, unlike dispositional theory, behavioral theorys primary determinant influencing people is environment instead of disposition.

The psychosocial theory is similar to the behavioral approach, as their basic thesis is that personality depends on external circumstances. Accordingly, human beings should pass through certain stages to enhance themselves or to adapt to certain conditions (Lester, 2019). An important statement that characterizes the phenomenological trend is the idea that people are capable of determining their own fate. In the cognitive theory, intellectual processes play an integral role, according to which people can also influence the development of their personality. Jung, complementing the psychodynamic theory of personality, also mentioned that a person has the ability to develop through creative libido (Lester, 2019). Therefore, the theories of personality tried to explain the formation of personality and the factors influencing it; accordingly, they have different and similar properties.

The Multicultural Perspective

A multicultural perspective will enable each individual to choose their path of development. At the same time, people will be assured that the general pattern of society will not complicate their choices, and they will not be judged. In a non-multicultural environment, individuals tend to abandon their identities and subject themselves to collective tendencies (Nwoye, 2015). This results in people missing the right to self-development. Accordingly, there is no individualization of personal identity growth, where the individual can rely on their perspective and creative abilities to find a path in life. This confirms Eriksons theory, which argued that the formation of the human personality is significantly influenced by society and culture (Nwoye, 2015). Thus, a multicultural perspective will enable people to avoid crises and undergo all stages of development.

South African Concepts

It is significant to mention that the subject of identity formation has considerable relevance in the South African context. This is explained by the fact that only individuals who have formed their worldview and identity can influence the political and social processes of the state. If people have not developed an individual identity, then they cannot question unjust laws or the hierarchy of society. Luther expected to be able to affect the development of justice and the rule of law in South Africa as a result of this activity (Nwoye, 2015). At the same time, like Luther, who created an alternative model of the Christian life, Mandela dismantled the apartheid order. The primary objective was to create a system where citizens with multiracial identities could live together without discrimination.

The activist defended personal identity and fought against the collective expression created by apartheid ideology. In this way, these people had one feature that united them: the desire to resist the system and develop their own identities. The article notes the example of an accountant who should become the successor to a grandmother who was a healer (Nwoye, 2015). In reality, the man did not have the ability or desire to accept this role, but societys approved notions and ideology pressured the man to accept it. The primary reasoning was that a negative act would incur the wrath of the ancestors. The young man wanted to preserve a career and not succumb to society (Nwoye, 2015). However, African traditions were stronger, so the man was forced to leave the borders of his native state. This case demonstrates that a person has the right to choose, and even in South Africa, he can choose to develop an identity rather than succumb to a collective idea.

Another narrative suggests that Egbo, a young intellectual with knowledge of African and Western culture, became the successor to the grandfather in the tribe. However, the individual had the right of choice; that is why the man identified as the chief of the African tribe (Nwoye, 2015). Thus, South Africa has a significant influence on the environment, which does not always positively influence the formation of identity. As a rule, people perform the actions that society demands of them. Although even in a traditional ideological society, it is possible to develop ones own identity.

Conclusion

Thus, personality theory can be explained as a set of hypotheses or assumptions regarding the nature and mechanisms of identity development. All personality theories attempt to answer questions such as what a person is and form their vision of identity. At the same time, a multicultural perspective plays an essential role in identity development since it is this perspective that provides the basis for identity formation. From the example of South Africa, it is clear that the absence of this perspective leads to the creation of a collective identity, which does not permit the separate formation of each individual.

References

Abbott, T. (2021). Social and personality development. Routledge.

Cattell, R. B. (2017). The scientific analysis of personality. Routledge.

Lester, D. (2019). Theories of personality: A systems approach. Routledge.

Nwoye, A. (2015). The multicultural relevance of Eriksons Young Man Luther: A study in psychoanalysis and history. Psychotherapy and Politics International, 13(1), 6778.

Pennington, D. C. (2018). Essential personality. Routledge.

People live in the world where they communicate, interact and remain in the constant contact. Moreover, people are in constant development from their birth till their death and this development takes place on both mental and physical level. The physical development is impossible without mental, and the mental development may be decelerate in the case of physical disabilities. Even having learned to walk and to speak, the development continues, the personal values and principles, his/her life priorities change from time to time, depending on the life periods. The mental development of the person continues uninterruptedly and the personal qualities depend on this development, in other words, how high the person is in his/her mental abilities.

