BAM7028 Professional Consultancy Assignment Sample
Pitch Development
This presentation highly elaborates on a market and cafe project in High Wycombe, seeking opportunities to build a congenial city space. Location goes hand in hand with project design while operations and staffing are also areas of concern under the same segment of project design. Other courses related to legal aspects are commercial law, and taxation aspect is also covered. The strategic marketing objectives are the formation of a clear value proposition, local advertisement, a local engagement strategy, and a strategy that would cover all channels of marketing. The promotional strategies of social media include the creation of content, paid promotions, and online bookings (Teague, 2021). More subtopics touched on include public relations, sustainability efforts, selling strategies, estimates of revenues, and communication measures as regards promotions, diversification of products, and facility improvements. The proposal presents a logical process for realizing such plans and proves that the academic’s concept is well-grounded and sensible.BAM7028 Professional Consultancy Assignment Sample
Teamwork Reflection
According to the Tuckman model, effective teams go through four distinct stages: The Tuckman model has the forming, the storming, the norming, and finally the performance phase. Looking at the ingredients given to the team it is clear that the team witnessed all four stages of the group development. In the forming stage, the focus was on the introduction of team members and the starting process of identification of processes, activities, and responsibilities that would be undertaken by the members of the particular team. This is evident from the narration on how each of the members assigned himself or herself several roles including the leader, the ‘idea generator’, the ‘critic’, and the ‘scheduler’.
According to the Belbin theory, our group has applied all the roles described by the author to strengthen the performance. I funneled the energy of the team through the role of the ‘Shaper,’ while the ‘Plant’ brought innovation to the table in Technology and Operations. The ‘Monitor Evaluator’ made sure that all strategies developed complied with the law while the ‘Resource Investigator’ provided information and resources on the market. In maintaining cohesion our ‘Coordinator’ synchronized marketing strategies, the ‘Team Worker’ who exhibited empathy resolved conflicts, and boosted the morale of our team, also the ‘Completer Finisher’ saw to it we followed the rules of thumb in every project. The absence of an ‘Implementer’ at the beginning of the project was a major problem; however, redistributing roles of all team members and taking on a collective ‘Shaper’ attitude allowed for regaining the necessary pace and achieving the goals successfully.
What concerns the storming stage, conflicts, and disagreements were typical of it, as it has been mentioned in the text. For instance, there were cases when some of the Product’s higher-ranking “Plants” resulted in off-topic conversations and time-consuming debates, which would be detrimental to the team’s workflow. The norming stage was characterized by the development of group cohesiveness following the efforts of the team members. This informed the statement; that people were in a position to understand each other, swap strengths, and perform.
Lastly, the team got to the performing stage where all members could fully collaborate by proficiently doing their tasks and completing the objectives astringently. An example is evident in the assertion that whenever implementing a change, the team needs to balance the generation of new ideas with critical evaluation, where the ‘Plants’ and ‘Monitor Evaluator’ roles were incorporated. Furthermore, the team rearranged work and used a new ‘Shaper’ role to get back to the strategies and fulfill the requirements efficiently.
The structure of the assembled team followed the principles of Belbin’s team role theory, which enabled choosing the appropriate work and skill sets of the team members. Belbin identified nine team roles that are common in effective teams in their course of executing their mandates appropriately and achieving the intended goals.
Being the natural leader of the bunch, he took up the role of the ‘Shaper’, ensuring that the group was encouraged and compelled to work harder and with more speed. Its aggressive attitude made it possible for us to keep vision and mission in consideration even as it motivated the team (Anwar, 2020). One of the other team members complimented the Shaper to a great extent as a ‘Plant, as they brought in new ideas and creative suggestions, especially in areas of Technology and Operation. This quality of thinking unconventionally and questioning the traditional approaches was particularly beneficial for them.
One of the team members was accurate and logical, and they took on the “Monitor Evaluator” role to ensure our work followed all legal and regulatory guidelines. They focused on objective approaches that helped us in defining risks and improving the proposed strategies. Another standout was a ‘Resource Investigator,’ who made detailed market analyses, estimated costs, and sought out resources to aid our strategy implementation.
