01unit 03 Professional Practice Assignment - 2024
01unit 03 Professional Practice Assignment - 2024
Assessor Feedback:
LO 1 Demonstrate a range of interpersonal and transferable communication skills to a
target audience.
Pass, Merit & Distinction P1 P2 M1 D1
Descripts
LO2 Apply critical reasoning and thinking to a range of problem-solving scenarios .
LO3 Discuss the importance and dynamics of working within a team and the impact of
team working in different
environments.
Pass, Merit & Distinction P5 P6 M4 D3
Descripts
LO4 Examine the need for continuing professional development (CPD) and its role within
the workplace and for higher- level learning
Pass, Merit & Distinction P7 P8 M5 D4
Descripts
* Please note that grade decisions are provisional. They are only confirmed once internal and external moderation has taken place
and grades decisions have been agreed at the assessment board.
Assessor Feedback:
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Grade: Assessor Signature: Date:
Resubmission Feedback:
*Please note resubmission feedback is focused only on the resubmitted work
* Please note that grade decisions are provisional. They are only confirmed once agreed at the
assessment board.
internal and external moderation has taken place and grades decisions have been
Important Points:
1. It is strictly prohibited to use textboxes to add texts in the assignments, except for the
compulsory information. eg: Figures, tables of comparison etc. Adding text boxes in the body
except for the before mentioned compulsory information will result in rejection of your work.
2. Avoid using page borders in your assignment body.
3. Carefully check the hand in date and the instructions given in the assignment. Late
submissions will not be accepted.
4. Ensure that you give yourself enough time to complete the assignment by the due date.
5. Excuses of any nature will not be accepted for failure to hand in the work on time.
6. You must take responsibility for managing your own time effectively.
7. If you are unable to hand in your assignment on time and have valid reasons such as illness,
you may apply (in writing) for an extension.
8. Failure to achieve at least PASS criteria will result in a REFERRAL grade.
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9. Non-submission of work without valid reasons will lead to an automatic RE FERRAL. You will
then be asked to complete an alternative assignment.
10. If you use other people’s work or ideas in your assignment, reference them properly using
HARVARD referencing system to avoid plagiarism. You have to provide both in-text citation
and a reference list.
11. If you are proven to be guilty of plagiarism or any academic misconduct, your grade could be
reduced to A REFERRAL or at worst you could be expelled from the course.
12. Use word processing application spell check and grammar check function to help editing your
assignment.
13. Use footer function in the word processor to insert Your Name, Subject, Assignment No,
and Page Number on each page. This is useful if individual sheets become detached for any
reason.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a particular form of cheating. Plagiarism must be avoided at all costs and students who break
the rules, however innocently, may be penalized. It is your responsibility to ensure that you understand
correct referencing practices. As a university level student, you are expected to use appropriate references
throughout and keep carefully detailed notes of all your sources of materials for material you have used in
your work, including any material downloaded from the Internet. Please consult the relevant unit lecturer
or your course tutor if you need any further advice.
The use of AI-generated tools to enhance intellectual development is permitted; nevertheless, submitted
work must be original. It is not acceptable to pass off AI-generated work as your own.
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Student Declaration
Student declaration
I certify that the assignment submission is entirely my own work and I fully understand the consequences of
plagiarism. I understand that making a false declaration is a form of malpractice.
Unit Tutor
Issue Date
Submission Date
Submission Format
Presentation – section 1 should be submitted in a formal presentation within the first two weeks
Project report - At the end of the event, produce an individual report (with all necessary
attachments as annexures e.g. - project proposal, additional evidence of each task, invoices of the
event, evidence of effective communication) by each member covering all the tasks.
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LO1 Demonstrate a range of interpersonal and transferable communication skills to a
target audience.
LO3 Discuss the importance and dynamics of working within a team and the impact of
team working in different environments.
LO4 Examine the need for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and its role
within the workplace and for higher-level learning.
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Vocational scenario
You are required to form a group of not more than 15 members in order to carry out
the event. You may utilize “Belbin's Team Role Theory” to distribute tasks among team
members effectively. While designing and delivering the event,
Section 1:
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The team members are expected to present a “Project Proposal Presentation”
explaining the following key points for seeking approval from the unit assessor before
the finalization of the event:
The presentation duration is 20 minutes and should be completed within the first 2
weeks.
After obtaining the approval to your event/project, you should demonstrate how you
are planning to effectively deliver the training event by designing a professional
project plan with following details.
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• Also include evidence (photos) of your actions/engagements during the design
and the delivery of the training event.
Section 2:
• Apply critical reasoning skills to the design and delivery of the event. Evaluate
different options, anticipate potential issues, and make informed decisions to
optimize the event's success.
• Conduct research on different problem-solving techniques commonly used in
event planning and execution. Explore the advantages and limitations of each
technique and how they can be applied effectively in the context of organizing
a conference.
• Justify the selection and application of various methodologies in the design and
delivery of the conference. Explain why certain problem-solving techniques
were chosen over others and how they contributed to the overall success of the
event.
• Evaluate the overall success of the conference in terms of how well critical
reasoning and problem-solving techniques were applied to achieve the end
goal. Reflect on the effectiveness of the strategies implemented and identify
areas for improvement in future events.
3:
Work in your team by contributing your skills and knowledge to meet the project goal.
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Evaluate how well the team functioned as a unit, identifying strengths and
weaknesses in communication, leadership, and collaboration.
