For Part 2B of this Assignment, recall the concepts or topics you selected as part of your Executive Summary in Part 1. It is now time to bring this commitment to life. To do this, identify concrete action items that will support your goal to deepen your personal learning experience in the coming year. Then, consider the following:

• What can you do now to integrate the experiences and insights you had in the MBA program with your personal and professional development goals?
• What are the most important things you are taking from your MBA program that will shape your future and enable you to make a positive difference?

Write a detailed action plan for one new goal for professional and personal development (you will continue to build on the list of goals you started in your previous course). Include the following in your action plan:

• Your specific goal for professional and personal development with an explanation as to why you selected the goal. Be sure to provide concrete and specific examples of why the goal is important, the extent to which this goal enables you to be an agent for positive social change, the personal or professional value you expect from achieving each goal, and how the goal relates to the resources you reviewed in the course.
• At least two objectives for the goal you have identified. Provide a rationale that explains how your objectives support the goal.

APA Format

Runninghead: BLUEPRINT FOR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL GROWTH 1

BLUEPRINT FOR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL GROWTH 1

Blueprint for Professional and Personal Growth

Walden University

Deborah Melvin

Executive Summary

Part 1

Masters of Business Administration is a program that has offered me a wealth of advantages in regard to my professional goals and aspirations. Considerably, MBA is well-regarded program that has prepared me to enter today’s business world that is highly competitive. The program serves as a big step towards achieving my dream career of taking a management position in a reputable organization. Despite the fact that MBA program is broader in nature, offering various key areas of specialization, my main focus was strategic management and human resource management. Being an aspiring business manager, it is important to turn around a business through effective long-term strategic plans that address the needs of the highly versatile business environment (Engert et al., 2016). Moreover, having a well-competent and all-inclusive workforce is one of the key things that I have learnt by undertaking MBA program. Employees are the main organizational asset that determines business success or failure –hence the need to manage them effectively. MBA program entails deep and elaborate content, tools, conceptual ideas, as well as assignments that have improved my skills and understanding as far as the process of achieving my professional goals is concerned. Strategic management has challenged me to improve my management skills through adoption of techniques that help the organization to respond to constant changes in the world of business. Notably, through various content, tools, and assignment in MBA, I have learnt that the business environment is constantly changing –hence the need to be prepared. The ability to plan is important in the bid to counter changes in the marketplace. According to Teece (2018), changes in the industry are unavoidable –hence it is vital to respond to such dynamics in order to ensure that the organization is not edged out of the market.

Environmental analysis is one concept that I have learnt in MBA. This helps the manager to understand business from within and outside for the purpose of establishing its weaknesses and strengths. Conducting environmental analysis is essential in highlighting key areas of improvement for the purpose of enabling the business to achieve its set goals and objectives (Gürel & Tat, 2017). SWOT and PEST analysis are some of environmental analysis tools that I have learnt in this program. Strategic planning is another key concept that helps to manage difficult situations that I have learnt by undertaking MBA program. Through the MBA program, I have been able to improve my leadership and HRM skills. With constant changes in business environment, hiring, training, and developing a competent team is crucial in ensuring that a business is able to tap into opportunities in the market (Hecklau et al., 2016). MBA program has equipped me with leadership skills such as team development, conflict resolution, motivation, employee engagement among others. Consequently, I am able to lead a team that helps in the realization of organizational goals and objectives.

Generally, my improved skills and understanding have had a huge impact in helping me to acquire management techniques and tools that will help me to serve as an agent of change not only at the organizational level but also at the community level. Organizational transformation is important and through the knowledge gained in MBA program, I will be able to introduce a learning culture within an organization. Learning culture will be essential in transforming the organization since employees will be encouraged to learn new techniques and skills hence improving their performance and productivity. For instance, as the technology is changing, they will learn how to operate new gadgets and systems. On the community level, I will enhance the corporate social program by forming a foundation that will support the society through education and building of key infrastructure.

Part 2

MBA program consists of content and assignments that have transformed my perception regarding the role of managers within an organization. Concepts learnt in this program have given me a totally different viewpoint of a managerial role, that is, where a manager stands in an organization. Contrary to my belief that being a manager involves giving orders, the knowledge gained in this course has made me think otherwise. A manager should be an all-rounded person with extensive knowledge and skills in all organizational activities. The influence and impact of the manager within an organization is felt through his or her participation in organizational decision-making process touching on each and every department. A manager is a team player who is committed to engage various stakeholders within the organization. Through participatory approach, a manager will be able to get firsthand information concerning the organization –something that is vital in ensuring that decisions made are objective and informed.

