Activity Research and Discussions

Activity: Research and Discussion

What is Personal Development

Personal development refers to those activities that improve a person’s talents, potential, employability, consciousness and ability to realize dreams and create wealth. In short, it’s what you do to improve yourself and your prospects in life. While many people may tend to think that personal development occurs, when you sit down in front of a mentor or a teacher to learn something new, that is not always the case. Contrary to this misconception, personal development does not happen in a day, week, or even months; it is a lifelong process. Which implies that you would always have to access your skills, strength, assets, and potentials every day, to see if they get a little closer to your goals in life.

What personal development methodologies are suited to your environment?

Seizing learning opportunities through formal courses regardless of whether they will give you qualifications or not.

Reflecting on your past and learning directly from your experience

Reading informally and mentoring.

What professional development methodologies would you choose to enhance your knowledge and skills and why?

Outline your goals: write down your goals and objectives, as they come to mind.

Place in order of priority: place the goals that you have written above, in order of their importance.

Set a time limit: You’ll have a hard time achieving your goals and objectives when you don’t have a time limit for accomplishing those goals. So, set a time limit for accomplishing the goals that you have listed above.

Know your strength/weaknesses: Know your strengths, so you can capitalize on them. Know your weaknesses so you can work on them.

Differentiate between threats and opportunities: Your personal habits can make or break your progress in life, so learn to recognize opportunities as they come.

Acquire the necessary skills: You’ll need to learn to a few skills to transition from where you are right now, to where you want to be.

Execute your plans: This is the time to make bold steps. If you want to turn your situation around for the better, you need to take a few daring actions.

Get help: You don’t necessarily need to do it all by yourself. If you know someone or people, who can help you get to your destination faster, seek their help!

Quantify your progress: the best way to motivate yourself, in this life long journey of personal development, is to keep a tab on your progress. Whether it’s marginal progress or sizeable progress, give yourself a pat on the back and move on.

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Activity: Research and discussion

Research the reinforcement theory and write notes about the following four techniques:

• Positive reinforcement: This implies giving a positive response when an individual shows positive and required behaviour. For example – Immediately praising an employee for coming early for job. This will increase probability of outstanding behaviour occurring again. Reward is a positive reinforce, but not necessarily. If and only if the employees’ behaviour improves, reward can said to be a positive reinforcer.

• Avoidance:  This implies rewarding an employee by removing negative / undesirable consequences. Both positive and negative reinforcement can be used for increasing desirable / required behaviour.

• Extinction: It implies absence of reinforcements. In other words, extinction implies lowering the probability of undesired behaviour by removing reward for that kind of behaviour. For instance – if an employee no longer receives praise and admiration for his good work, he may feel that his behaviour is generating no fruitful consequence. Extinction may unintentionally lower desirable behaviour.

• Punishment: It implies removing positive consequences so as to lower the probability of repeating undesirable behaviour in future. In other words, punishment means applying undesirable consequence for showing undesirable behaviour. For instance – Suspending an employee for breaking the organizational rules. Punishment can be equalized by positive reinforcement from alternative source.

Activity: Research and discussion

Further research on factors to consider when implementing reinforcement theory at workplace. Write notes about the following:

• What are some ground rules for using reinforcement theories at the workplace?

Reinforcement theory explains in detail how an individual learns behaviour. Managers who are making attempt to motivate the employees must ensure that they do not reward all employees simultaneously. They must tell the employees what they are not doing correct. They must tell the employees how they can achieve positive reinforcement.

• What legislation might impact a manager’s decisions in implementing reinforcement theory?

Fair Work Act 2009

National Employment Standards (NES)

Work Health and Safety Standards (WHS)

State and Federal anti-discrimination laws

Privacy Act 1988

Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012

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