• Critically evaluate your own role and contribution to the group scenario. Reflect
on your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement in terms of
communication, teamwork, and leadership skills. Assess how your actions
influenced the team dynamics and contributed to the overall success or failure
of the project.
Section 4:
Recommended Resources
Please note that the resources listed are examples for you to use as a starting point in your
research – the list is not definitive.
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Table of Contents
STUDENT ASSESSMENT SUBMISSION AND DECLARATION.......................................3
Plagiarism............................................................................................................ 4
Student Declaration............................................................................................. 4
Student declaration........................................................................................... 4
UNIT 3: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE..........................................................................4
Acknowledgment................................................................................................... 14
Introduction.............................................................................................................. 15
Section 1:................................................................................................................. 16
Effective communication and professional schedule..........................................................16
Communication....................................................................................................... 16
What is Communication?........................................................................................... 16
Basis of Decision-Making and Planning:........................................................................17
.Smooth and Efficient Working of an Organisation:..........................................................17
Increases Managerial Efficiency:................................................................................. 17
Helps in Establishing Effective Leadership:....................................................................17
Promotes Co-operation and Industrial Peace:..................................................................17
Helps in Establishing Effective Leadership:....................................................................17
Characteristics of effective communication.....................................................................18
Verbal and non-verbal communication..........................................................................18
Verbal communication.............................................................................................. 19
Importance of verbal communication............................................................................19
Nonverbal communication......................................................................................... 19
Importance of non-verbal communication......................................................................19
Example for no-verbal communication..........................................................................20
Professional schedule............................................................................................... 22
Gantt Chart............................................................................................................ 23
Self-reflection of interpersonal skills.............................................................................23
Here are some of the different interpersonal skills............................................................24
Section 2:................................................................................................................. 26
Problem solving...................................................................................................... 26
Problem solving skills............................................................................................... 26
There are steps when it comes to problem-solving............................................................27
Problem –solving tools and methods...........................................................................28
Brainstorming......................................................................................................... 29
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Root Cause Analysis (RCA)....................................................................................... 29
SWOT Analysis...................................................................................................... 29
Mind Mapping........................................................................................................ 29
Six Sigma (DMAIC)................................................................................................ 29
Pareto Analysis (80/20 Rule)...................................................................................... 30
Decision Matrix (Weighted Scoring).............................................................................30
Cost-Benefit Analysis............................................................................................... 30
Flowchart.............................................................................................................. 30
PDCA Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act).............................................................................. 30
Force Field Analysis................................................................................................. 31
Cause and Effect Diagram.......................................................................................... 31
Gantt Chart............................................................................................................ 31
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)...................................................................31
Affinity Diagram..................................................................................................... 31
How brainstorming helped our project...........................................................................32
5 why method......................................................................................................... 35
How 5 why method helped our project..........................................................................36
Swot analysis......................................................................................................... 37
Critical path analysis................................................................................................ 39
Section 3:................................................................................................................. 40
Working within a team.............................................................................................. 40
Team work............................................................................................................ 40
Analyzing team dynamics.......................................................................................... 42
Team dynamics....................................................................................................... 43
Team dynamics in our group.......................................................................................... 45
Evidence............................................................................................................... 45
Justification of assigned rolls...................................................................................... 48
References............................................................................................................ 50
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Acknowledgment
I express my gratitude to ESOFT Metro campus for giving me this fantastic opportunity. I
would like to convey my appreciation to MR. lamprey, my lecture, for his assistance in
completing the courses and assignment within the given timeframe. His consistent feedback
and guidance aided me in achieving my objectives.
I also want to show my appreciation to my family and friends for their support and
encouragement throughout this process.
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Introduction
Introducing flying car technologies was a thrilling project for our team, aimed at exploring the
next frontier in transportation. This innovative concept, which merges the functionality of cars
and aircraft, holds the potential to transform urban mobility by alleviating congestion,
reducing travel times, and offering new levels of flexibility. However, our journey to present
this technology was far from smooth.
Early in the project, we faced a significant challenge when our team leader met with an
accident. This unexpected event forced us to postpone our planned workshop, throwing our
carefully laid-out schedule into disarray. The delay not only affected our momentum but also
created uncertainty about whether we could meet our project deadlines. Despite these
challenges, the team rallied together, redistributing tasks and responsibilities to keep the
project moving forward.
Ultimately, the workshop was delivered successfully, albeit under less-than-ideal conditions.
This experience taught us valuable lessons about teamwork, adaptability, and the importance
of contingency planning. The challenges we faced highlighted the unpredictable nature of
project management and the need to remain flexible in the face of adversity. While the road to
introducing flying car technologies was more difficult than we anticipated, the experience
strengthened our resolve and provided us with insights that will undoubtedly benefit future
projects.
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Section 1:
Effective communication and professional schedule
Communication
What is Communication?
We use communication to pass on information as well as thoughts and feelings. We can say it
with the way we speak and by talking or through our body language, faces, hand gestures. In
the same way, good communication is not only about speaking but also getting what others are
saying. This is essential to creating relationships resolving disagreements and working as a
team. Communication is more than simply words; it's connecting with people on a level where
everybody feels listened to and understood.
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Basis of Decision-Making and Planning:
Communication is essential for decision-making and planning. It enables the
management to secure information without which it may not be possible to take any decision.
