Reflective summary for

Personal and Professional Development
BSc (Hons) Business and Management

Level 4

London School of Management Education

ID NO: NC091811566DBM

Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………2
Week one………………………………………….…………..2
Week two………………………………………………………3
Week three…………………………………………………….3
Week four………………………..………….…………………4
Week five………………………………………………………5
Week six……………………………………………………….6
Conclusion…………………………………………………….7
Appendix………………………………………………………8
Reference List……………………………………………….11

Introduction
The following is a reflective analysis of all the lessons that I learned in the
Personal and the Development class. I was able to attend the six classes and
focused on the negotiation lessons, conflict resolution professional development,
critical thinking, and the negotiation skills that our lecturer taught us. The reflective
analysis provides a step by step approach to what happened on how I learned the
skills and how I was able to apply them in some of our group work to complete our
assignments.
Week one: Induction

The first-day of the school was induction day. The Principal of the London
School of Management conducted the induction and ensured that everyone in the
class got a chance to talk. The main important lesson of the class was
communication skills and presentation skills. The whole lesson was induction, I was
a new thing for therefore I was so nervous about the introductions and speaking in
front of my new classmates.
During the class, I remembered the class lesson on effective communication
strategies by Harley (2015) that the key to effective communication is to prepare
early. That way, one will ensure that one is sure and able to organize the contents
and format of communication they will use. When it was my turn I stood and calmly
introduced myself and only shared relevant information. The process continued as I
sat back quietly listening on as other student introduced themselves. To maintain
active listen, I followed the recommendations to lean forward, nod head and positive
nonverbal cues that showed am listening according to Harley ( 2015) suggestions.
The first day was filled with face to face interactions. From the conversations
I learnt a lot. Later when reflecting on how the whole introduction went, I discovered
that body language and other non-verbal cues are critical in ensuring excellent
conversations. While conversing I kept in mind the important lesson of Harley (2015),
that in conversations listening is a core value that will enhance rapport creation. With
that in mind, I was actively listening, using correct body posture and just a few
questions.

Week two
The main lesson for day two was personal and professional development.
During this day the main thing was forming a group. We formed a group randomly
and of 4-6 people in the whole class, immediately after forming a group we started
working together.
After receiving an assignment just like Liddle (2017) highlights that conflict is
perennial. We found ourselves in conflict. We were supposed to analyse a
supermarket but we could not decide on which supermarket to use. We decided to
use one of the radical toolkits that Liddle (2017) uses to manage our conflict and see
how we effective it can be. According to Hartley (2015) on approach we should
always stay calm, listen keenly to everyone points to understand, focus on the
positive, wait for your turn to talk, state your point, attack the issue of the
supermarket, not the persons, avoided blame game, focused in the future of the
group, asked creative questions, linked questions, maintained creativity and arrived
at the solution. The guidelines by Liddle (2017) managed help conflict allowed us to
settle the conflict. The main conflict was whether to use the Sans berry supermarket
or the Iceland Supermarket. After the due process of Conflict resolution, c we were
able to settle on the Iceland Supermarket. The supermarket was a big, enough, near
our school, and could allow us to easily analyse it than Sans berry which was a bit
far.
In my opinion, the team development was great as people and group
members were able to deal with the issue in a mature manner. We were able to
learn about the different theories of team development and learning theories.
Specifically, the team was also able to stick to the plan and follow through the whole
process of conflict resolution. Additionally, if group members have good skill of
communication skills it will increase the cohesion of the team (Liddle, 2017).
Week three
During the lesson, we were taken through all the different lesson of the team
building and how to present out various assignments. The lessons were ideal as on
team building on how the lesson focused on how we can build our teams. According
to Ma (2017) when team building people should focus on the roles and social
relations of the teams. We had formed a group of five people in day five and we were

now working together. We had an activity that enhanced team building and allowed
us to use all the guidelines of team building by Ma (2017). The main activity for the
team building we were supposed to a tower using the marshmallows spaghetti, cello
tapes and strings. From the activities, we were having very many difficulties. We
were all disappointed and frustrated. However, once we decided to work together it
was easy. For instance, after thinking together, we decided to stick the spaghetti
through the marshmallows and use cello tape outside. The activity and the difficulties
allowed us to learn more about team building and its importance.
In the lesson, we learned the key factors the allowed us to apply them also in
our teamwork. For example, from the class lessons, we learned how according to Ma
(2017) the basic team building model can be able to enhance the outcomes of a
team. In that regard, we applied the same to our tower building using the
marshmallows, cello tape and Spaghetti. Therefore, we specifically aligned our goals
as a team, build effective working relations by enhancing communication through
social media groups and face to face interaction and clearly defining the roles of
each member of the team. Finally, we also focused on finding the solutions to all
the team problems together. With all these guidelines the lesson of the team
building came in handy and was applicable.
In the class, we are also able to learn about the presentation skills. In that
time while enhancing team building in the nation, we practiced our presentation
skills. According to Ma (2017) he advises that people can use the nervous energy
that people have and turn into enthusiasm. We were also able to adopt that. The
day of the presentation we agreed that we will arrive early. The lessons were ideal
and important and in enhancing both our team building and the presentation skills.