Before considering peoples development on the personal example, it is significant to obtain the understanding what the personal development is, what meaning people put in it and how they value personal development. Personal value development is easy to understand if to imagine the long staircase. Being an infant, the personal values are on the lowest stage, then person becomes to go higher and higher. The personal development is always supported by goal. Personal development is a broad process, concerned with motivation, attitudes and personal qualities, as well as job-related skills (Webb & Grimwood-Jones, 2003, p. 3). So, the personal value development takes its roots from the occupation of the personal and the life aims, which are taken from the lifestyle.

The personal development is closely interconnected with the social values. It is impossible to live in the ill society with spoiled understanding of the values and to be highly moral persona, as it is the society, which influences peoples understanding of the level of the moral education and the level to be reached. The versa variant is possible, when some people do not want to reach the level of the moral and ethical development of the society and the problem of the ill personalities in the health society appears. The soul of every person is the organism, which may be either health or ill, depending on the treatment it obtains and the actions the person takes up (Yancy, 2002).

Philip R. Newman (2008) represents the audience with five assumptions of the personal value development which cannot be argued in any sense, as their reliability and trustfulness have been proved by the numerous experiments and personal experience. The personal value development of the person may be characterized by the following issues: (1) grows occurs at every period of life, from conception through very old age, (2) individual lives show community and change as they progress through time, (3) to consider the level of the persons development, all the issues should be developed, such as emotional, social, cognitive capacities and interrelationships, (4) behavior must be interpreted in the context of relevant settings and personal relationships, and (5) people contribute actively to their development (Newman, 2008, p. 5).

All the mentioned issues have the relevance to the personal value development and the discussed points usually occur in the discussion about the personal development. Considering the personal value development in the reference to the personal experience, the best example of the personal values, its development and impact on the professional sphere are the church values and principals. The person is born in the society, where religion plays important role and it is irreversible that the new member of the society comes to be involved in the mentioned religion. From the very childhood the person is taught to the principal issues of the social religion and in the conscious life continues to follow and develop the personal principles which were applied in the childhood.

The church doctrines were applied to me from the childhood, to not abuse, do not use bad language, or do not fight and others. Becoming older, the new principles appeared to be the dominant in my life. The personal experience came to be the main teacher in the life, where the family opinion was crucial for me. The new experience, which became familiar for me, was the attitude to friends. The real value of friendship became possible with the years and the experience. The moral development of me as the personality made it possible to understand that the word should be kept, that the friend support is the most valuable and that it is impossible to betray the friend as the friendship is the most sacred relations on the Earth.

The understanding of the friendship turned to be the most significant in my life. Analyzing the situation, it became convincing that the friendship can be understood only from the personal experience as only having come through the barriers and interceptions personally, begin to understand the value of friendship. The kindergarten shows that people are friend when they share toys and do not quarrel, then at school time the understanding comes that the person is a friend who goes for a walk with you, supports you before the first date and talks to you about your lover. The school friends very often transfer to the best friends, and remain the truest for many years.

Having left the school, the understanding comes that friendship is the deeper feeling than just common interests and the themes to talk about. During the adult life, and especially in the modern world of the capitalistic relations, it becomes obvious that the main word in the friendship definition is unmercenariness. The life experience, which develops from time to time, and which is the part of the personal value development, shows that being unmercenary in the relations is the main sigh of friendship. Furthermore, it can be concluded that friendship is the unmercenary mutual relations between people, which are based on the confidence, sincerity, mutual sympathy and common interests. The main sight of friendship is the respect and tolerance.

So, the development of personal attitude towards the friendship makes it possible for the moral development of the person. The development of any feeling, especially in the reference to the church canons, makes the person be higher, to step forward by the stares of the life development. The staircase is infinite as there is no measure to the improvement and person may develop all the time, while life continues or there is a desire to improve the soul characteristic and to improve the peoples attitude to you. The friendship qualities and characteristic are not measured by the discussed issues, and any person is always opened to the new comings and new realizations in the friendship.

The friendship feeling is very useful on the workplace as the collective relations are based on the same principles as the friendship. To be on god term with the colleagues, simple rules should be followed. First, never try to betray, as betrayal is the core principle in good relationships. Second, respect people who you work with and they will respect you. The reciprocal respect is the significant part of the good work provided and a good result achieving. Third, helping colleagues regarding the work without demanding any payment or service instead, it may be respected to get the disinterested service in future. Being a good colleague is like being a good friend, but without personal issues interference.

Having come to the work, the friendship principles are already formed and it is easy to understand a person who can be relied on and that one who cannot. The high moral principles in reference to the friendship do not allow committing wrong in reference to the colleague. The church understanding that person may not be betrayed, that person should be told only truth and the inability to hurt the person are the principles which should take place on the working place and which are rather helpful for me now. It may be concluded that the level of my personal value of the friendship and personal relation has reached the high level, but still the relation should continue ad experience gathered.