Essential skills of one particular team member included “Co-ordinating” the various marketing strategies, that is making sure all our efforts complement each other and are harmoniously shared among respective employees (Echeverria et al. 2024). These factors made the group dynamics healthy; people were able to understand each other, share their strengths, and work effectively. Another possessed high levels of empathy and personal interaction, making them an excellent “Team Worker,” who efficiently managed teamwork, settling disputes in the team, and building overall morale amongst a team of workers.
While one offered a “Completer Finisher” perspective that was responsible for making sure that our sustainability plans conform to the best practices and follow all the proper guidelines, the other assumed an “Implementer” stance that translates our sales strategies into tangible activities and saw that they are executed.
Altogether, we attempted to adopt our assigned “Specialist” roles while ensuring there was proper inclusion of “Plants” and “Monitor Evaluator” that would foster idea generation and proposal critical assessment. Nevertheless, our team at first did not have a proper “Implementer” and that meant I faced some difficulties in actualizing my strategies. To that end, we redistributed work and used the collective “Shaper” persona to get back on track and get things in motion.
Also, in our case, there were times when a few prominent “Plants” led to side conversations and lengthy discussions: Still, we did not allow these issues to become a problem by taking measures whenever needed and making hard decisions as leaders and facilitators (Planas et al. 2021).
The members of the team had different Belbin roles which allowed the team to have a balanced approach towards solving the project In conclusion, the members of the team had different Belbin roles which allowed the team to have a balanced approach towards solving the project. This experience was a great reminder of the importance of being aware of the balance of a team, especially when facing obstacles and how one’s capabilities can benefit a team’s project direction.
Teamwork Analysis
I believe our pitch had considerable value to Progress Planning because it presented a clear and differentiated plan that can effectively address the specifics of the redevelopment plan. First of all, due to the profound market research and analysis of the potential customer audience, we got profound insights into the particular segment. With this knowledge in mind, Progress Planning was able to develop strategic plans that would solicit positive responses from the local community to warrant patronage in selling the market and cafe concept.
Secondly, the lack of a blurred mission statement, or to put it in other words, the mission and vision statement that is void of any ambiguity, recommending the establishment of a vibrant community hub fits the client’s goals perfectly to serve as the guiding framework for all the recommended interventions (Paige et al. 2021). This was particularly appropriate since it aligned the project’s goals and objectives at different phases as well as ensuring that the focus was maintained at all stages of the project.
Thirdly, the supposedly detailed operational plan looked at crucial issues such as place, resources, personnel, and guarantee, signifying that the group was highly knowledgeable about the project’s needs. This plan was optimal for efficient operations and orderly execution and as such provided a value addition to the capabilities of Progress Planning.
Also, our segmentation, positioning, and promotion strategies proposed efficient ways of guiding target consumers and retaining them in the market as well. To supplement downtown’s primary retail area and create more foot traffic, as well as increase strong customer loyalty and potential sales, the following advertising and community-focused strategies were recommended:
Furthermore, the principles that guided us, especially sustainability and Social Responsibility, aligned with the modern world’s demands and ambitions, which would help Progress Planning create a better image of itself as an environmentally friendly and socially responsible company and remain relevant and valuable for the future as a brand (Sezgin, 2023).
By providing Progress Planning with the market analysis, overall operational advice, specific appropriate marketing and sales strategies, as well as sustainability concerns, and the financial plan, our pitch presentation ensured that this company was ready to successfully undertake this immense redevelopment project.
Self-Evaluation of Strengths and Weaknesses
The Johari Window is a model that helps to define self-awareness, build personal skills, and improve interpersonal communication. It divides an individual’s personality and behaviours into four quadrants: The Open Area is an area well-known to a person as well as to other people; the Blind Area is an area that a person cannot see but is visible to others; the Facade or the Hidden Area is seen by the person but not visible to other people; and the last area is the Unknown Area and this is an area unknown to the person and also cannot be seen by other people.
Open Area (Known to Self and Others):
Some of the key strengths that I consider myself to have in this quadrant include analytical skills and the ability to solve problems, the ability to be detail-oriented, and be ability to break down problems into smaller solvable parts. I also possess good writing and interpersonal skills particularly when working in groups or involved in meetings and responding to customers (Mathew, 2020). In addition, I am very detail-oriented and disciplined, and these traits make me a proactive worker who can prioritize tasks well.