The quality of managerial decisions depends upon the quality of communication. Further, the
decisions and plans of the management need to be communicated to the subordinates. Without
effective communication, it may not be possible to issue instructions to others. Effective
communication helps in proper implementation of plans and policies of the management.
(Basis of Decision-Making and Planning, 2024)
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action without the effective communication between the leader and the led. Communication is
absolutely necessary for maintaining man to man relationship in leadership. It brings the
manager (leader) and the subordinates (led) in close contact with each other and helps in
establishing effective leadership. (sinha, n.d.)
1. Clear— Make sure you are clear about your message or aim when writing or speaking
to someone. What is the reason behind your communication with this individual? Your
viewers won't be certain if you aren't.
Try to keep the number of concepts in each phrase to a minimum to ensure clarity.
Make sure the reader can easily grasp what you intend. To grasp what you're trying to
convey, people shouldn't have to "read between the lines" and create conclusions on
their own
3. Concrete— When you provide a concrete message, your audience can visualize what
you're saying. There are vivid facts, details (but not too many!), and a laser-like
concentration. Your point is well-made.
4. Correct— Your audience will be able to comprehend you when you communicate
correctly. Error-free communication is synonymous with proper communication. Check
that the message you are sending is accurate by asking yourself the following
questions.
5. Coherent— Your speech is reasonable when it makes sense. Every point is related to
and pertinent to the primary idea, and the material flows naturally in both tone and
flow.
6. Complete— The audience receives a comprehensive message that provides all the
necessary information, if any.
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Verbal and non-verbal communication
Spoken words or written texts are the ways to transfer any message, these comes under verbal
communication (conversations, presentations and email conversations). It is the most basic and
essential manner for direct communication. Non-verbal communication: This consists of body
language, facial expressions, gestures and cues in the eye contact and tone of voice you use
that give context to what emotion is being related. The two forms exist and act together,
sometimes enhancing each other or crossing in a more conflicting way to influence the
perception of messages. The effective communication includes speaking the language of your
audience, words and non-verbal expressions which are clearly perceptible to all.
Verbal communication
We can be sure that communicating with other human is essentially speaking and writing. This
interaction could be on the level of speech, emails or text. Your ability to share information in
understandable and general terms is critical. When you talk or write: You must clarify; Adopt
the correct tone of voice, choose your words and listen to those who are talking. Decision
making and also to make itself have friends, discover our opinions is vital while speaking and
writing. Achievement is all in getting it right, and the correct message leads to success as long
as your jijugglesternad mixes nothing for pain only pleasure.
Nonverbal communication
Body language is the art of nonverbal communication including such things as posture,
inflection or tone in voice, eye contact and facial expressions. It expresses attitudes and
feelings; for that reason, the nonverbal communication can reinforce or contradict spoken
words, whose understanding is now able to have greater depth. Other times, nonverbal cues are
more significant than the words themselves. Critical in defining the way words are interpreted,
they influence perception and relationships within personal life as well as business
communications.
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Importance of non-verbal communication
Nonverbal communication is more powerful than words, and these kind of hidden
messages like attitude to talking, expression. disinterest body movements require us
understand from copywriting. This makes it indispensable. It also verifies or refutes spoken
communication, adds another layer of depth and clarity to this information, allowing a better
comprehension. These, and other examples of non-verbal cues process are the glue that holds
conversations together in both personal and professional communication by displaying
empathy, serving as trust builders to create relationships.
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It provides greater record management as well as documentation and increased cooperative
work through shared spaces and documents with concurrent editor access. ‘Engagement
/relevance ’enhances through IT technologies since they allow individualization of the users
for interacting and the use of appropriate communication channels. In addition, the analysis
skills offer information on the areas that need to be improved and the success of the
communication. Secure networks ensure the protection of any sensitive information, and
multimedia increases the efficiency of passing on a message combining words and visuals with
audio and motion.
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Group Call
FIGURE 3 GROUP CALL
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Professional schedule
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Gantt Chart
2 Task (Activities) - -
2.1 Mufthy - 0 0% -
2.2 Jashab - 0 0% -
2.3 Sanjeewan - 0 0% -
2.4 Zahra - 0 0% -
2.5 Oshanda - 0 0% -
-
-
TEMPLATE ROWS
1 [ Level 1 Task or Phase ] - -
1.1 . [ Level 2 Task ] - -
1.1.1 . . [ Level 3 Task ] - -
1.1.1.1 . . . [ Level 4 Task ] - -
FIGURE 7GANTT CHART
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Self-reflection of interpersonal skills
Interpersonal skill self-appraisal is the ability to evaluate yourself critically as far as interacting
with the people is concerned and identifying what needs to be changed. The best ways by
which you can start are with the self-assessment of your communication style, especially the
aspects of appropriate response, clarity, and active listening. Think about how good you are in
respect to understanding other people and their emotions or opinions. Think about your
approach to handling conflicts: How civilized do you remain and how much do you pursue
proper incongruity? Evaluate self-sensitiveness and self-estimation of collaboration with
others, self-record of the willingness to hear others or/and share opinions as a positive member
in the respective group projects. Reflect on how flexible you are in sometime for some
communication scenario and request the feedback from the peers to look at the issues from
different perspective. It is important that you embrace your existing skills in EI, namely self –
regulation which entails regulating your emotions in social context. There is an identification
of the areas that one needs to be strong on, setting of accurate targets for improvement, and
keeping record of the improvement process. Hence relationships which are more productive
and less hostile are produced from this process which emphasizes personal development and
continual learning.