In conclusion, personal value development is the process which continues all the time, from the very beginning, till the very end of the life. People are the social beings and the interconnection in the society is the main predetermine in the direction and the level of personal values. Being a highly developed country, the USA states high standards in the level of personal relations and it is impossible to argue them as the standards of friendship and people relations in the society are supported by church canons, which is the highest level of the trust.

Reference List

Newman, P. R. (2008). Development Through Life: A Psychosocial Approach. Cengage Learning, Stamford.

Webb, S. P. & Grimwood-Jones, D. (2003). Personal development in the information and library profession. Routledge, Oxford.

Yancy, G. (2002). The philosophical I: personal reflections on life in philosophy. Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham.

Exposition

Ladies and gentlemen, Im here today to share with you a very personal event that has had a significant impact on how I view independence and personal development. It was a pivotal moment in my life when I boldly decided to leave my hometowns familiarity and venture into the unknown depths of a new city. Little did I know that this journey would test my resilience and push me to the limits of my comfort zone.

Inciting Incident

The trigger event that set my transformative journey in motion was the day I packed my bags, said my goodbyes to family and friends, and embarked on a solo adventure to a bustling city. Filled with equal parts excitement and trepidation, I set foot in this new environment, eager to explore the possibilities ahead.

Rising Action

As the days turned into weeks, I confronted the realities of being on my own. Loneliness became my constant companion as I navigated the unfamiliar streets and faced the challenges of building a new social network. The once vibrant city seemed daunting and overwhelming, and doubts crept into my mind.

The pursuit of a suitable abode and the attainment of gainful employment unfolded as arduous tasks, surpassing initial expectations. A multitude of rejections and setbacks incessantly assailed my aspirations, subjecting my fortitude to rigorous evaluation and instilling doubt regarding the wisdom of embarking upon this odyssey. The pathway toward self-sufficiency, replete with impediments strewn along its course, intermittently instigated introspection, engendering speculation over the judiciousness of my decision.

Climax

However, amidst the struggle, a defining moment emergedthe turning point shaping my understanding of myself and the world around me. During a lonely evening, as I sat in my sparsely furnished apartment, I realized the true power of resilience and adaptability. I acknowledged that this experience was not just about independence or worldly success but an opportunity for personal growth and self-discovery.

Fueled by determination, I actively sought new connections and opportunities. I stepped out of my comfort zone and joined local clubs and organizations, engaging in activities aligned with my passions. As I immersed myself in the community, I discovered that the city was teeming with vibrant individuals who shared similar experiences and aspirations.

Falling Action and Resolution

After my profound realization, I forged bonds of camaraderie and discovered support systems that metamorphosed into an extended familial milieu within this nascent metropolis. Collectively, we confronted the vicissitudes of adulthood, commingling in jubilation during moments of triumph while offering solace amidst episodic wavering. By chance, I found a job that complemented my preferences and gave me an unmatched sense of fulfillment.

Throughout this journey, I ingrained the truth that genuine maturity and self-unveiling depend on a willingness to go into uncertainty and a passionate embrace of the ensuing unease. The significance of unwavering tenacity and malleability was revealed, as they impel us inexorably forward when confronted with adversarial circumstances.

To wrap it up, my story about moving to a new city taught me important lessons about independence, finding myself, and the strength of being resilient. They highlighted the idea that people often make progress when faced with tough situations. I exhort each of you to wholeheartedly embrace the realm of the unknown, for it is within such interludes that our authentic essences are apprehended. Gratitude resonates for your attention.

Introduction

In this paper, I aim to review and examine my personality and my experiences from a sociological perspective in order to understand how they have influenced my view of others.

Seeing

Sociology sees society from three different perspectives that, together, become a broader view that sees every aspect of our life in a particular way. While I used to see our society from the interactional point of view, I believe now that, in many ways, it relies on functionalism and conflict. I would like to stress the importance of functionalism in society because social functions are something we often use but rarely become aware of. Without social institutions, any society would have transformed into a chaotic field where different actors interact only to support their own interests. I also realized that society without social institutions can often emerge when there is a war, and societys values and culture are no longer in any equilibrium.

It does not mean, however, that there is no conflict or interaction among members of the society. To me, these are just different levels of society, which are also engaged in our life. Societal conflicts are those issues that are currently discussed by the media. As it can be seen, their influence on an individuals life should not be underestimated: gender and race differences have led to many conflicts of interest, often resulting in crime and humiliation. It also seems that conflict theory is often perceived as a minor problem, while it is globally widespread both in the third and first-world countries. As for me, this theory has become a clear explanation of why inequality and poverty still exist, although we have enough resources to solve this problem. Unfortunately, many modern societies are built on conflicts that scarcely support those in need.