The content and assignments undertaken in MBA program have helped me to understand that a manager is required to have analytical skills in the bid to “gather, interpret, and create reports based on industry data” (Akter & Wamba, 2016). This ensures that the organization is fully aligned to changes and trends in the market –hence ensuring that the business thrives in the highly competitive market. In a nutshell MBA program has enabled me to understand that a business manager is supposed to be diverse through the acquisition of different skills regarding various organizational functions. Moreover, a manager is an individual who is supposed to lead from the front by a way of participating in organizational functions touching on all departments –thus helping a leader to understand the business need quite well. MBA program has really shaped my career goals –hence preparing me to be a great leader in future. The managerial role entails a number of skills ranging from financial; communication; planning; problem solving; decision making; and delegation (Ogunsanmi, 2016). MBA program has transformed my understanding regarding the process of developing and deploying these skills in my future managerial role (s). A good manager should be committed to bridge the gap that exists between various organizational departments by ensuring collaboration and teamwork. The analytical skills gained through MBA program will help in analyzing the organizational financial statement for the purpose of getting a clear picture of business performance and which areas require improvement. Delegation ensures that various departmental heads are assigned roles that will help to achieve the organization’s strategic goals. Interpersonal skills are equally crucial in engaging different key stakeholders who help in making various organizational decisions. Finally, MBA has helped me attain critical thinking skills which are necessary in making informed decisions and solve various problems.

Basically, MBA program has really helped me appreciate my role as a future manager. Through the program, I have understood that managerial role is an integral position that determines the organizational success. Knowledge and skills gained in MBA enabled me believe that a manager is symbol of unity within an organization. A manager is a leader and team player who should show others direction and offer guidance. Managers are agents of social change within an organization hence leading the process of nurturing a certain culture that is progressive. MBA has also equipped me with skills that can help to bring change in an organization through motivation and supervision of employees for the purpose of adjusting to the constantly changing environment. Techniques and tools learnt in the course have prepared me to be a transformative leader who will lead business growth and prosperity in any sector.

References

Akter, S., & Wamba, S. F. (2016). Big data analytics in E-commerce: a systematic review and agenda for future research. Electronic Markets, 26(2), 173-194. Retrieved from:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12525-016-0219-0

.

Dajani, M. A. Z., & Mohamad, M. S. (2016). Leadership styles, organisational culture and learning organisational capability in education industry: Evidence from Egypt. International Journal of Business and Social Research, 6(11), 42-57. Retrieved from:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohamad_Mohamad5/publication/323263423_Leadership_Styles_Organisational_Culture_and_Learning_Organisational_Capability_in_Education_Industry_Evidence_from_Egypt/links/5c8fa0b045851564fae634fc/Leadership-Styles-Organisational-Culture-and-Learning-Organisational-Capability-in-Education-Industry-Evidence-from-Egypt

.

Engert, S., Rauter, R., & Baumgartner, R. J. (2016). Exploring the integration of corporate sustainability into strategic management: a literature review. Journal of cleaner production, 112, 2833-2850. Retrieved from:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652615011208

.

Gürel, E., & Tat, M. (2017). SWOT analysis: a theoretical review. Journal of International Social Research, 10(51). Retrieved from:

http://sosyalarastirmalar.com/cilt10/sayi51_pdf/6iksisat_kamu_isletme/gurel_emet

.

Hecklau, F., Galeitzke, M., Flachs, S., & Kohl, H. (2016). Holistic approach for human resource management in Industry 4.0. Procedia Cirp, 54(1), 1-6. Retrieved from:

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/81956090

.

Ogunsanmi, O. E. (2016). Determining the essential skill requirements for construction managers’ practice in Nigeria. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management, 6(2), 48-63. Retrieved from:

http://www.ijcscm.com/sites/default/files/issue/nid-40471/olabodeogunsanmi_1485222472

.

Teece, D. J. (2018). Business models and dynamic capabilities. Long Range Planning, 51(1), 40-49. Retrieved from:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0024630117302868

.