MWM010-Personal Development

Module Provider: Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour
Number of credits: 0 [0 ECTS credits]
Level:7
Terms in which taught: Autumn / Spring / Summer module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2018/9

Email: chris.dalton@henley.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

The Personal Development module is an integrated and holistic part of the post-experience MBA programme at Henley Business School. It seeks to support and challenge managers in all aspects of their growth while studying and is a catalyst for reflection on learning from all other modules and aspects of the MBA.

Personal Development is defined as the identification and removal of those restraints that limit the likelihood of sustainable individual, organisational, social and environmental health and well-being.

Aims:
Personal Development Planning is

􀀓a structured and supported process undertaken by a learner to reflect upon their own learning,
performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career
development.􀀔 (From Personal Development Planning: Guidance for institutional policy and
practice in Higher Education. Quality Assurance Agency, 2009)

There are four ideas at the heart of the Personal Development activities at Henley:

1. PD is a holistic activity. It starts with raising self-awareness about personal values, beliefs,
capabilities, motivations and approaches to learning and leads to a broad understanding of the role
of the manager in society.
2. Self-awareness requires the space and time to reflect
3. From reflection on current reality, learners find and move towards aims and goals (at work and in
life) by establishing where there are gaps and systematically building a personal action plan
4. The articulation of thoughts, emotions, goals and achievements across a range of media and the
demonstration of critical thinking are necessary outcomes to measure personal development

The module is part of other structured activities that include Careers Support to develop employability and
career progression, and learning and pastoral Support from Personal Tutors and School Administration to
maintain good academic progression. The module aims to enable each Programme Member to:

? take control of their direction
? have and pursue life and career goals
? obtain maximum benefit for self and organisation from the learning opportunity
? reflect upon their own learning, performance and achievement and plan for their personal,
educational and career development
? support the assessment of learning outcomes as stated in the programme and subject module
specifications

Assessable learning outcomes:

Knowledge and understanding - Programme Members will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of Personal Development by: i) developing a structured and critical approach to self-development ii) reflecting on their own self-awareness, and their use of psychometric and related instruments iii) stating and revising goals, developing a review and planning process iv) understanding their values and motivation as driving factors in managing work-life balance and career v) reflecting on environmental factors driving change in organisational structure and the patterns and character of work, employment and career. 

Cognitive and intellectual skills - Programme Members will demonstrate their cognitive development in Personal Development by: i) linking the different parts of the programme and maintaining a clear overview of their studies ii) recording experiences and achievements, reflecting critically, and maintaining a record with appropriate evidence incorporating a learning journal, on what has been learned and how it has been applied iii) identifying how to be a more independent learner iv) reviewing strengths and weaknesses.

Behavioural skills - Programme Members will: i) reflect on and implement an action plan ii) deploy a range of inter-personal skills, especially those relating to building and working in teams: communication, facilitation and coaching

Additional outcomes:

Outline content:

PART 1 - Perspective

Section 1: Personal development planning and self-development.

? Establishing why you are here ? What managers do; seeing strengths and weaknesses in your practice ? The personal development process: planning, learning, application of learning, reflection and recording ? Learning support: study skills and learning groups

Section 2: Self-awareness and reflection

? Learning as an adult, and “learning to learn”: the learning cycle, lifecycle and learning styles ? Personality, Values and motivation ? Reflection in personal development

Section 3: Development plans

? Team roles, team building and group dynamics,interpersonal skills for building and working in teams ? Dealing with personal dilemmas and choices: reconciling personality, motives, values and aspirations ? Gap analysis, goal setting, action planning, reflection and recording progress

PART 2 - Relationships

Section 4: Building career

? Defining what career means ? Progression in role and career development: the Career Anchor ? Finding flow & happiness at work: resilience & passion

Section 5: Networks and Personal Brand

? The social context of being a manager ? Personal Branding as a thought leader

PART 3 - Personal Development: Purpose

Section 6: The Reflective Practitioner

? The nature of reflection: a relational view of process and purpose in PD ? Concept of the Reflective Practitioner ? Reflect and review of plans and goals