Personal Identity

The impact of society on my personal identity was unclear to me because I used to assume that personality and habits are more important than outside influences. However, I see now how habits and preferences can be formed by the society you live in. A simple example of it is the differences in pace speed between someone who lives in New York and someone who lives in a rural town in the American South.

Many of my habits and even wishes were shaped by the society I live in, my friends and family. However, I can also notice if someone close to me has borrowed my words or phrases I often use in conversations. I have experienced this several times, especially with new friends: when you get closer, you start to notice that they copy your behavior in some ways, and you copy theirs.

What is more, I also realized how important the self-concept is, and how easily society can influence it. I see myself as a friendly person, but once somebody told me that one of my acquaintances saw me as a person difficult to approach. I did not pay much attention to this observance, but several days later, I caught myself analyzing every conversation that I have had with this person to understand why it was difficult for them to talk to me freely. During this self-analysis, I remembered a couple of awkward conversations that could have had an adverse impact on my friends and acquaintances. Thus, although most of the people close to me would not agree with this statement, this person had the ability to show me my other side that I refused to see or acknowledge.

Social Interactions

Social interactions are an everyday part of our life; without them, humanity would not be able to achieve even the simplest goals. However, the hierarchy of social interactions is something that has influenced my perception of family and friends. The facts that social interactions are shaped by specific rules that rely on a hierarchy were a new thought to me, although I have always recognized the frameworks and patterns that different social interactions require to function. What is more, I also realized that differences in social interactions could be blurred, for example, when you interact with your parents as you would with your friends. Although not common for every family, this approach is often used to support healthy relationships between family members.

The social hierarchy also exists among friends. For example, some of my friends can tolerate speaking about politics but refuse to talk about religion. Other friends, however, are more open to such discussions. Here, a type of social hierarchy is created: certain topics are tabooed by one group of social interaction agents but supported by the other.

The symbols used in social interaction are also of absolute importance. Without them, many of the social interactions we lead become meaningless; furthermore, symbols used in social interactions are also defined by the culture we live in. This implies that some of the symbols can have multiple meanings in different cultures. That is why friendships with members of other cultures can be enriching: they provide me with new perspectives on symbols and their interpretations.

Schooling

The differences in schooling and education are significant among countries, cultures, and societies. It should also be remembered that approaches to education can differ even in American states. Depending on the society we live in, its values, and beliefs, the educational system also aims to shape us as a member of this society who will support the ideas that circulate in it. Different sociologists have studied the American education system and schooling. As they have accurately found out, this system is built on competitiveness and individualism  virtues highly valued in American society. Nevertheless, I would also like to point out that, although American education is focused on an individual, American society also sees community as an essential and important part of it. That is why I often contemplate the individualism in American society that is so highly valued. The well-being of a social group, i.e. the community, is also seen as one of the goals of American individuals. That is why I believe that American society is not as individualistic as some sociologists claim.

Social placement that education guarantees are another topic I find controversial because this social placement is not always fair. Although education implies those who are most competent and successful will be rewarded, it does not view the inability to compete as a set of factors that a person sometimes cannot change. This, in return, leads to a conflict of interest. While some of the students who have more resources and abilities to be educated strive for better education, others cannot compete with them, which leads to inequality based on the wrong balance of resources. Thus, I see American education as a social system that does not always function correctly.

Media and Technology

The influence of media on society is evident: in the era of instant news, everyday breakthroughs, sensations, and momentary trends, opinions and beliefs are shaped by what we see in the media. Today, it is difficult to understand whether society influences media more or vice versa. However, this change in relationships between a person and information would not be possible if the digital revolution never happened.

Every movie, book and TV show we see have a direct impact on our perception of the world. Although these may contain positive messages, they are often built on stereotypes and clichés. Nevertheless, if one compares movies from the 1990s to those filmed in the 2010s, it will be clear how different those societies were, what dreams and aims they promoted, and how they depicted other societies. In my opinion, the level of awareness of technologys impact on our life is rising, but it would be unreasonable to abandon it. Instead, society should focus on technology as a tool of mass education, power, social change, and equality. Although the issue with big data collection and surveillance is an alarming one, I am convinced that the potential of new media is in its ability to spread news and information incredibly fast, engaging millions in possible social changes. As any power tools, media and technology are capable of substantially improving our society, as well as dividing it. One should not forget that media (i.e. games, films, YouTube podcasts, etc.) also promote violence and fake news, which eventually harms other people, their life and self-perception (for example, see the recent scandal with the YouTube blogger PewDiePie).