Week four
During the fourth lesson, the topic was critical thinking. In this class, we were
shown several; activities that allowed us to exercise and use critical thinking in our
activities. One lesson that was an eye-opener in the class was drawing a box and
highlighting different things on the box. We were supposed to draw a Johari Window.
It is a box with four quadrants. Each quadrant allowed for filling different details to
allow for self-awareness (Erstad, 2018). This exercise provided a basic approach

that one can use in critical thinking. Additionally, it was a basic approach that can be
used for training. After several classes and using the materials we were able to use
critical thinking class that we learned in class.
We used critical crucial thinking lesson that was highlighted by the Erstad
(2018). In the lessons by the author, we were able to apply the critical thinking
process in our teamwork. We first identified the issues, conducted several types of
research about the issue, identified any bias, made inferences, determined
relevance, and became curious before any decision was, made concerning anything.
For that critical thinking lesson were also able to identify the areas that needed the
use of the critical thinking approaches. That way we were able to improve the
participate and reduced chances of making any poor decisions. We were operating
according to the guidelines by Erstad (2018) that states that a team and individual’s
ability to be able to evaluate and analyse complex subjects will improve the
outcomes from the situation. I discovered that the exercise and ability to think
critically can be learned. Also, critical thinking is important as it reduces the chances
of making poor decisions as it enhances the logical approach to solving problems.
Week five
The main lesson for was on the power and influence. During the lesson, the
main aim was to show compare the two and why they are put together in the class.
However, the main lesson that I was able to get from the class was the main
differences between the two. From the class, I was able to understand that influence
is the ability of a person to sway another individuals’ thoughts behaviour or actions. It
can either be internal or external. On the other hand, power refers to the ability to
direct or influence an individual. While the two terms almost mean the same thing,
influence needs a social interaction from for example family members, friends and
parents (Bacon, 2010). On the other hand, power social interaction between teacher
colleagues and leaders.
The power and influence lessons show how they operate. The lessons taught
the different ways that power and influence interact (Bacon, 2010). In the sense that
influence is the application of power to be able to achieve a certain course (Bacon,
2010) After the lessons, it is clear that we could adopt and use it in our daily lives by
learning the dynamics of the same. In the study of power and influence, the most

important thing was how to socially interact. We also learned how to get people to
flow you. Additionally, we also learned how we could use in rational influencing
people. From the lesson, according to Bacon (2010), we can use the Logical
persuading, legitimizing, Exchanging and stating approaches that will allow people to
follow you. From the lesson I also learned how to use the socializing, appealing
relationship, and alliance building with people. From the lessons, it was also clear
that people use dark sides to influence. However, after the lesson, we used the
lessons well for our classes group work.
Week six
On the sixth day, the main activity for the lesson was negotiations skills. From
the class, I was able to learn the negotiating skills, tactics, models, and approaches
that can be used in negotiations. During that lesson, we were still doing analysis for
the supermarket. We were supposed to analyse their data. It was during this time
that we were able to fully comprehend and apply the negotiation skills that we
learned in class.
We were able to carry out our group negotiations according to the
negotiations theory which views all the negotiations as a process according to
Lewicki (2011). Therefore, to carry out successful negotiations in class we observed
all the stages of negotiations that included preparation, opening, bargaining, and
closure. According to Lewicki (2011) guidelines, we all observed the due process
and ensured that we were all on the same page before the negotiations. While the
lecturer helped us through with the class, with the different tactics of good
negotiation we focused on negotiating and how we will complete supermarket
analysis to determine how they use their space. For instance, when negotiating
among the group members we also applied guidelines by Lewicki (2011) to employ
the use of our interpersonal skills to learn to negotiate effectively. According to
Lewicki (2011), from the lessons, we were able to understand that the listening is a
core value of ensuring effective communication overall.
The lessons in class also helped us learn how we can be able to employ
different communication strategies. From the lessons, and while negotiating with
classmates, we changed the communication strategies and tactics depending on the
role we were playing, the outcomes that we intend to achieve, the tactic that other

people were using and the stage of negotiations when completing the task, there
were several conflicts that arose. However, we were all able to amicably solve most
of the conflict using conflict resolution approaches using negotiation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, after the six days’ lesson, the lessons I learned were useful and
informative that helped me change the way I communicated, interact with people,
solve conflict and negotiate. The lessons changed me in a way that I am now a keen
listener, I can participate in negotiations and will logically solve any conflict I
encounter. Apart from learning the theoretical part of the lessons, I was able to
practice and use them while interacting with the group members. This ensured that
we were able to practice everything that we learnt in the classroom and master them
The lessons allowed us to act professionally and prepare us for our future corporate
careers and our daily lives.

WEEK EVENT KEY AREAS OF ASSESMENT
1.
25.09.
2018
HOW
PEOPLE
USE
SPACE

COMMUNI
CATION

PERSO
NAL
INFLUE
NCE

HANDLING
INTERPER
SONAL
CONFLICT

IDENTIFI
ABLE
BARIER
S
LEARNIN
G

REFLECTI
VE
EVIDENC
E

After a
small
discussion
we decided
to go to the
Sainsbury’s
, then we
changed
the location
and been to
Iceland
because it
was closer
and had
easiest
access to it.

