Professional Development Matrix
Competency
Self-Management competency
selected:-
Learning Styles
Interpersonal competency
selected:-
Handling emotion & conflict
Current Ability
The class activity indicted that I was a
reflector, with high scores in both theorists
and pragmatist styles also. I expected this.
However my peers found this shocking as
they stated I presented activist qualities. I
understand why they might have this
perception however I truly prefer to sit and
watch rather than be centre of attention. I
believe I can take on an activist’s role
should the situation call for it. This I find to
be a core strength as it allows me to adapt to
the situation as required.
Understanding ones emotions as well as
others is now seen as a core skill which all
diligent managers should hold. After taking
the stress-prone questionnaire I can see that
I am not prone to high levels of stress
however I may still be at risk of a number of
medical ailments. This is not surprising to
me as I am aware that although I appear
calm, in a high stress situation I do succumb
to the pressures that may occur. Also by
completing an online assessment I was able
to determine that my ability to read people
and understand emotions is higher than
average. Shortfalls were seen in using
emotions.
1
Potential Applications Core Concepts
On reflection, being perceived as an Learning Style
activist but feeling I am a reflector (Honey & Mumford
means I can present both their strengths 1986)
and weaknesses. For example, when
assuming the activist’s role I can Reflective Practice
sometimes be too quick to make a (Schon 1983)
decision. If the results are adverse then
it can lead me to question my ability. In
order to be an effective manager I need
to find the right balance between
making timely but accurate decisions; I
need to trust myself rather than feel
forced into a role by the expectations of
others.
Although I show good understanding of
emotion, learning to use them to my Managing Emotions
advantage is a skill which I must (Barsade & Gibson
continue to acquire. However my 2007).
greatest strength came in being able to
control my own emotions this will help
me in the future as I am able to change Type A personality
my emotion to link with what is (Friedman 1996)
required at the time. I must aim to
become a more rounded individual and
learn to read people better. I believe I
can achieve this through participation in
professional skills workshops and
continued reflection.
Self-Development competency
selected:-
Reflective Thinking
Personal Leadership
competency selected:-
Emotional Intelligence
Engaging with others
competency selected:-
The reflective journal has allowed me to
critique my thinking which has developed
over the past several weeks. I have realised
that a key strength I posses is that I do
constantly reflect on how others act around
me in return paying great attention on how I
act towards them. When applying Moon
(1999) it can be seen that I am better at
reflecting on my basic and additional
observations however my failing arises
when having to revisit the experience as I
would rather move on straight away to the
next experience. This can mean key aspects
of the experience are missed.
After participating in an online emotional
intelligence questionnaire my results
indicate that I have a competent/high level
of emotional understanding. I am able to
identify basic emotions accurately both
within myself and others. However I must
work harder as my understanding of the
specific situation that can cause complex
situations is slightly weak. I feel this is
something that should be addressed as even
after completing a questionnaire on
communication style my results were
surprising. I perceive myself to be a
collaborator however my results were tied
between both accommodating and
collaborator.
Within the course a large number of students
are from international countries. In order to
work effectively understanding others is in
2
Although I feel I reflect heavily during Stages of Reflection
the event, I often fail to return back to (Moon 1999)
the original experience and apply my
new found knowledge. This should be Reflective Practice
addressed as part of moving forward is (Schon 1983)
looking at the past and learning from
the areas of improvement. This would
be a requirement for any executive
manager as it ensures past mistakes are
not repeated. Therefore continued
reflection is a key employability skill
that would be expected at the career
level I aim to achieve.
An individual with an accommodating communication style
communication style has little concern questionnaire
for self and more for others. On http://www.myskillsprofi
reflection I realise that this is a quality le.com
which I do normally show as I am more
willing to give way and possibly lose an Emotional Intelligence
argument in order to move forward. I Questionaire
care for the other party’s emotions http://www.myskillsprofi
however instead of constantly giving le.com
way I am able to meet half way and
achieve my goals as well as the others. Managing Emotions
In order to continue to move forward in (Barsade, S G & Gibson,
becoming a stronger collaborator I can D E 2007).
look to enhance the skills I already hold
through consistent reflection and
practice.
My aim is to achieve a high National Culture
management status within an ( Hofstede 1994)
organisation. Organisations of this level
Cultural Awareness imperatives to the success of the module.
The class activity on perception looked at
women within the work place. I realised that
other cultures may have very different views
on women in the workplace. It was at this
point I realised the fact although I am
relatively open minded to other cultures, I
have a great weakness in having real life
experiences working with them. Thus my
overall understanding of how their cultures
operate in comparison to the British culture
is relatively weak.
are constantly increasing the number of Cultural Differences in
investments which they have in other Perception
countries. Therefore in order to attain (Dunkerley & Robinson
this level I must understand the cultural 2002)
attributes which have shaped the
country. Hofstede (1986) developed a
model to understand how culture has
shaped the people. I can use models like
these to understand the cultural points
of view and why they are more likely to
perform in a certain manner. This will
improve my understanding of other
cultures and ultimately put me in good
stead to achieve my goal.

References
Barsade, S G & Gibson, D E (2007). "Why Does Affect Matter in Organizations?" Academy of Management Perspectives, February, 36-59
Dunkerley, K J & Robinson, W P (2002) “Similarities and differences in perceptions and evaluations of the communication styles of American and
British mangers.” Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 21 (4), pp393-409
Friedman, M. (1996). Type A Behavior: Its Diagnosis and Treatment. New York, Plenum Press (Kluwer Academic Press)
Hofstede, G. (1994). “The Business of International Business is Culture”. International Business Review. 3 (1), p1-14.
Honey & Mumford (1986) Using your learning styles. Maidenhead: Peter Honey
Moon, J.A. (1999) Reflection in Learning and Professional Development, Kogan Page.

MSP. (2010). Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (EIQ16). Available: http://www.myskillsprofile.com/tests/eiq16. Last accessed 20th

MSP. (2010). Communication Style. Available: http://www.myskillsprofile.com/. Last accessed 30th October 2010

SCHÖN D A (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: how professionals think in action London: Temple Smith