Religion

The influence of religion cannot be underestimated because, in many ways, it forms our life and our relationships with others and with the world. I see religion both as a powerful tool that can enrich ones life and a tool that can divide societies apart. Although scientific thinking and approach grow stronger every day, and science has found answers to questions that were regarded as religious before, it is unlikely that the importance of religion will decrease in the next several decades. Religion can serve as a supporting force or belief that helps one acknowledge the worlds imperfection and understand what one can do to make this world a better place.

Religion can be a fundamental part of human society, and many of its rules and traditions are often deeply rooted in the religion or are even acknowledged at the national level. Religion has the power to shape ones morals and ethics, provide a basis for spiritual life that also influences private life.

At the same time, I do agree with the sociologic point of view that individuals experience the need for a fair and ordered world and that religion is capable of providing such a belief to those who need it. In this case, religion can be seen as a part of an individuals beliefs that influence ones perception of their quality of life. In a secular society, religion can be of utter importance to those who do not agree to abandon their faith in God. Moreover, this belief can also bind different people from various social groups that share the same religion.

I see that religion loses its power in some of the areas in society that is used to regulate, such as births, marriages, deaths, etc. As our society becomes more modern, it seeks other tools that can operate the world we live in. It is not surprising and quite comprehensive; however, I would not agree with the statement that religious influence will entirely cease one day. Since many of our moral beliefs are based on religion, they will also continue to exist in the future, even if there is no religion at all.

Gender and Social Class

Although I noticed some gender roles when I was a child, it did not occur to me how important they were until high school. The cultural acceptance of your gender role is seen as one of the most basic needs when you are a child, or even in your teenage years, although you try to be different in everything else. The fear of rejection, as it seems to me, is a concept that is tightly bound to gender roles. Thus, we are being taught to behave in one way or another according to our gender roles, and we transfer these expectations to everyone else  our friends, lovers, children, etc. That is why the first encounter with reversed gender roles can be so confusing and even embarrassing; this trick is often used in comedies when we are introduced to a man who is wearing a dress, and we are expected to see it as funny because it goes beyond our understanding of gender norms. Nevertheless, as I grew older, I saw that gender role had a direct impact on ones life. Today, the existing inequalities are often discussed but are not resolved.

Gender roles and gender differences are also linked to the issue of social class, where particular groups of people earn more than others. It is hardly surprising that there are fewer female representatives of the upper class than there are of the lower. The same can be said about ethnic and sexual minorities. Often, but not always, gender roles define which of the classes an individual will belong. We as members of society need to examine the impact of gender roles more carefully to understand how these issues can be resolved.

American Society

The one thing that is very prominent in American society is its attention and approach towards the history of the USA. History defines American society in many aspects, and history is often addressed by members of this society to understand or examine certain issues. The problem of religion, race, gender, power, influence, and individualism is seen as sensitive and sometimes even controversial ones; however, without them, American society would not be as diverse as it is. Although many claims that freedom and liberty are essential virtues, I often notice that freedom is limited in many ways in American society, although not always consciously or with an evil intention. Instead, just as any other society, Americans need to work on the issue of freedom to ensure that it is available to anyone, and not only to those who have enough recourses and power to exploit their freedom and freedom of others. I also believe that although American society can be seen as individualistic, it highly values interrelationships and support within groups or society.

Executive Summary

This personal development plan is an important and very helpful tool that is in the disposal of someone who recently finished her studies. Even if there is so much learning in the theoretical aspect of managing a business there is nothing like working in a real-world setting. The personal development will provide the needed information regarding personality types and the kind of leader that I will become.

The Myers-Briggs Type indicator is one of the most helpful tools. It is an assessment tool that allows the user to find out how he deals with people as well as the internal and external environment. This is also a tool that will help the user to determine the way he or she will solve problems and accomplish a task. There is a way to find out if someone is people-oriented or task-oriented. The ability to find out what the person is capable of doing and how he or she will react in a given situation will help the person make prudent choices.

After understanding personality types and even the propensity of the person to adhere to a particular leadership style will help in formulating a plan that hopefully will limit the trial-and-error aspect of job hunting as well as determining the kind of career that is suitable for the person.

In order to find out if the person really understood and internalised the personality type as well as leadership style there is a need to develop SMART goals. This will later be used as a gauge to discover if the person is well aware of his or her strengths and weaknesses. More importantly the SMART goals also provide a guide that the person will follow in determining his personal growth in the business sector that he or she chose to build their careers.