Blind Area (Unknown to Self but Known to Others):
By listening to others’ comments I was able to find some flaws in my personality that I was not aware of beforehand. For instance, I have been informed that I may express myself aggressively by being overly critical at times during the feedback-giving process, this may feel insensitive to some people. Furthermore, I have a weakness whereby I focus greatly on individual components of an overall task and sometimes forget the general picture altogether.
Facade or Hidden Area (Known to Self but Unknown to Others):
I have issues that I do not want people to know, especially at my place of work. For instance, I can be rather self-reflecting and demanding towards myself focusing on eradicating imperfection and putting pressure on myself when I fail (Sakorkar, 2022). Sometimes, this internal drive shows itself in the form of not wanting to delegate other tasks or not wanting to seek help because of the desire to prove oneself.
Unknown Area (Unknown to Self and Others):
This, as implied by the name, encompasses aspects of personality and behavioural traits that possibly I, and those around me, are still unaware of yet. These may be talents that are yet to manifest themselves, fears that are still to be stated, or even prejudice that one has not perceived (Asiza et al. 2023). It was assumed that this kind of learning could be derived from reflecting on the events and experiences, asking others to provide feedback, or participating in activities that would facilitate change and development in a person.
Thanks to the knowledge of how the Johari Window works I can create such reads that will contribute to the increase of the Open Area and decrease of the Blind and Facade Areas. This includes making that extra effort toward seeking feedback from other people and being open to receiving them; as much as creating and having a routine daily self-critique session with oneself and using any form of self-improvement tools.
In addition, I can attempt to emulate better behaviour by strengthening the trust and ‘speak up’ culture within the work team to allow other members to air out views and emotions relative to my actions. It means that it is rather useful in discovering my weaknesses: in addition to that, it helps maintain the prolonged utilisation of non-shaded values based on the parameters of our organisation’s system.
Self-Evaluation of Leadership and Management Skills
Several aspects of leadership and management are deemed as central elements of professional fulfillment in the working process, especially if a person is to supervise a team and tackle projects (Dusdal et al., 2021). This process of looking at what I have done and what I lack in the said areas has been insightful in a way of assessing my strengths and weaknesses. Theories like the Transformational Leadership model and the Management Competencies framework have helped me establish concrete lists of leadership and management competencies necessary for my future endeavours.
Strengths
Visionary Thinking and Strategic Planning:
Transformational Leadership gives priority to the vision and planning of an effective and efficient change (Usman, 2020). I pride myself on setting long-term objectives that go hand-in-hand with the team objectives. This was well illustrated in our recent project where I fully participated in outlining the vision of the project on redevelopment of the Chiltern Shopping Centre and creating an appropriate overall business plan. These and many other foresights enabled the project to be channeled in the right direction bearing in mind future challenges and opportunities.
Communication and Interpersonal Skills:
Fundamentally, communication in leadership and management is efficient. I am fundamentally responsible for managing dialogues using negotiation, conflict solving, and adjustment of all the team members to a certain shared belief system. This remains by the Management Competencies framework that stresses interpersonal as core skills as one takes up management positions.
Problem-Solving and Decision-Making:
I am also fluent in assessing different aspects of the problem, looking at them from different points of view, and coming to a wise decision. This skill was essential when working on the project since we encountered some unforeseen hurdles that called for efficient and proper decision-making. This showed that I can maintain my calmness to reason effectively to overcome such obstacles.
Empathy and Team Building:
According to the Transformational Leadership model discussed in the paper, interest in people and building strong team relations are essential (Lauritzen et al., 2022). In the aspect of emotional intelligence, I have been able to show care for others meaning I can identify with my team members in such a way that I can comprehend their emotions and the reasons behind them hence work more closely with them because of the care that I have for them. This was especially important in increasing team unity and productivity since the employees involved understood the project objective well.
Weaknesses
Delegation:
There is one character trait out of the three, I need to work on to be better, and the one is delegation. In terms of personal strengths, I can perform multiple tasks with great proficiency; although I sometimes have difficulties organizing people’s workload because I like to complete tasks relying on my abilities. This can lead to other health complications and productivity in the team will decrease as well. Improving my delegation skills will be vital for my future positions as this would help me to devote more time to the essential decision-making processes while at the same time assisting others.
