Development Focus

Lisa Smirnova

Lisa Consulting

Outcomes

• To discuss what is meant by “Development Focus” in the context of self reliance skills.
• To analyze the concepts underpinning development focus.
• To recognize and use at least one approach to self development.

Definition: Self Reliant Individual

Is

• “aware of the changing world of work, takes responsibility for his or her own career and personal development and is able to manage the relationship with work and with learning throughout all stages of life”

(Hawkins,1995)

Development Focus Link

"Improving and growing"

• Committed to lifelong learning
• Understands preferred method & style of learning
• Reflects on learning from experiences good and bad
• Able to learn from the mistakes of others

The Employer as Customer

• Development Focus
• Find a suitable prospective employer
• Meet the employer’s needs to the best of your ability
• Changes self profile skills set
• Learning from mistakes
• Learning through reflection on experiences

Self Reflection Model

Experience -- Reflection -- Knowledge/Learning

• Experiential Learning
• More structured and formalized combination of experience and reflection.
• Examples: honors projects; work shadowing; industrial placement.
• Models: Kolb, Dewey
• Tools: diary, observation
• Application to work placement

Experiential Learning Cycle

Ref. KOLBKolb, D.A. 1984, Experiential learning; Prentice-Hall, p 42

• Concrete experience
• Observations
• Abstract concepts and generalizations
• Testing implications or concepts in new situations

Dewey’s Modelof Experiential Learning

• Impulse
• Judgment
• Observation
• Knowledge
• Purpose

Diary

• daily
• do, think, feel
• Plummer (1983) - logs; diaries; diary interviews
• data from perspective of individual
• useful for sensitive information
• alternative to direct observation
• encouragement over record keeping period
• confidentiality

Application to Work Placement

1. Records
2. Reflections
   Reactions, feelings, work, tasks, colleagues, boss, circumstances
3. Analysis
   What was learned
4. General conclusions
   Strengths, weaknesses, achievements
5. CV

Debriefing

Opportunity for the person to reflect in a critical way on all that has gone on before so as to learn more effectively from it.

1. Identify placement
2. Customer's future learning cycle
3. Identify the learning objectives (briefing)
4. Carry out the work
5. Evaluate the outcomes (debriefing)

Debriefing 2

Develop personal and interpersonal skills, knowledge and understanding of the management functions.

Develop knowledge and understanding of the business functions and how they interrelate.