Introduction

This Personal Development Plan (PDP) will be of assistance when it comes to choosing a career. This PDP is not only a helpful tool when it comes to making long-term decisions, it will also help in determining short-term goals such as in making the decision on what position I will be applying for. The PDP will help me make the correct decision considering the fact that I will be applying for an entry level job after finishing my studies. In this regard the PDP will also help me formulate strategies and then determine with clarity the specific steps that I will embark next when I am ready to work as a professional. More importantly, the results of the PDP can help me position myself in the industry sector of choice as well as provide the necessary tools on how to adapt to a new environment as well as adjust to a new group of friends, co-workers and superiors. The ability to understand my personality types, and the inherent strengths and blind spot linked to that personality will enable me to make the necessary changes so that improvements in character and skills will help shorten the distance between career goals and professional achievements.

My Career

The perfect job for me is to become the director of the food and beverage (F&B) department of a large hotel. I choose to live and work in Singapore for I believe that in Singapore there are plenty of opportunities where I can hone my skills and become a successful professional working in the F&B sector. According to a government sponsored website, Singapore has been ranked alongside Hong Kong and Australia as one of the three major eating capitals in the Asia Pacific region (Spring Singapore, 2009). This strengthens my resolve to work in F&B because I want to oversee and delegate different sub-units such as: the food production or kitchen department; room service; alcoholic beverage etc. This is a complex job especially in a five-star hotel where there one can find a coffee shop, a gourmet restaurant, a poolside snack bar, request for room service, banquet halls, function rooms, piano bar, lounge, nightclub, and lobby bar (Rutherford & M. OFallon, 2007). This kind of job fits my personality. It will allow me to have the kind of position that will provide a good salary as well as the ability to demonstrate my problem solving-skills and how to manage people.

At this point in my career it would be too early and to presumptuous to desire for a high level executive position because aside from the learning curve that I have to deal with in the new job, I am also aware that I do not have natural leadership abilities as seen in various personality and skills tests that I was able to complete. I do not hesitate to admit that my verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning skills are not at par with those whom I suppose could lead multi-national companies. I have time and have an opportunity to improve my skills and my abilities therefore at this point, early in my career I would like to focus more on learning and education as my primary goal in my entry level job.

Industry Sector and Location

The industry sector that I would want to be working in is the Food and Beverage sector in Singapore. The F&B sector is one of the most important sectors in any first-rate country. This is so true for Singapore because it is an economic hub in Asia and conducts business in a global scale (Sung, 2006). It is a melting pot of culture as well as magnet for tourists coming from all over the planet. As a result, the hotels in this tiny city-state must offer quality service especially in the food service aspect of the F&B. The F&B sector is something that does not deal with abstract ideas. The CEO and the top honchos of the company can setup a system and I would be very happy to follow it. There is no need for me to think of creative solutions to problem. There is predictability in this sector and this would fit my personality.

The decision to work in Singapore was an easy decision on my part. My cultural roots are in Singapore and I know the place more than any other nation in this world. It would be to my advantage to find a job in Singapore. I perfectly understand the culture and even how the business and politics converge to create a city that may be unimpressive in natural resources but known as a significant economic player in Asia and even the rest of the world. I know the people and it would be much easier for me to deal with them the moment I am promoted to a managerial position.

Problem solving and decision making

At the very beginning of my journey as a professional working in the F&B industry I am faced with the problem with regards to my employment. I have to choose from among a list of employers and then go through these alternatives to determine where I should apply. One of the best tools that can be used to solve this dilemma is the Rational Decision-making model. In this model the most important thing to do is to develop alternatives and then evaluate each one according to criteria defined earlier (Robbins, S.P., Judge, T.A., Millett, B., Waters-Marsh, T., 2008). The only assumption for this decision-making model to work is to have a clear understanding of the problem and the needed outcome (Robbins, S.P., Judge, T.A., Millett, B., Waters-Marsh, T., 2008). In this case, it is to make the correct decision with regards to what hotel I will submit my application to.

Another decision-making model that can be used to reveal the best course of action is the Kleins Recognition Primed Decision Model (Osland, J.S., Kolb, D.A., Rubin, I.M., 2007). In this model the one making the decision has to have an overview of the industry, find out what are the opportunities available and then link it to my needs. After deciding on a course of action, this model will also help me to determine the upside and downside of that particular decision. The only caveat for this decision-making model is the fact that the one who uses it must have a prior experience when it comes to making crucial decisions. Still, I can use it as a basis for making the correct decision.

How and why I am suited to working in my chosen sector

According to noted behaviourist Isabel Briggs Myers, a person does not think or behave in random. Most of the time he follows a pattern and this pattern can be studied. Building on principles developed by Carl Jung the mother-daughter tandem of Katharine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers developed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). This system will help the person discover his or her personality type. The beauty of the MBTI system is that it focuses on four areas a) the direction that a person focuses his or her attention; b) the way a person digests information and deciding whether to trust it or not; c) the way a person makes decisions; and d) the way a person reacts to the external environment and how he or she orients itself to it (Robbins et al. 2008).