Adaptability to Change:
While I have no conflicts with the area of strategic planning, I think the concepts of flexibility, and variants or changes to the original course of actions may be a problem for me. The follow-up to the publication of the Management Competencies framework is the need to highlight flexibility and adaptability in leadership (Mohamed Jais et al., 2021). These particular skills will aid me in responding elaborately to diverse working conditions and contingencies.
Technical Proficiency:
In contemporary society, it is very crucial to have a strong background in the technologies relevant to today’s world. As for my technical competencies, it is fair to mention that although I possess a basic understanding of the technical profession, I am aware of the necessity to increase my abilities within the certain tools and programs utilized in my field. This will help me in my leadership of technical projects that have technical factors entailed and the incorporation of technology into our strategies.
Skills Development Plan
It is to know that I fall under the Logistician category and this groundwork helps in determining a solid skill development plan. It would be correct to state that logisticians are highly dependable, accurate workers who have a very realistic outlook and a great deal of orderliness. But on the flip side, they can be possessive, inflexible, and self-critical, or even critical of others most of the time. Based on these traits, the plan to overcome my deficiency and enhance my leadership and management skills is as under.
Short-Term (Next 6 months)
Delegation Training:
That is why as a Logistician, I like tasks to be done perfectly and due to this, I tend to prefer to do the tasks myself. In response to this, I will attend seminars and training sessions regarding delegation of tasks and supervision of employees. These sessions will help me to learn to have confidence in my colleagues as well as properly assign responsibilities in the organization so that work may be done without my direct supervision. This will cut down my working load and enable my subordinates to work more efficiently.
Technology Courses:
Logisticians place great importance on accuracy and time, thus, technology literacy is of high importance. I will take online classes in various skills to enhance the usage of project management software and data analysis tools. This way, I can improve my experience in using the tools which in turn help in making efficient decisions and avoid time-consuming procedures in performing my duties. Ex Corse or Lynda in the form of training courses, Software like Microsoft Project or Tableau will be especially helpful in this regard.
Medium-Term (6-18 months)
Mentorship:
Thus, the Logistician trait of seeking the guidance of people in higher positions motivates them to look for a mentor (Kumari et al., 2022). It will also be useful to receive feedback from a mentor on my leadership style and the areas that need to be avoided. Another is that regularly arranged meetings with the mentor will provide an understanding of proper leadership behavior and give an individual practice on what can be improved, focusing on the ability to adapt and delegate.
Adaptability Exercises:
Thus, partaking in activities that entail decisions on time and the ability to change strategies will assist in curbing rigidity. Simulating the actual management of a crisis and engaging with the concepts of agile project management will push me to learn from the situation’s particularities and always be prepared for the unexpected. These exercises will also make me more flexible in case of the occurrence of the unexpected thus making my leadership role effective.
Long-term (18 months and beyond)
Advanced Leadership Programs:
Taking admission in specialization in leadership programs or getting certified in leadership and management will improve my skills and understanding. An Executive MBA or leadership course in a reputable business school such as Harvard is typically useful in giving an individual an understanding of fundamental and complex leadership ideas (Leroy et al., 2022). These programs will assist me in acquiring strategic thinking skills and enhance my skills in managing major projects and groups.
Continuous Learning:
I would like to mention that I am a strong supporter of the organizational culture that implies constant improvement and the acquisition of the latest knowledge in my field. I will gain professional development by attending industry conferences, reading leadership literature, participating in webinars, and other similar activities as I pursue lifelong learning. I believe that the ability to update myself with the latest practices and methods in leadership and management will make the learned concepts useful in the changing world of business.
Conclusion
The tasks and objectives discussed in the performed group presentation of the market and cafe project in High Wycombe have shown valuable findings in the aspects of market analysis, market planning, and market promotion. The identification of the role problems and solutions derived from Belbin’s team role theory facilitated the balance of personalities and productivity during the teamwork. It is intriguing to understand my strengths and weaknesses; the above concepts like the Johari Window and leadership theories have made me learn some areas that need to be developed. Here, I presented a plan for the improvement of the key skills of delegation, flexibility, and technical expertise that contains short-term, midterm, and long-term goals and approaches. On ongoing process of learning and finding a mentor has a significant role in my leadership development. All in all, this experience has reinforced the value of planning before action, clear communication, and self-reflection in the attainment of positive results for projects as well as the creation of a positive working climate.
Reference
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