SELF - DEVELOPMENT
Meaning and Definition of Self - Development
Self - development is also referred to as personal development or personal growth , which means to develop oneself or an individual . The concept of self - development is both relative and subjective . Different people can perceive it differently . A spiritualist considers it in terms of feelings and gaining higher consciousness . On the other hand , a scientist considers it in terms of success in his scientific efforts or learning . Whereas , a sportsman considers it in terms of making new records . Self - development can be defined as development of one's abilities . However , it should be noted that the development of an individual may not be fully achieved , i.e .. the potential of his abilities is not fully realised . Self - development can be attributed to that particular behaviour which managers consciously adopt to attain certain personal objectives . Manager set goals and objectives and implements certain measures for achieving them .
Johari window
According to Stewart , " Self - development is defined as individuals improving their knowledge , skills , and abilities through their own self - directed efforts .
" According to Pedler , Bourgoyne and Boydell , " Self - development is defined as personal development , with the manager for employee ) taking primary responsibility for her or his own learning and for choosing the means to achieve this . "
Need of Self - Development The need for self - development arises due to following reasons :
1 ) Generally , all managerial jobs demand high level of self - development . However , with changes in the environment , there is increasing requirement for a creative and flexible approach .
2 ) Despite work pressures , managers need to maintain work effectiveness .
3 ) Certain managerial roles requiring extensive changes demand even greater capacity for self - development . Such roles demand technological changes , new markets , modified organisation structure , or innovative challenges .
4 ) Individuals aspiring to move into more challenging roles also require self - development , particularly when they are switching between different career options .
5 ) A high level of self - development is required when the manager strives to become more energetic , receptive , resourceful and creative .
Objectives of Self - Development Following are the objectives of self - development :
1 ) To develop into a perfect peace - loving human being having sensible and wise care for different aspects of human personality .
2 ) To cultivate the skill to work with others with the sense of collaboration , consideration and empathy , but being sensible at the same time so that unworthy elements do not get the benefit that they do not deserve .
3 ) Developing oneself not as a person providing services , but to present oneself as a dynamic and enterprising leader who has clear objectives and vision ..
4 ) To fully develop both the sides of the brain ; left ( logical analytical part ) and right ( intuitive and artistic ) ,
5 ) Developing the skills of learning and inculcating professional skills to its maximum level .
6 ) To develop deep human values on the basis of deep understanding of different cultures , creeds , and communities .
7 ) To develop greater awareness , alertness , and attentiveness so that all acts are performed completely . attentively and with improvement and advancement .
8 ) Developing constructive and optimistic attitude .
9 ) To develop good habits which can save time , money , energy and emotions .
Principles of Self - Development
The concept of self - development is quite significant when it comes to managerial success . Managers have benefited a lot by learning about themselves . This makes principles of self - development an important learning concept . Following are the principles of self - development :
1)People have the responsibility towards their own learning .
2 ) People tend to learn effectively for gaining new competence ,
3 ) People come to know about self - insight after knowing the candid views of others ,
4 ) When learning is experienced directly , it becomes more effective rather than when it is received second hand ,
5 ) Opportunities are needed by people for having greater personal achievement and creativity in their entire lives ,
6 ) There are greater opportunities than people believe .
7 ) Emotions and feelings form important elements of a person's life ,
8 ) Relationship with other people can generally be improved beyond one's imagination , and
9 ) People must try to understand their own uniqueness
Stages of Self - Development Figure
shows the different stages which are involved in the process of self - development :
Stages of Self Development
1 ) Personal Audit : An audit should be conducted . regarding the existing position and the various activities which can be done for improvement .
2 ) Setting Self - Development Objectives : Establishing the objectives and targets regarding points of achievement having both work related and personal targets .
3)Identifying Development Needs : Identifying the skills and knowledge accomplishment of objectives . necessary for the
4 ) Constructing the Development Plan : Perform an analysis regarding the information obtained from personal audit and determine various development goals and gaps . The development plan depends on these gaps . The personal growth plan directly encourages the person to engage in self - development plan to assess his accomplishments and will provide work - related programme .
Model of Self - Development
Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham invented Johari window which has proved to be the most comprehensive model which elaborates human interaction . A unique approach to analyse individual behaviour has been proposed by Joseph Luft through Johari window . According to him , an individual must relate his / her behaviour to others in order to comprehend his own behaviour . The interpersonal relationship alongwith communication can be improved through the Johari window . It says that interpersonal effectiveness is directly concerned with the volume of information which is shared mutually . This effectiveness in communication increases as this area enlarges .