There are four dimensions considered in this system of determining personality types and the proponent of the MBTI simplified it into: 1) extroversion vs. introversion; 2) sensing vs. intuition; 3) feeling vs. thinking; and 4) perception vs. judgment (Robbins et al. 2008). After going through the MBTI test it was discovered that I am an ISFJ. This is the combination of Introversion, Sensing, Feeling, and Judgment. This combination is also known as the Protector.

A Protector is considered as one of the most patient and considerate among the 16 types. One of the most interesting features of the ISFJ type is the assertion that they are quiet, reserved and modest but with the strong urge to help other people. With the exception of the first descriptive term given above  quiet  the Protector is indeed the best person to be working as a manager for the F&B sector. This can be easily understood by looking at the chaotic and noisy environment in the kitchen department and the stress levels in the preparation room where drinks and food are being made ready before being sent out to room service. During these times one needs a leader who is reserved and modest but with the strong urge to help others. This means that the Protector can easily dissociate the system from the person and encourage those who needed encouragement as well as guidance. In a tense environment a disciplinarian or an authoritarian figure is not helping simplify and reduce the problems in that particular area of responsibility.

Moreover, the Protector is a stickler for details but at the same time they long to see the human purpose and relevance and therefore has the propensity to treat co-workers and those under him or her as a human being and not just a statistic. Aside from that the Protector is also someone who prefers to maintain the harmony of the group and would willingly support traditions. These traits are very important in a hotel where guests expect to be treated the same way as the last time they checked in to that particular hotel. They came back because they were happy with the service and so they want to experience the same satisfaction once again.

The proponent of this professional development plan will be suited to working in the F&B sector because this is the sector where a lot of personal interaction is needed. The ISFJ result also strengthens this view because it means that I have the ability to sense if there are employees or hotel staffs that are having problems. Other personality types may chastise them for not doing their jobs but in my case I have the ability to help them achieve their full potential. Moreover, the results of the various personality tests reveal that I would do well working with a large group of people.

My most important attitudes, values and motivators

I am also suited to this job because of my learning style. According to the Learning Style Inventory Feedback report I am a clarifier. This learning style can be simplified into two statements: I prefer to know the details of implementation, clear structure and steady progress. I believe that owners of five-star hotels would prefer this kind of learner. A large hotel can only be run by a system  a system that has to be followed closely and without deviation. I do not have the tendency to experiment and to innovate and therefore I would be very happy to be given a clear set of instructions to be followed exactly as stated.

Role of Emotional and social intelligence in job selection

Emotional and social intelligence is a way of measuring not what a person knows but how he or she can adapt and succeed in a new environment or in a work environment where there is high levels of stress and pressure (Robbin et al. 2008). A person can have so much head knowledge but if he or she does not know how to deal with people and problems brought by the external environment then chances are he or she may not succeed in the workplace. This is a concern of mine because the self-assessment I-E-1 reveal that my emotional intelligence score is only 35. I do not belong to the higher echelons of well-adjusted and with very high emotional intelligence.

This means that I may have a hard time dealing with a pressure packed jobs and to make matters worse I may not be able to resolve difficult problems in the workplace. In a tough working environment such as the F&B sector where the customers are always right no matter how ridiculous their demands may be, there is a need for a leader who can balance everything and keep everyone level-headed even if there is a mini-crisis brewing within the hotel premises. I need to work on this area in my life.

Leadership Potential

When it comes to leadership potential I firmly believe that I am a people-oriented leader. This means that I am in a good fit to work in the F&B sector where the main business is not manufacturing goods but dealing with people  both employees and customers. A task-oriented leader will not be suitable in this kind of work environment because he is only focused on the task at hand. A customer will notice that even if the food was delivered on time the disposition of the hotel staff is as important as the meal.

Moreover, a people-oriented leader will find it easy to inspire a team of workers to accomplish a complex and energy-draining job. He would find a way to make them feel special and an important part of the system. According to the review of literature some of the more effective leaders are those who have people skills. These are the leaders who can balance the need to finish the work on time and at the same time be well aware that the people behind it needed to guidance and affirmation in order to sustain a job well done.

