Introduction

It is now commonly accepted that a firm and holistic commitment to the continued professional development of employees and managers alike is highly beneficial, not only for the continued success of a business or organization but for the well being and personal development of individuals. Megginson and Whitaker (2007:3) reflect on the personal opportunities afforded through CPD:

‘ It challenges us to make time for personal reflection and review. It reminds us that we have responsibility for developing ourselves…’

Remaining competitive in this ever changing global market is becoming increasingly difficult, putting pressure on managers to deliver consistently high standards of product/service delivery. Guskey (2001) asks that we recognise that professional development is a purposeful and intentional process, which is designed to evoke positive change within organisations.

In order to maintain an effective and efficient workforce and to ensure that managers’ skills reflect this commitment to professional development then it is imperative that we, as managers, set personal and professional targets to ensure that our skills accurately reflect organisational goals and direction.

Section 1: Demonstrate how you would assess personal and professional skills required to achieve strategic goals

There exists a plethora of models to evaluate personal and professional skills but if we are to construct the most accurate and objective overview of our own development needs we must ensure that we do not interpret results in isolation; rather that we utilise a range of self evaluation models to illustrate a collective and more accurate profile of our learning requirements.

By using a combination of Humphreys (2005) Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) and Aguilar’s (1967) Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Technological (PEST)