| BMGT253 |
| Preparing
a Development Plan |
|
|
| Introduction |
|
| As
discussed in class, the major individual assignment in BMGT253 is for you to
create a Development Plan for an identified partner, based on their completed
Self Assessment Survey. |
| This
assignment combines elements of self discovery (the self-assessments) with
practical experience in creating a development plan for someone else, a skill
that will be valuable in future leadership roles. |
| This
assignment is worth 20% of your term mark. |
|
| Part 1: The Self Assessment Survey |
|
| Over
the course of the term, every student must complete all five sections of the
Self-Assessment Survey (posted on Blackboard under Course Content) |
| This
Self Assessment survey enables students to assess their management approaches
and preferences in five key elements of effective supervision:
decision-making, connecting with people, effectiveness as a negotiator,
stress management, and active listening. This summary does not grade you as
either a "good" or "bad" supervisor; it simply helps you
understand your personal strengths and weaknesses in these areas and how they
impact your ability to perform as a supervisor. |
| After
you have completed the five self-assessments, identify your top three
priorities for development, and indicate these in the "Priority"
boxes on the survey's "Self Asssessment Summary Sheet". Remember to
explain why these are your priorities by completing the "Rationale"
boxes as well. |
| When
you have completed all five self-assessments, and selected and explained your
top three priorities for development, email them to your partner. Your
partner should email their self- assessments to you. |
|
| Part
2: The Development Plan: Getting Started |
|
| You
will be creating a comprehensive development plan for your partner based on
his/her completed Self Assessment Survey |
| Work
only on the three priority areas for development your partner has identified.
You have no role in choosing their priority areas for development. |
| Carefully
review your partner's self assessment surveys. Are you clear about his/her
priority areas for development? These should be indicated on the
Self-Assessment Summary sheet (page 1) provided to you. |
| It is
always a good idea to speak with your partner before you begin. You will
learn about their backgrounds, particular circumstances, their part time (or
full time) jobs, what part of the GTA (or beyond) they live in, particular
interests and opportunities, how they learn
etc. |
| > Does your partner have a job as
well as attend school? Where? What kind of work do they do? Does this provide development
opportunities? |
| Do a
root cause analysis to help you understand the source of the issues your
partner has identified and would like your help in overcoming. Reviewing the
class material from Chapter 3, "Problem Solving and Decision
Making" will help. |
| Review
as well the material from the "Developing Your Employees" workshop,
which contains a great deal of information about learning and development. In
particular, review the following: |
| >Learning
Styles |
| >Learning
Guidelines |
| >Learning
Principles |
| >Matching
Training Programs to Objectives |
| >The
Importance of SMART Target Setting |
| >
VARK Learning Styles |
| Here
are some things to consider when starting to build the plan: |
| >What
are some of the ways to develop skills? |
| >Is
everything best learned in a class room? |
| >Is
everything best learned from a book? |
| >What
are some other good ways of learning? |
| >How
important is the opportunity to practice new skills? |
| >Who
might be able to help by providing feedback to your partner? |
| >How
will your partner know if he or she is making progress? Can you recommend any
measures? |
|
| Part
3: How to Build The Plan |
|
| Remember,
analyzing and understanding your partner's self assessments is only the first
part of the assignment. You must create a development plan that makes
specific recommendations describing the things he or she can do to fill the
gaps they have identified in their self-assessments. |
| A
comprehensive development plan will include the following:a number of books,
seminars, classes, videos etc., where
they will learn the new skills; places to practice these newly forming
skills, ways to assess progress and seek feedback from trusted colleagues,
coaches, mentors etc. |
| As a
rule the plan should have at least three different detailed recommendations
for each priority area for development. These recommendations should focus on
learning and practising the new skills. |
| It is
not enough simply to name a book or video and leave it at that. Be prepared
to answer these questions: Why are you recommending these particular items?
Where/how can your partner access
them? How much will they cost? |
| While
you should not limit your recommendations to one learning medium, keep in
mind your partner's learning preference (remember the VARK Learning Styles
model covered in the course). |
| A
successful plan will have clear timelines; how many hours per week should the
student devote to this work? For how long? A few days or weeks? In what order
should they work on the different items you have identified? Can they work on more than one area at a
time? As a rule the more specific you can be the better the plan will be and
the better your paper will be. |
| The
schedule should show that you have thought about the timing and order in
which your partner should learn and practice these new skills. It is not
expected to be absolutely perfect. |
| You
must demonstrate that you have reflected upon your partner; the development
plan must not be "generic" but must be tailored to your partner's
needs |
| The
best plans show that you have considered these factors: |
| > How does my partner best learn? |
| >What area do they live in? What
tools/opportunities / facilities are available nearby? |
| There
is no single answer to "How long should the plan be?" I have seen
very successful short plans and plans of 20+ pages that did not satisfy
project requirements. The plan should be detailed enough to fulfill the
requirements describes above, providing useful guidance for your
partner. |
| There
is no recommended format. Because this is a 4th sememster course, I expect
you to decide what method/ layout works best to communicate what you want to
convey. Most plans are submitted in text format, usually in Word; I have
received successful plans in PowerPoint and Excel as well. |
| When
submitting the development plan to me, please remember to attach a copy of
your partner's completed Self Assessment Summary Sheet to the plan. |
| Make
sure to provide a copy of the plan to your partner |
|
| Part 4:
Tips for Plan Recipients |
|
| Look
at this development plan as an opportunity to learn something of value and
help you grow |
| Make
sure you honestly identify development areas that will add the greatest value
and make a difference to YOU! |
| Implement
Something Every Day. Chip away in small bite-sized pieces. Spending even five
(5) minutes a day will make development a part of your daily discipline. |
| Seek
Feedback and Support. Learn from others. Ensure that feedback is relevant to
your development priorities. |
| Face
your Barriers. Development isn’t easy. Address any barriers that may keep you
from your development priorities. |
| Involve Others. Find people who can help you
in your development by soliciting ideas and reactions from them and who will
provide specific, candid feedback on both your strengths and weaknesses. |
| Take
Time to Reflect. Ask yourself what worked and what didn’t work, and why. |
| Transfer
Learning into Next Steps. Continue to focus on mastering a specific area, and
then share this knowledge by teaching it to others. Regroup and focus on new
goals and development activities as appropriate (time period may vary based
on specific goals and activities). |