The following crucial interpersonal abilities are necessary for productive engagement and
communication:There are critical relational skills required for work interaction and
communication as follows:
1. Active Listening: Listen to the other person’s speech, find out what they want to convey
and then decide on your response to them.
3. Communication: The types of messages that one uses in the process of communication, the
different methods that is best suited to pass these messages, verbal and non verbal
communication aspects.
4. Conflict Resolution: The capability to address conflict or contentious issues under the
project and make sure all the parties stake their get the best deal.
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5. Teamwork: interacting with the colleagues, contributing to the activities of the team and
projects, and acknowledging the ideas of other colleagues.
6. Adaptability: The ability to change from one point of view and/or action regarding a certain
situation and with regard to the people that an individual meets.
7. Emotional Intelligence: The ability to identify, understand, and regulate one’s own and
others people’s emotional states and feelings for the purpose of social behavior and problem
solving.
8. Negotiation: When people talk and negotiate during controversies, the interest to be
preserved must also be addressed and the use and learning of trades must also be effected.
10. Confidence: The power to express an opinion or an idea in a loud and coherent manner
without inhibiting others’ rights and without using force.
11. Feedback: Applying the process of giving constructive criticisms as part of a practice that
can provide better performances in an organization.
12. Patience: An example is the hidden ability to stay polite and patient to have difficult and
awkward human interactions, or avoid interrupting other people and listening to them when
they speak.
13. Building Trust: Trust management ensure that the recipient of trust deserves it; it is true in
social relationships.
14. Cultural sensitive: Communicating with the right kind of intensity level while at the same
time being aware of use of different communication culture.
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Section 2:
Problem solving
FIGURE 8 PROBLEM
SOLVING
An essential skill that requires to thrive in virtually any field in the world, is that of problem-
solving. While it concerns identifying problems and developing the solutions it is often
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accompanied by other abilities. As far as the effectiveness of issue resolution is concerned,
critical thinking, creativity, and decision-making are inevitable.
Moreover, dealing with the multifaceted matters entails the technical skills and the specificity
of the fields. A software engineer may need to use both, the knowledge of user experience and
coding skills so that the application will run well. To sum up, one of the greatest activities in
the present reality is the skill to critically think, solve problems and employ effective
procedures.
1. Analytical Thinking: The ability to manage complex information and the ability to
break complex problems into simpler more manageable sub-problems and the
understanding of how the parts connect to form a whole.
2. Creativity: Coherence and creativity so as to think out of the box to offer options and
solutions that could not have been immediately considered.
5. Making decisions: Making a choice out of many alternative routes when the
consequences are evaluated and compared.
6. Collaboration: it is the procedure using the abilities and ideas jointly and incorporating
feedback of others to arrive at the best possible answer.
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8. Communication: Ensuring that all stakeholders appreciate the strategy and the role they
are going to play in implementation by relating the problem, possible solutions and
rationale to other people.
9. The criteria of flexibility means to change the plan of action according to new
information or events and adapt the actions to the new requirements of the given
situation.
10. Time management also plays a part in prioritizing your work and lead to clearing a
difficulty as soon as you can without undue protraction.
11. Risk management entails identification of risks associated with every solution type and
identification of measures to mitigate such risks.
12. Attention to Detail: The pointers considered to be imperative include preventing any
significant piece of information bearing on the subject and every potential solution from
slipping past the analyst’s watchful eye.
13. Emotional intelligence is therefore defined as being the capacity to remain calm and to
master stress levels while dealing with complications and problems.
15. Evaluation: After the designation of a remedy, assessing whether the remedy worked
and making necessary changes to ensure that is the case to ascertain that the problem
has been addressed effectively.
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FIGURE 10 PROBLEM –SOLVING TOOLS AND METHODS
Brainstorming
In this creative team-based activity, the members must generate numerous ideas and ideas on
what can be done without having them disapproved at once.
Use: Useful when it comes to exploring all leads in a problem solving process in the
preliminary stages of the process.
Description: A strategy that is higher than simple treatment of the symptoms to get to the cause
of the problem.
Use: Helps to determine the root cause in a situation surrounding which one needs to address
in order to ensure the problem does not arise again.
Instruments:
Five Whys: A technique in which the question ‘why’ is asked repeatedly until one gets to the
root cause of the problem.
Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa) is tool that allows the categorization to be done on possible
issue reason in an effort to identify the root cause.
SWOT Analysis
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Mind Mapping
Description: This kind of tool improves upon the organization of material in that it relates
information in regards to a main idea.
Use: Useful when one has to organize complex material and come up with ideas.
Also known as the Lean process improvement approach – DMAIC is Data driven and Process
centric – define, measure, analyse, improve, manage, optimize.
Use: For use in process improvement methods and quality control to reduce issues with waste
and failure.
Description: An approach such that eighty percent of the effects are cause by twenty percent of
the causes is fruitful in helping point out or categorize issues or causes according to the most
influential variables.
Use: Good for focusing on the problems that will make most of the impacts right at the
beginning.
This is an evaluation tool that enables one to evaluate possibilities based on the different
criteria and each criterion is assigned with weight.
Use: Helpful when there are many choices and one must decide between them based on
certain criteria that have been prior defined.
