A Journey to

Become a Business Manager

cau
Personal and Career Development
U10475
Dr. Zamanur Rahman
11/12/2023
 Introduction
• Good day all, today I am happy to discuss with you about my dream to
become a business manager.
• This journey is more than just a mere career goal; rather, it entails
life-long processes of personal development towards becoming an
effective leader.
• Follow me as I lead you through what I learnt utilizing Kolb’s
Learning model and develop a personal development plan outlining
my objectives for the following years.
 Learning Log based on Kolb’s Learning
Cycle (1984)
Date:
• Over the course of a year ago, I was involved in several cross functional projects
whereby I took positions that required me to apply strategy and also coordinate
well with other teams.
Concrete experience:
• The experiences gave me first hand understanding on how hard it is in managing
diverse tasks and people in an ever changing business environment (Gallagher,
2016).
Reflective Observation:
• I realized subsequently that communication, delegating activities effectively, and
being flexible were key ingredients of successful projects.
• The complexity between the team dynamic and the organizational culture was
manifested, affecting on the project outcomes.
 Continuation
• It helped me to see why quality leadership is important because it
creates a purpose and dedication for all team members to make them
function effectively and achieve positive results together (Barker,
2010).
Abstract Conceptualization:
• I came up with a new perception of business management,
encompassing much more than managing daily activities (Visnjic et
al., 2022, pp.1964-1989).
• This entails cultivating good working environment, strategic
management, and teaming efforts towards the organization’s
objectives.
 Continuation
What is my PLAN for future action:
• I appreciated how different aspects in an organization were connected
and realized that good supervision involved more than doing tasks
alone.
• The idea of continuous learning became a prominent theme because
there could be no intelligent decision making or innovations if an
individual did not remain updated on new happenings in the industry
(Schermerhorn Jr et al.,2020).
• In general, Kolb’s learning cycle has provided me with a systematic
toolkit for articulating and analyzing my knowledge acquisitions
during crosscutting project involvement over the past year.
 Personal Development Plan
Area of specific development need:
• With regards to personal development in the coming year, I seek to improve my
leadership and strategic thinking abilities as well as attain a more
comprehensive knowledge about financial management.
• I am coming up with an overall approach for action research, learning and
networking which will help me meet these development requirements (Moon,
2006).
Type of development:
• I will first endeavor to find extra jobs in my present job or department. For
instance, I hope to enhance the leadership by putting it into a practice through
challenging myself with new responsibilities (Abid et al., 2021,pp.299-311).
• In this way, I will have the opportunity of testing various kinds of leadership
styles, gain experience and hone my practical skills in the actual situations
taking place.
 Continuation
• In addition to that, I plan to participate in various leadership training
courses.
• The structured programs will offer chance for learnings enabling me
acquire new conceptions, approaches and strategies in leadership and
strategy development respectively (Corriveau, 2020,p.100364).
• Particularly, workshops, seminars and courses regarding the financial
components of operation would help me to improve my knowledge at
this level.
• Additionally, I include building contacts among proven business
executives in my strategy (Corriveau, 2020,p.100364).
• Through networking with experienced individuals in my domain, I
hope to develop important insights on how to lead, as well as make
sound corporate decisions.
 Continuation
• I believe that networking will also help me learn from other
professionals who have gone through their share of trials and errors in
the process of building their careers which ultimately could be
beneficial towards enriching my personal career journey.
• Finally, the yearlong approach is multi-faceted.
• Through on-the-job active experiment in my current position, the
attendance at the targeted leadership development programs, and the
networking with experienced individuals, I wish to become more
proficient in leading (Corriveau, 2020,p.100364).
• Increase my ability to think strategically, and deepening knowledge
about finance on a dynamic business background.
 Timescales
• My plan for developing my leadership and strategic decision-making skills
during the next 12 months is provided below.
• In this sense business environment is a continuously changing factor that’s why I
commit myself as flexible with change during the same time span.
• Initially, I shall join e-learning classes on leadership and strategic management
among other courses.
• Such courses will offer perspectives on developing the most appropriate
approaches to lead teams effectively and make sound strategic decisions
(Schermerhorn Jr et al.,2020).
• Furthermore, I intend to participate in some of the workshops that offer
opportunities for participation through group activities, role plays, presentation
from specialists among other things.
• Hence, this practical approach will supplement the theoretical knowledge
acquired in the online course, enriching the comprehensive comprehension of
 Who is Responsible
• It is at the center of my success plan. I intend to consult knowledgeable corporate
managers either within or without my institution.
• My growth would have been aided by these people’s wisdom of rich experience
that may provide different points of view and a worldly vision to me.
• The sessions will enable addressing challenges and giving individual counseling
on how to effectively navigate through complexities inherent in practicing
leadership (Schermerhorn Jr et al.,2020).
• To acknowledge the significance of feedback, I will involve my peers and seniors
into dialogue.
• The constructive feedback will be paramount in measuring how far I have come
and where there is need for improvement.
• The self-review alongside this feedback mechanism will guarantee life-long
learning and development.
 Further Comments
• To be competent in my work, I need to interpret relevant financial data
accordingly.
• These could be in the form of finance-specific programs, courses, and
seminars.
• A thorough understanding of the said issues in relation to financial metrics
is critical for taking sound strategic actions toward achieving business
objectives (Corriveau, 2020,p.100364).
• In this connection, I would take ownership of my development by engaging
fully in selected activities that include giving feedback on progress made
and applying any new knowledge gained and implemented towards my
current role.
• I look forward to growth and I know that such a complex development
program will go a long way in enabling me to lead effective teams and
 Conclusion
• Finally, my quest for a business manager job is also a step towards self
and professional development.
• Adoption of Kolb’s learning cycle coupled with well-thought
individual development plan will help me cope with a management
position and its challenges.
• I appreciate your accompaniment and will expect your comments and
suggestions hereon.
 Questions & Answers
• I welcome any questions!
 References
• Abid, G., Arya, B., Arshad, A., Ahmed, S. and Farooqi, S., 2021. Positive personality traits and
self-leadership in sustainable organizations: Mediating influence of thriving and moderating role
of proactive personality. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 25, pp.299-311.
• Barker, A., 2010. Improve Your Communication Skills, (2nd ed.) Kogan Page.
• Corriveau, A.M., 2020. Developing authentic leadership as a starting point to responsible
management: A Canadian university case study. The international journal of management
education, 18(1), p.100364.
• Gallagher, K., 2016. Essential Study and Employment Skills for Business and Management
Students, 3rd ed., OUP.
• Moon, J., 2006. Learning Journals: A Handbook for Reflective Practice and Professional
Development, Routledge
• Schermerhorn Jr, J.R., Bachrach, D.G. and Wright, B., 2020. Management. John Wiley & Sons.
• Visnjic, I., Jovanovic, M. and Raisch, S., 2022. Managing the transition to a dual business model:
tradeoff, paradox, and routinized practices. Organization Science, 33(5), pp.1964-1989.