Approaches to power, politics and influence

Based on the results of the assessments I do not have the propensity to be a Machiavellian type of leader. My leadership is not aggressive and doing something without thinking about the welfare of others. Authority will not be used simply as a means to an end. It would be to bring those who are under my authority to achieve their full potential. Authority will also be used prudently to ensure harmony within the group. This is a commendable trait because there is evidence that will show a decline in performance if there is an autocratic leader dominating a group (Robbins et al., 2008). I believe that I prefer forming coalitions than acting as if I can do it on my own. I feel empowered if clusters of individuals will come together and work to complete a task or solve a specific problem. I also believe that my team will feel the same.

Career Goals

A career goal is important. Those who are not aiming for anything will usually achieve nothing. A career goal is like a plan that can be used as a guide to chart the journey towards learning to become a better leader and how to be in a position that I will be satisfied and happy. The PDP that is being developed can help in shaping that career goal. It will also provide the necessary tools that will narrow down the focus of the job hunt and every activity related to finding a suitable work environment and work opportunities.

To obtain a position as an executive assistant in the local Food and Beverage Industry commencing November 2009 after my completion of my degree course

Working in the F&B sector requires experience. There is no amount of college education that can adequately prepare a person to work in a hotel for instance. If I will be accepted as an executive assistant to one of the executives to any of the five-star hotels in Singapore then this will be a good starting point. I will learn the business of running a hotel with the mindset of a leader. By working under the tutelage of an executive I will be able to have a birds eye-view of the hotel operations and when I decide to move into a more specific role then I know what I am getting into. The main goal is to enhance learning and education regarding issues pertaining to the food and beverage department of a five-star hotel.

To be promoted as the assistant to the Food and Beverage Director of the hotel by first quarter of 2011

If I work hard and work smart under the wings of a seasoned executive then it will not take long before other leaders will notice my capability to follow instructions and to complete a task thoroughly. They will also realise that I have the skills to coordinate tasks and to communicate what the leader wanted a subordinate to do. As the go between the executive and other low ranking employees this skill can be sharpened for more than a year of working as an executive assistant. Thus, it will not take long before I can request to work as the assistant to the Food and Beverage director of the said hotel. My job will be more complicated but I would be in a position close to my heart.

To manage one subunit of the Food and Beverage Department e.g. the Room Service or the Wine and Liquor subunit by 1^st quarter of 2013

This is a major step up to the ladder of leadership. The job requirements will be more complicated than the previous positions but this will be more challenging and more satisfying. This also means that I am closer to my goal. This will allow me the chance to work with a greater number of people. The pressure is more intense as I will have the chance to have a face-to-face encounter with the customers and at times be forced to make quick decisions. This level of job requirements will help accelerate my growth as a leader and as a practitioner of the art and science of handling the food and beverage department.

To be the assistant to the Food and Beverage Director of a five-star hotel in Singapore by last quarter of 2019

After rising from the ranks and working for close to ten years in various capacities and in various positions relating to Food and Beverage, it is fair to assume that at this point I have mastered how to manage the food and beverage department of the said hotel. I have an overview of the whole operations and not just form the perspective of a kitchen staff. By this time I know how the system works from the moment the customers complete their reservations to the time that they actually set foot on the hotel and order food and beverage. Moreover, by this time I would have a good track record to show that I know how to work with people, with groups of people tasked to do a variety of jobs and on a very tight schedule. The ability to manage human and non-human resources will help me secure the job.

To be the Food and Beverage Director of a five-star hotel in Singapore by last quarter of 2024

Five years is enough time to learn everything needed to assume the role of the Food and Beverage Director of a Five Star hotel in Singapore. At this point I would have gone through more than a decade of training and learning from some of the best people handling F&B. Through the years the experiences, the victories and failures have helped shaped my character and has added much to my knowledge of the industry. This will give me the confidence to move forward and be able to have a career that will make me a fulfilled professional working in a place that I truly love.

Conclusion

This personal development plan is a helpful tool in determining where to start and then how to build a career in Food and Beverage sector. The most helpful feature of the plan is the tools that help in determining my personality and the leadership style that I prefer. The Myers-Briggs MBTI tool is exceptionally helpful in this regard and I get to know more about myself that I would not have known if I simply relied on my assumptions or the biased comments of those who are close to me. This type of psychological and personality tests will confirm what I had known in the past regarding my strengths and weaknesses as well as open my mind on how to improve on my potential pitfalls and blind spots.

References

Osland, J.S., Kolb, D.A., Rubin, I.M., (2007) How people really make decisions, in The Organisational Behaviour Reader 8th edn, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, pp.528-541.

Robbins, S.P., Judge, T.A., Millett, B., Waters-Marsh, T. (2008). Organisational Behaviour (5th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education.

Rutherford, D. & M. OFallon. (2007). Hotel Management and Operations. (4thed.) New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Sung, J. (2006). Explaining the Economic Success of Singapore. UK: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.