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Description: Method for determining which of a number of solutions will be the least
expensive in terms of benefits and costs.
Use: Helps in establishing whether the solution benefits on the other end outweigh the
demerits.
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Flowchart
An example of the kind of workflow that shows the procedures required to tackle a problem.
Use: Useful for better understanding of the work process, identification of problems and
optimization of processes.
The assessment and analysis of the factors that support and hinder the change of a problematic
situation.
Use: Helps in making sense of factors that either support or hinder a proposed solution.
Description: A chart that can be used to categorize the potential sources of issues to different
categories to ease identification.
Use: Useful for determining areas where to focus when examining complicated issues as it is.
Gantt Chart
An application for project management and displays the list of work planning, the completion
of which is scheduled.
Use: Helps in planning and positioning of the solutions to ensure timely delivery of the
solutions.
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A logical procedure for identifying most likely failure modes for a process and the potential
outcome of these.
Use: Helps in risk management since it shows how critical a particular problem is and how
likely it is to occur.
Affinity Diagram
Describe: An application that categorizes a huge amount of data and ideas for their inherent
relations.
Use: Good for organization of ideas and thoughts during concept and idea related meetings.
Problem –
We faced a few issues as our team leader met with an accident and we had to
postpone the event and toward the end when we had to deliver he workshop,
some of our members weren't available so we had to work with only the
members that ere present.
Solutions –
When faced with unexpected challenges like the team leader's accident and the
unavailability of some team members during the delivery of a workshop, here are some
solutions to effectively manage the situation:
1. Reassign Responsibilities
Solution: Quickly redistribute the tasks and responsibilities of the absent team members
among those who are present. Prioritize the most critical tasks to ensure the workshop can
still be delivered effectively.
Implementation: Identify the key tasks that need to be completed, match them with team
members' skills, and assign these responsibilities clearly. This may involve cross-training
or temporarily shifting roles to cover gaps.
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2. Adjust the Workshop Scope
Solution: If time and resources are limited, consider narrowing the scope of the workshop to focus
on the most essential content. This ensures that the quality of the workshop remains high, even if
the overall content is reduced.
Implementation: Review the workshop agenda and identify non-essential elements that can be
removed or shortened without impacting the overall objectives. Communicate these changes to
participants in advance, if possible.
Solution: Leverage online collaboration tools to involve team members who may not be
physically present. This can include video conferencing, virtual presentations, or cloud-
based collaboration platforms.
Solution: Keep all relevant stakeholders informed about the situation and any changes to
the event schedule or workshop content. This helps manage expectations and maintain
trust.
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Solution: Maintain a strong focus on the core objectives of the workshop. Ensure that,
despite the challenges, the key learning outcomes are still met.
Implementation: Review the workshop goals and align the team’s efforts to ensure that
these are achieved, even if the approach has to be adapted due to resource constraints.
7. Post-Event Debrief
Solution: After the workshop, conduct a debrief to evaluate how the team handled the
challenges and identify lessons learned for future events.
These solutions aim to mitigate the impact of the unforeseen circumstances and ensure that
the workshop can still be delivered successfully, albeit with some adjustments.
5 why method
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5 Whys is an uncomplicated and profound tool that acts as a means to getting right at the nub
of the problem at hand. It is a critical thinking technique that goes like ‘why’—five times
—‘why’ to get to the root of the problem. Every answer creates the context for the next
“Why?” question, which goes further into the problem.
For instance, if a machine is out of order a first ‘Why?’ will inform one that a fuse went off.
The second ‘Why?’ might explain why the fuse blew up, probably because of an overload.
Carrying out this process further allows looking for a root cause of the given outcome, for
example, poor design or improper maintenance.
Although the application of the process of the five whys is rather simple, the authors believe
that it is one of the greatest advantages since the teams will have an understanding of the root
problem and not only the symptoms. It has been applied in a number of fields for actual
problem solving, quality assurance and enhancing on-going organizational development.
The 5 Whys technique is significant because it allows people or organizations to easily pin
point the cause of the problem instead of being stuck with the symptoms. The “Why?”
technique goes beyond the “what” of problem-solving to try to get at the root of the issue.
Principal Advantages:
1. Simplicity: Everybody can use the identification of the root cause by applying the 5
Whys approach because no particular training or enhancing tools are needed.
2. Pay Attention to the Cause: This actually means that, the remedies are fixated on
dealing with the problem right from the root in the most probable bid to minimize
occurrences in the future.
3. Cost-effective: In this way, it reduces the chances that something could go wrong and
continue to cause issues, thus reducing losses done through time and resources spent
on the issue.
4. Team Collaboration: Encourages the members to discuss the problem, come up with
ideas together during the sharing process, which in turn increases the understanding
and betters the solutions.
5. Continuous Improvement: The actual approach represents the concept of plan, do,
check and act, whereby issues are methodologically isolated and prevented from
reoccurring, so as to enhance positive change and organizational efficiency than is
achievable through ordinary random problem solving.
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How 5 why method helped our project
The particular activity that was of profound help in our project was the 5 whys which allowed
us to determine the underlying cause of the delay and other challenges. This way of working
allowed us to identify the root-causal factors instead of addressing the symptoms, which were
presented by questions like “Why?” This approach let us to put into practice better solutions
that allowed to avoid reappearance of the troubles and, hence, enhance the project’s work and
results.