Based on awareness of motivation , feelings , and behaviour , there are four quadrants that collectively represent an individual with respect to others . These four quadrants together constitute the Johari window and are discussed below :
1)Open Self : The motives , feelings , and behaviours about which an individual is aware and is ready to share with other individuals are represented by open self . These three features are quite evident when an individual is open , straight forward , and sharing .
2 ) Blind Self : It is the state in which motives , feelings , and behaviour related information is known to others but the individual is not aware of them . He / she might frustrate or disturb others unknowingly . The other individuals can inform this to the individual but are afraid to hurt his / her feelings .
3 ) Hidden Self : Individuals often do not share numerous feelings with others from the initial stages of their age . This quadrant includes those motives , feelings , and behaviours which are hidden from others but the individual himself / herself is aware of them .
4 ) Unknown Self : The state where neither others nor the individuals are aware of the information is represented by this quadrant . Till the time these behaviours , feelings , and motives are not allowed to come up , individuals and others are not aware of them and only witness them through deep fears and dreams . The Johari window is deeply influenced by feedback . The degree of how others inform the individual regarding his / her acts and feelings affects the Johari window . Also , an individual's ability to perceive these feedbacks and interactions in the organisation is crucial . Disclosure is the other force which influences Johari window . How much an individual discloses to others regarding the information he is aware of , shapes the Johari window . The persons with open - self enlarge their interpersonal effectiveness when others openly share relevant information and the way they perceive or act with them . Even the information falling in the unknown - self quadrant can emerge
Methods of Self - Development Below are discussed some of the methods of self - development :
1 ) Constructive Behaviour : It is the responsibility of the manager to maintain a positive behaviour so as to achieve the objectives of the organisation . It is easy to develop constructive behaviour by controlling the factors that influence his behaviour . All those stimuli that promote negative behaviour should be avoided . whereas all stimuli that promote positive behaviour should be encouraged . With the help of new stimuli or by reorganising existing ones , a manager can develop new behaviours . After the behavioural stimuli have been developed , reorganised , increased or decreased in exposure , the manager may determine the effectiveness of such stimuli in terms of change effected by the stimuli in his behaviour . Finally , stimuli that promote positive behaviour may be reinforced in order to attain organisational goals .
2 ) Time Management : Managers have generally less time ( or sometimes no time ) to devote when it comes to realising the goals of the organisation . This makes time management an important tool for managing time . Time management identifies and eliminates factors that cause wastage of time . Some of the factors that are
internal to the organisation and cause wastage of time are work overload , wrong planning , delay in work . inability to delegate , etc. On the other hand , external factors causing waste of time include ne disturbances , needless meetings , excessive travelling , lack of information about work environment , etc. The manager should try to reduce these factors so as knowledge about his environment and use that knowledge for achieving organisational goals . There are al manage his time effectively . In this way , he may gain several techniques for managing time effectively . Some of these include critical point control , delegation of authority , management by exception , planning and scheduling , etc.
3 ) Self - Study : It is not enough for managers to be engaged in official duty alone . At the same time , they also need to improve their understanding of various concepts . This can be attained by reading magazines , books , newspapers and journals of management discipline . Self - study is the key to self - development and also helps in realisation of organisational goals . Similarly , conferences , seminars and workshops are also helpful in self - -development
Benefits of Self - Development Following are the benefits of self - development :
1 ) Inculcates Positive Thinking : A self - evolved person having positive thinking can effectively engage in creative writing . This is true because creativity demands evolving out of negative feelings and minor differences . Such evolution and detachment can be achieved only through self - development .
2 ) Helps to Create Harmonious Relationships : Individuals who are self - developed have harmonious relationships with others . The inter - personal conflict of our daily lives is in essence a result of our intra personal conflict , unconscious behaviour and on petty objects . A self - developed individual tends to maintain harmony with others due to the acceptance of the fact that each individual is different in nature . Such people do not want to dominate other people because they have no such desire . They exercise power despite being powerless and prove to be worthy despite appearing worthless .
3 ) Cultivates Trust : Self - development facilitates constructive collaboration and interaction . Ineffective organisational communication is generally of mistrust and lack of co - ordination between the employees . Self - development cultivates trust both in the concerned person and in other persons who are working with him . Further , self - development contributes to building feeling of satisfaction when work in done in collaboration and with support of others .
4 ) Helps in Training and Development : In the present dynamic world , the knowledge of an individual becomes out - dated quite fast . More and more organisations now appreciate the significance of employees " knowledge in gaining competitive advantage and self - development is the best method for achieving it . A person involved in self - development activity is more capable of setting development goals for himself . The trainers who are quite adept in handling self - development programmes are more effective in training others . In comparison to formal development programmes , it is quite cost effective and can be implemented when one is ready to do so . Unlike conventional training , one does not need to wait for availability of funds and facilities for its operation .