Section 7: Four Elements of Balance

? Revisit the question of balance in life ? Your long-term Personal Development Strategy ? Commitment to finishing the course

Section 8: Epilogue

? Thinking biases ? Five principles of Personal Development

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

Personal Development Review and Planning

The module is designed around a core process of teaching and ‘learning by reflection’ to equip Programme Members to prepare a Personal Development Reflection and Plan at the start of Stage 1. This is then updated iteratively towards the end of Stages 1 and 2 of the programme. At the end of Stage 3, members complete a final written course reflection. Each Stage of the programme explores a particular theme. In Stage 1 this is the “perspective” of the individual, in Stage 2 it is “relationships”, for example at the organisational level, and in the final Stage it is “purpose” and connection to wider environments for PD.

Blended Learning

The module will adopt a blended learning approach combining: ? on-line resources and exercises, supporting a Study Guide, supported by a Personal Tutor ? a core sequence of PD workshops, the mix dependent on programme mode ? a core text distributed in hard copy to all Programme members (currently: A Managers Guide to Self-Development (2013, 6th edition) Pedler, Burgoyne and Boydell) ? A series of additional online support resources are made available throughout the programme. 

Self-awareness and Team-building: Personal and Team Goals

Self-awareness is a key element in the PD process and assessment. Typically Programme Members will obtain information on their personality, team roles, learning style, values and motivation and be given opportunities to undertake a team-building activity designed to establish a charter for their learning team. It is a significant part of the development experience that individual development goals co-exist with team goals and may give rise to dynamic tension. It is for programme members individually and collectively in their teams, to manage this process to maximise the benefits for all parties, drawing from the teambuilding activity and charter.

Participative Style:

On-line activities and face-to-face workshops are conducted in a participative style to provide opportunities for PMs to practice relevant behaviours, especially relating to the core skills of communication, facilitation and coaching.

Summative assessment- Examinations:

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

Formative assessment methods:

Programme members must submit their first assignment near the start of the programme in Stage 1 and then a Personal Development Review and Plan at the end of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the programme. PD Reviews should be reflective in style and should comment on the context, e.g. relating to development achieved (including where appropriate in-company processes), the rationale for the selection of development goals and demonstrate an evolving sense of personal development as part of their management practice. PD Plans should focus on development goals, noting in particular the opportunity to demonstrate competence in behavioural learning outcomes. The assessment involves two criteria that connect action to thinking: 1. Increasing evidence of understanding and skills relating to the generic process of reflection: the critical review of experience, analysis and recording of learning, and statement or application of new perspectives. 2. Increasing evidence of understanding and skills relating to the purpose of reflection: the appropriate application of reflection to your Personal Development. Justification of an agenda of short, medium and long term goals, sense-making as a manager and groundwork for development of competences and perspectives needed for Senior Leadership. 

Penalties for late submission:
Penalties for late submission on this module are in accordance with the University policy. Please refer to page 5 of the Postgraduate Guide to Assessment for further information: http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/exams/student/exa-guidePG.aspx

Assessment requirements for a pass:
It is a 􀀑gateway􀀒 assessment (no marks or grades are awarded) with a 􀀓Proceed􀀔 or 􀀓Revise􀀔 decision, based on demonstration of sufficient competence in line with the criteria expressed above to permit an award or progression to the next Stage. Heavy emphasis is placed on providing clear and insightful tutor feedback.

Reassessment arrangements:
There are no limits to the number of times a Programme Member may re-submit in the few occasions when required to do so. In most cases the focus will be on formative assessment in terms of feedback specifying developments required at the next end of Stage assessment.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):
1) Required text books:
2) Specialist equipment or materials:
3) Specialist clothing, footwear or headgear:
4) Printing and binding:
5) Computers and devices with a particular specification:
6) Travel, accommodation and subsistence:

Last updated: 20 April 2018