Swot analysis
SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Strengths and
weaknesses are internal to your company—things that you have some control over and can
change. Examples include who is on your team, your patents and intellectual property, and
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your location. Opportunities and threats are external—things that are going on outside your
company, in the larger market. You can take advantage of opportunities and protect against
threats, but you can’t change them. Examples include competitors, prices of raw materials, and
customer shopping trends.
Opportunities Threats
Proper guidelines from lectures The program had to be postponed twice
New technology Technical issues
Supportive class friends Competition between groups.
Using the SWOT Analysis method, each and every individual of our team analyzed
themselves, so that they could see their skills and what areas they could develop themselves in
order to successfully do the project.
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Critical path analysis
Critical path analysis (CPA) is a project management technique that requires mapping out
every key task that is necessary to complete a project. It includes identifying the amount of
time necessary to finish each activity and the dependencies of each activity on any others.
Also known as the critical path method, CPA is used to set a realistic deadline for a project and
to track its progress along the way.
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To project finish on time
Section 3:
Team work
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Teamwork is not just a group of people doing something. It’s the ability to work with others
and to help others attain their full potential and achieve the shared goals. As well, teamwork is
one of the most desirable skills an employer can seek in its employees. The main reason why
teamwork is so important in the workplace is that it builds trust among co-workers. This is true
for a variety of reasons. Good teamwork increases productivity and makes your employees
happier. It helps foster a sense of community within the workplace and it creates more
opportunities for training and advancement
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Team members with particular skills can allocate themselves to specific problems for which
they are able to contribute more effectively. A shared workload reduces both the pressure on
individuals and the time it takes to complete a task. This means that goals are typically more
attainable and performance and pace of work likely improve.
•Quality
The challenges posed by business when it comes to the provision of quality production can be
great pressure on staff. This leads to demoralisation and the results are work produced in such
condition are not up to the expectation of the organisation. On personal level somebody can
hardly cope with individual assignments and the stress connected with it when a group of
people who work together can make excellent results. Despite details, the division of work
usually means that quality work is produced in overall and at least is more coherent.
•Happiness
It is no longer news that any organization seriously interested in its growth must consider
employee satisfaction as an essential component which cannot be over-emphasized. When
companies decide that the value of teamwork is important, then a business is likely to reap the
advantages and the workers are most likely to remain satisfied. Since happy employees are
also satisfied with the job, it can be attested that they work harder and better. In such a
situation, morale is usually given a great boost and possibly a number of other factors
including the following.
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FIGURE 15 ANALYZING TEAM DYNAMICS
The aspect of team dynamics entails the kind of relationship that a set of people develops, the
way they communicate and the manner in which they address their tasks in their teams. This
includes appraising of roles, relationship and communication with a view of identifying the
strengths of the respective members and the extent to which the team lacks. As you observer
these dynamics you can then identify the strengths and the weaknesses of the team, foster
change that would enhance the performance of the team and enhance the constructive process
of the team for the achievement of its objectives..
Team dynamics
Interactions of a team can be described as the behavior relationship that exist between members of a
particular team. This may have a big impact on the performance, productivity as well as the
effectiveness of the team and above all, the level of satisfaction of the team. Achievement of the
aforesaid objective implies that it is rather crucial to have and comprehend the dynamics of the team
and the interpersonal relations in it.
Here are some key aspects of team dynamics:Here are some key aspects of team dynamics:
Clear Definition: Handy to know for every member of the given team, what tasks and duties they are
absolutely aware of and are to solve.
Flexibility: Known jobs should be specific but members of a group should be ready to bend over
backward to assist their co-members.
2. Communication
Open and Transparent: Such behavior assures escalation of more severe conflict since the concerned
party will not have an opportunity to communicate on what ails them.
Active Listening: They include listening to one another in an effort to at least be informed of the other
person’s side of the story, in a bid to foster team trust.
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Mutual Trust: To be able to have right dynamics in the team, the members of the team should be able to
trust each other.
Respect for Diversity: This is because; number four, small and diversed teams are crucial because it
helps in producing variety in culture, opinions, and skills in relations to a given problem hence
producing numerous solutions.
4. Conflict Resolution
Healthy Conflict: People will always be divided and this is acceptable but it is often advisable that the
divisions be handled in the right manner.
Problem-Solving Focus: This indicates that the several groups that might be created should purposely
lack blame assignment and rather focus on the search for the remedy.
Team Cohesion: Care has a capacity of assisting the several employees or the organized group peruse
set goals and objectives.
Sharing Knowledge: This means that, every member of the team should be willing to teach and at the
same time the other team members should be willing to learn.
6. Leadership
Effective Leadership: A good leader can also contribute to the management of the work, to seek the
solution of the emerged contradictions and support the members of the group.
Empowerment: The managers should let their subordinates to work with as much freedom as possible,
and to take their own decisions.
7. Goal Alignment
Shared Objectives: From the documentation and assignment, one should have an understanding of
what the goal of the team is and as to how one can be of help.
Regular Review: Update on the goals constant makes the team aware of the targets and makes them
perform harder towards the goals.
8. Adaptability
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Flexibility: It is good for all the teams to be versatile that is there should be an ability to create an
option B if change happens and the change can be an inside change, for instance, real team members or
outside change for instance a new market.
Continuous Improvement: There is an emphasis that quality should be acted for, and that teams should
seek opportunities to improve processes and interactions of the team.