Becaus
e the
group
was
newly
formed,
the
majority
had
their
way and
influenc
e other
2
people(
4 wants
to
Sainsbu
ry’s, 2
choose
Iceland)
to come
to
Iceland
as well.
First
conflict we
had was to
choose the
supermark
et to go.
Second
was about
how the
merchandis
e was
arranged
on the
shelves
and how
they
organized
the space
for the
customers.

It was a
bit
difficult
because
the group
had just
been
formed.
However,
we had
the
advantag
e that we
all share
the same
native
language
which
made
our
communi
cation
easy.;
The
aspect
also
made us
unselfcon
scious
and
contribut
e to our
team
work.

We learnt
how to use
the space
and how to
arrange
the
merchandi
se inside
to a
supermark
et to be in
our
advantage
and in the
same time
to offer
good
customer
service.

2.
02.10.
2018
HOW WE
BUILD
TEAM

Considerin
g it a
competition
We
suggest
ed that

The conflict
was about
the tower
The
marshma
llow had

I learned
the better
way to

(MARSHM
ALLOW
CHALENG
E)

we acted
wisely:
everyone
shared his
opinion
before start
building
and after
we
analysed
together,
we decided
how the
tower to be
structured.
Everyone
was
allowed to
talk and
share their
opinion.

we build
the
base
from
three
legs
because
I though
it will be
more
strong
and
stable.

base. We
couldn`t
decide how
many legs
to add to it.
After I
argued why
is better
with 3 legs,
they all
agreed.

too much
flour on
the
surface
and we
couldn`t
stick
together.
The
spaghetti
was too
skinny
and to
fragile.

work in a
group is to
listen
every idea
and
analyse
together
which one
is better
and why
and after
to use it.

3.
09.10.
2018
UNDERST
ANDING
CRITICAL
THINKING

In the class
assignment
s we drew
the four
quadrant
table that
allowed us
to
communica
te and
show how
we can
relate with
other
people. It
allowed us
to
communica
te on what
we know
about other
people as
part of the
group
activity.

With
critical
thinking
everyon
e was
able to
present
their
thought
s
systema
tically to
try and
convinc
e the
group
member
s to use
their
approac
hes.

The use of
critical
thinking
allowed us
to
determine
the root
cause of
every
conflict that
we had.
therefore,
we
managed
to attack
the issue
and not the
person.

Most
student in
the class
did not
have an
open in
addition
the
exercise
that we
were
supposed
to use to
learn
were
simple
situations
that did
not
require
deep
critical
thinking.

After the
classes I
was able
to adopt
most of
the critical
thinking
models to
my
classwork
group
work, and
work at
home and
personal
problems
that I was
dealing
with.

4.
16.10.
2018
POWER
AND
INFLUENC
E

Power and
influence
allowed us
to

I was
the
leader
of the

Some
conflicts
arose
because

Most
student
were not
political

After
learning
about
power and

understand
the
differences
between
the power
and
influence
and how
one can
use them to
gain follow
me

group.
therefor
e I was
able to
influenc
e most
of the
group
member
s to
follow
my lead
some
people
wanted to
be the
leaders
also.
However
we used
democracy
to
determine
who will be
our leader
and I was
chosen by
three
votes.

motivated
and
therefore,
most did
not
participat
e in the
practical
exercises
of the
class.

influence I
now have
tool that I
can use to
influence
people
and they
can then
start
following
me

5.
06.11.
2018
NEGOTIAT
IONS
SKILLS
(THE ARM
EXERCISE
S)

In this skills
we
employed
the different
communica
tion skills to
communica
te with the
manageme
nt of the
Iceland
supermarke
t to allow us
to gain
entrance to
their
premises

In the
group
before
agreein
g on
somethi
ng we
had to
negotiat
e. We
observe
d all the
rules a
followed
the due
process
of
negotiati
on. Only
then
could
we
underst
and and
follow
each
other.

We learnt
in class
that
Negotiation
s is one of
the best
ways to
handle the
conflicts.
People can
come
together
and
negotiate
and agree
how they
can solve
the
problem.
The ;

It
required
a prior
knowledg
e of
communi
cation
skills and
which if
you did
not have
the
lesson
was quite
hard

I now
have skills
that will
allow me
to
negotiate
the terms
of my
employme
nt when I
complete
college
and I go to
look for
work.

References
Erstad W., (2018) 6 Critical Thinking Skills You Need to Master Now, Rasmussen
College.
Hartley P. (2015), Business Communication, Oxford, Routledge.
Lewicki R. J., Saunders, D. M., Minton, J. W., Roy, J., & Lewicki, N.
(2011), Essentials of negotiation, Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Liddle, D. (2017), Managing Conflict, London, Kogan Page
Ma, L., Yang, B., Wang, X. and Li, Y. (2017), On the dimensionality of intragroup
conflict. International Journal of Conflict Management, 28(5), pp.538-562.
Terry R. Bacon, (2017) Power and Influence: The art of Getting others to follow Your
Leader.