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MODULE AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

This module aims to provide support for those who may feel they need some focused time to reflect on their personal and professional effectiveness. In busy, often resource challenged workplaces, many people feel from time to time that their effectiveness is compromised. The scenarios, experiences, activities and reflections here aim to offer space and perspective on which we hope module users can develop strategies to move forward with more confidence.

 

Definition

Personal and professional effectiveness refers to the practice of making the most of the resources at our disposal. Some of these resources may be learned, such as particular skills, utilising specialist knowledge, or managing the time we have available in our day. Other resources relate to the talents and interests we have developed as people and as professionals in our lives to date.

When we feel under pressure in some way, our personal and professional effectiveness can be reduced. This module aims to remind us of some of the resources we may have or could develop to deal with the pressures faced at work.

Personal and professional effectiveness resources draw on research from a range of associated academic disciplines:

• Education in relation to learning and self-development
• Psychology in relation to motivation and personality
• Sociology in relation to identity and social interaction and
• Philosophy in relation to self-reflection and ethical issues.

Often, we find it difficult to separate our personal effectiveness from our professional effectiveness. Whilst the examples in the module come from people working in the health care setting, we can also benefit from reflecting on the ways in which we manage our time, responsibilities, emotions, relationships and communication outside of work.  

Healthcare professionals are not the only people who experience reduced effectiveness, but work-related difficulties are prevalent in the NHS.  When asked what the biggest single source of stress is in their working lives, groups of health care professionals repeatedly say that they do not have enough time to do all they need to do (unpublished data from 5 years of leadership courses run in London). Having too much work and insufficient time for it makes us feel vulnerable and inefficient, clouding our brains and reducing our ability to think logically. This is often when effectiveness suffers.

 

Focusing on techniques of personal and professional effective as can help us to: Think more clearly Present our ideas more cohesively Increase our levels of confidence Reduce our levels of stress Increase our enjoyment of our work

 

Module learning outcomes:

By the end of this module you will have:

• Evaluated your effectiveness at this current time.

• Begun to form a plan to address this.

• Considered ways to better manage tasks and time.

• Used the MBTI tool to reflect on work-based relationships.

• Assessed your own and others’ listening skills.

• Explored ways to co-create a supportive work culture.

• Evaluated your and others’ emotional responses when under stress.

• Explored ways to manage emotions at work.

• Examined a variety of techniques for effective communication.

• Acknowledged ways interpersonal relationships can adversely affect us and our work.

• Practised some negotiation skills and techniques.

• Accessed ways of caring for ourselves physically and mentally.

 

You may wish to create a space for your thoughts as you work through this module. A notebook, a file on your computer or a note on your phone can give you the space to write down your self-assessment scores, your reflections and sections of text or video clips that most resonate with you. Having such a space can be therapeutic.