Recognition: This therefore mean that voicing appreciation of individual and/or team efforts can go a
long way in up lifting the spirits.
Work-Life Balance: It is thus right to always take time and find between work and personal life so as
to remain motivated without being stressed.
Constructive Feedback: Feedback to the various activity assures the members that they’ve been
observed, the area of weakness they should focus on, and mastery prowess of the group.
Development Opportunities: Either learning and development should be incorporated with the team.
There are positive dynamics and negative: a good team operation optimizes cohesion, yields more
output than planned, encourages the novel ideas from the staff, satisfies all the members; the defects are
conflicts, low morale, and reduced production. As such knowledge of these elements may be useful
while developing a plan of how to establish sound integrated working teams. has context menu
Despite the fact that the group tried to work in a friendly manner, cooperation during the work
on the project changed dynamically several times. First of all, the cohesiveness of the team
that my friends and I formed was great, everybody brought something of their own.
Stakeholders’ cooperation entailed open communication and assistance to ensure that
everybody supported goals and objectives. Nevertheless, having changed the composition of
our team when our team leader did not come to practice and several members were lost, our
performance suffered.
This situation made it compulsory for the team to change its dynamics; people had to be
reallocated according to the number of members available. Yes, such changes provoke stress,
but at the same time, they unveil the ability of the actors within the group to adapt to radical
changes in the leadership and team structure. Such people worked harder, shouldering extra
responsibilities and making sure that the project was still on the way despite the set backs.
It gave a good insight of a situation that requires flexibility on the part of the employee and
efficient communication between different teams. It also made realize the importance of
contingency planning and cross training a number of employees in the organization. This
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exercise challenged the team dynamics but also made all of us realise the benefits of pushing
our colleagues and ourselves for delivering the overall group targets.
Evidence
Our team worked well together using platforms like Zoom and Whatsapp to communicate and
coordinate. During our Zoom meetings, we discussed the event agenda, delegated tasks, and
shared ideas to make the workshop engaging for junior students. The use of technology
allowed us to stay connected and on track, resulting in a successful workshop with positive
feedback from students and faculty. Working cohesively as a team and effective
communication was key to delivering a high-quality workshop experience.
To showcase our teamwork and the success of the workshop, we have attached several
pictures, including screenshots from our Zoom meetings, What Sapp calls, and group meeting
photos. These pictures illustrate how we collaborated and communicated effectively
throughout the planning process, resulting in a well-organized and engaging event for the
junior students
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FIGURE 16 EVIDENCE
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Team Member Name Role Responsibility
Sanjeewan Team Leader Assign roles and
responsibilities and keep
members on track to
complete it on time
Oshanda Team facilitator Plans and manages group
meetings to ensure everyone
is on schedule
Jasab Time keeper Monitored the time and
deadlines of each task
Mushfira Designer Responsible of creating the
activity for the participants.
Zahra Designer Responsible for designing
the main presentation and
the professional schedule
Section 4:
CPD plan
Continuing professional development (CPD) is defined as learning experiences which help you
develop and improve your professional practice. This can include building on your strengths,
as well as developing yourself where you have capability gaps. That’s why it’s so important
for you, and why we’re committed to providing you with as many opportunities, tools and
resources to embed CPD into the flow of your work and life. (htt43)
Importance of CPD
The term continuing professional development (known as CPD) describes the type of learning
activities that professionals engage in to develop their skills and abilities further. There are
several CPD learning methodologies, including professional development courses, industry
conferences, training workshops, e-learning programmers, and ideation sessions.
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CPD enables learning to become conscious and proactive, rather than passive and reactive –
this is mediated by the incorporation of vocational, practical into academic qualifications. It’s
an important part of continually making personal improvements even after finishing formal
education. (October 8, 2020)
A personal development plan offers a structured approach to identify and develop new
skills, boosting capabilities, confidence, and opening doors to personal and
professional growth.
A personal development plan brings clarity to goals allowing individuals to focus
efforts and resources and increase motivation and commitment towards achieving
desired outcomes.
Improved time management leads to efficient and effective goal achievement.
Personal development positively impacts relationships by enhancing communication,
emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills.
A personal development plan fosters self-awareness through self-reflection and
assessment, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
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Responsibilities
As a committed student and aspiring software engineer, I recognize the importance of sticking
to my educational and training plans while always improving my abilities and knowledge. I am
dedicated to expanding my computing skills and interpersonal abilities to succeed in the
competitive tech industry. With an excellent work ethic and a dedication to both personal and
professional development, I am preparing for a successful future in a software engineering
career.
Skill audit
The skills audit is required in a firm or business entity in order to determine the skill set and
knowledge level that are necessary for the organization in order to achieve its goals.
