Organizational Development Consultants

Project one:

Professional development: In study/education, the term professional development used for a large variety of experienced training, formal education, or high level professional learning to help teachers, authority or administration and other educators to improve their knowledge, skills and effectiveness.

In educators, the term professional development covers extremely broad range of topics and formats. Sometimes PD funded by schools, districts /states and programs, or also they are supported by grants from foundations or other private funding sources.

In Southern Cross education institute, there are number of courses are available, which provides training under professional development topics. I also had the opportunity to join these courses. There are number of questions arises when we are talking about professional development opportunities.

Three Opportunity in which I’m included: First one is Professional credentials (academic degree). Second are conferences and third is informal learning.

• What is available? There are variety of approaches are available to achieve professional development. For example, coaching, communities of practice, lessons study, mentoring, reflective supervision and technical assistant.
• When it is available? These professional development opportunities range from one day conference to a week workshop to a multiyear advance degree program. Through this opportunity people can get information in person or online, during school day or through external links and also through one-on-one interaction or in group situations.
• What is cost? Cost of PD for teachers/ educators can vary widely. Some development learning opportunities such as education workshops and seminars are free of cost. If an educator attends an out of state conference/ seminar, than it may include transportation, meals and registration fee. If a district or school organised this type of workshops than it may include cost of consultants, materials and so on.
• What is the content and is there a balance between research, theory and practice? The main content area-focused professional development training is help to achieve knowledge, practice and build content knowledge in subjects and also help to raise overall standards. They also maintain a balance between research, theory and practical. These terms are related to each other. Theory is used to explain the phenomena, research produced results and practice provides a proper evidence of given research.
• What is target group? It is basically a group of people that an advertisement in intended to reach a goal. For a professional development main target group is business employees, tutors, health care canters and early age children.
• What are objectives? Professional development’s main motive is to accomplish two primary objectives. First is to advance the knowledge, disposition, skills and practices. Second objective is to promote cultural for growth of individuals and systems.
• What is the relevance to the community service sector? Community service sector is a key part of civil society. It provides inclusive, effective human services to building skills, providing solution for a given problem and promoting social justice. It includes services that support individuals and family functioning. They also include financial assistants to relief people in difficult situations.

Types of professional development

• Professional development
• Technological development
• Workshop development
• Communication skill development
• Management development
• Supervision development

 Technology development: I’m interested to join technology development if I take this opportunity. There are many workshops in Australia who provide this type of training. This type of workshops provided by office of information management to their employees to use desktop applications in workplace. Technology developments play a key role in the economy of country.

Two sites that provide professional development:

• AASW: Australian association for social workers provide guide to workers and helps them to create a career in professional development. It contributes in society to achieve social justice and professional excellence. Its main purpose to promote social works, uphold standards/value and build up a confidence in members.
• ACWA: Australia community workers association supports community workers, promote education, and strengthen professional and ethical standards for work practice. They also support members for continuing professional development, encourage young and old people for social changes and contribute to develop knowledge and research.

Project two:

Reflect current skills and knowledge: Self reflection is very important when it is carried out on a daily basis. This helps you to become more skilled at self-examination. Reflective practice as a means of defining professional development opportunities and for raising points of conversation in evaluation session with supervisors

A very useful way of self-reflection is that you have to ask yourself a series of questions which may include “what did I do today?” “What can I learn from experience?” and “What could I have done better?”

• b. Important but not urgent
• c. urgent but not important
• d. not urgent and not important

Just say no

Plan ahead: a. The night before

First thing in the morning

• Eliminate distraction
• Delegate more often
• Watch what you spend
• Take care of yourself
• Seeking and reflecting upon feedback to monitor own performance: Feedback is an important part of examine yourself professionally. Feedback helps you to analyze areas such as the level of customer services that provided by you, skills to develop, planning and workshops.

There are some ways through you can list your feedback:

• Monitor your achievement regularly
• Regularly describe and identify any development that need to be made
• To play your role effectively then you have to maintain a level of knowledge and understanding.
• Analyze skills gaps
• Establish a personal improvement plan and update it regularly.
• Applying skills in negotiation, communication and decision-making:
• Negotiation: it is a process by which compromise and agreement is reached while neglecting debate and conflicts.

Project three:

As a remedial massage therapist develop a professional development plan for next 12 months:

There are 9 steps to develop a professional development plan. Such as,

• Access where you are now.
• Analyse your particular career goal.
• Collect information
• Analyse those professional skills that you already have and which skill you need to work on.
• Choose how you will complete your goal
• Set a timeline for completing your target and goals.
• Checklist
• Keep a record
• Evaluate your plan
• Measure your progress

Outline the area of improvement: As a massage therapist first I have to analyse the root of problem and identify the solution for given problem. There are number of steps through we can easily identify the area of improvement such as:

• Meetings
• Determine the scope
• Conduct interview with staff to gather answers of given problem
• Develop strategic and operational planning
• Prepare summary and detailed report about your findings, specific area of initial development, reasons and possible solutions.

Professional Development Activities:

• Plan and organise an effective massage and bodywork session
• Develop and implement a self care strategy
• Develop successful and ethical therapeutic relationship with clients
• Develop strategy for a successful practice, business or employment situation
• Identify strategies for professional development

1.  Aims, objective or outcomes of the activity: The aim of these activities is to maintain and improve their professional knowledge and skills to remain competent in their chosen field. It also helps increase personal job satisfaction and employees motivation.
2. Delivery mode: It is the process to deliver quality and safe health services to people. The main objective of health care delivery system to enable health services whenever they needed and deliver cost-effective services.
3. Timeframe: Timeframes management helps you to accomplish more in less period of time. It helps us to deliver our products, or services on time. Its purpose is the coordination of tasks and helps to done in a better manner.
4. Indication of success: There are some leading indicators through we can measure success.

• · Number of quality, active relationship
• · Number of quality of active discussions
• · Number of active proposals
• · Number of active long-term partnerships
• · Number and value of projects

Brief Explanation of How Each Activity Will Benefit Your Practice :

• Plan and organise an effective massage and bodywork session: Through this we can learn how massage therapy fits with other treatment and activities for client’s wellness.
• Develop and implement a self care strategy: It helps to manage stress in a healthy way and through this we can easily create a plan ahead to create a balance with work.
• Develop successful and ethical therapeutic relationship with clients: it helps to maintain a good relation with clients because our behaviour influences our relationships with clients.
• Develop strategy for a successful practice, business or employment situation: it helps to build up experience and confidence level. Through this we can easily handles problem and find solution for given problem and also build a successful practice with clients.
• Identify strategies for professional development: With this I can learn about the ways to keep up to date with the latest information and also how we can maintain our license.

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