Employers seek employees who have an exceptional set of skills and who take responsibility
for their learning and development. The following report will be outlining the "Personal Skill
Audit and Professional Development Plan." It will talk about the importance of professional
development and its benefits. In addition to this, employer’s expectations regarding skills will
be investigated. A personal reflection of skills and competencies will also be provided. Various
learning theories and approaches will be discussed here. A professional development plan will
be created for the role of HR at Marriott International UK. It is one of the leading lodging
organization in the world. It has over 6500 properties in 130 nations. Its annual revenue is over
$22 billion in 2017.The last part of the report will be a mock interview for the post of HR in
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the aforementioned organization. The strengths and weaknesses of the interview process will
be elaborated. (htt45)
Skill Audit
Level of Skill
Skill A B C D Evidence
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E.G.Oshanda HND Student 16.03.2024
Sandaruwan Wijerathna
Career Mission
Become a Web Developer
Career Goals
Goals Target Date
Complete HND in Software Engineering March 2026
Complete Top-up in Software Engineering. March 2027
Get a job as an intern Web Developer May / June 2027
Complete Master’s in Software Engineering. March 2029
Action plan
Action Plan
Goals Action Plan Complete Obstacles Evaluation
By
Complete HND in Currently pursuing March 2026 Limited Pearson BTEC HND
Software Engineering my HND at ESOFT time Certificate
Metro Campus
Complete Top-up in Once I complete my March 2027 Cost Top-up degree
Software Engineering. HND, I’ll be starting Certificate
my Top-up
Complete Master’s in Once I get an March 2029 Will be Master’s Certificate
Software Engineering. internship, I’ll be challenging
starting my masters
Skill Audit
A This skill has been accomplished
B Good at it but still needs some improvement
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C Need to improve on these skills
D These skills need to be developed
Level
Skill
Now 6 Months 1 Year 3 Years
Communication B B A A
Teamwork A A A A
Time management B B A A
Problem-solving B B A A
Self-confidence C B A A
Skill How the skill helps me perform the role Area of development
Yes / No / Why?
Communication A strong communication skills is Yes, my communication
important as a web developer in order to skills are well-suited for
analyze risks and present it to my future career.
stakeholders, build relationships, work as
a team, share ideas and deliver reports.
Teamwork It is important for web developers to work Yes, I work well with
as a team in order to deal with critical other.
issues that may arise, exchange ideas and
information, solve problems and
effectively communicate issues.
Time management Web developers are required to manage I ‘m good at multitasking
time efficiently in order to meet the given and I’m very organized
deadline while tackling multiple projects and manage my time
at the same time. efficiently.
Problem-solving As a web developer, you are required to I’m good at solving
identify, analyze and solve technical problem, but need to
issues that arises. improve a bit more.
Self-confidence It is important to present new designs and I lack the confidence but
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features to be implemented and get when it comes to
approval. presenting in front of
other, but I’m set on
improving it.
Motivation
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FIGURE 18 MOTIVATION
Importance of motivation
Motivation is an essential thing to human life. Motivation can give us many benefits.
Motivation is main factor that drives us towards our goals that driven to us towards our goals.
Motivation is an essential factor in personal growth and development. The following are some
benefits of motivation.
Achieve specific goals and objectives
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increased efficiency and effectiveness
Theories of motivation
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Esteem - it means honoring and appreciating one's own achievements.
Theory X & Y
Erg theory
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FIGURE 21 ERG THEORY
As can be seen from the diagram, ERG theory is an acronym for Existence, Relatedness, and
Growth.
These are the three basic needs that employees will try to satisfy. In the model, as one need is
filled, this will provide motivation for the employee to want to fulfill another need. All three
needs must be satisfied simultaneously in order for an individual to feel motivated.
(htt46)
Relatedness Needs-These requirements are concerned with how people interact with
their social environment, including their connections with significant others such as
family, supervisors, co-workers, subordinates, and friends. Meeting related
requirements at work can contribute to increased job satisfaction, motivation, and
engagement, because positive interactions with others provide a sense of belonging and
social support.
Growth Needs-These needs are what drive a person to put in creative or helpful work
for themselves, resulting in personal growth and development. Fulfilling growth
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requirements at work can lead to increased job satisfaction, motivation, and
engagement because individuals feel challenged, have opportunities for development,
and can use their talents and abilities to their maximum potential.
The American psychologist David McClelland studied the way in which people satisfy their
needs. What motivates people and what motivators are learned? According to David
McClelland, people have motivating drivers that are directly linked to need regardless of age,
gender, culture or race. (htt47)
The Need for achievement- The Need for Achievement Theory, developed by McClelland,
emphasizes the human need to achieve excellence in life. Those that have a strong encourage
for achievement are creative, effective, and set reasonable goals. They value both good and
negative input. While they perform independently, due to their drive for praise and intolerance
for inefficiencies in the work process, they may struggle with cooperation.
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Need for Affiliation- The need to connect with people and be liked is referred to as the Need
for Affiliation. Individuals who have a strong need for affiliation are social, team oriented, and
respect group norms. They easily adapt to workplace culture but may resist express criticism
for fear of being rejected. They are often easy to deal with and are skilled at avoiding
interpersonal difficulties.
The Need for power- The need to hold roles of authority and affect others is referred to as the
Need for Power. Those who have an intense need for power are driven competitive and are
unable with allowing failure or disagreement. They are not usually strong team players, but
they succeed in leadership positions. They are effective leaders because of their need for
achievement and authority.
Our team used motivational theories to keep our spirits up, resulting in increased productivity
and interest in completing tasks, ultimately helping us achieve our shared goal. These theories
proved to be highly effective and efficient for us throughout the project, as they helped us stay
focused and motivated. Applying motivational theories is an excellent way to enhance team
performance and achieve common objectives. It also makes team members feel valued and
involved with the project, resulting in a more cheerful and successful workplace.
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References
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.toppr.com/guides/business-studies/directing/communication/
Basis of Decision-Making and Planning. (2024). decision-making process. Retrieved from TechTarget:
https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/definition/decision-making-process
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