Answer :

MANAGE PERSONAL WORK PRIORITIES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (Assessment 2)

1) Assess personal skills and knowledge:

The competencies that are necessary among a store manager is five years of experience in management in an SME (DeHoratius & Ton, 2015). For being a store manager, the skills and knowledge that are necessary among an individual are a better commercial focuses and excellent leadership capabilities (Lehner, 2015). For being a successful store manager, offering proper guidance, support, training, interactive feedback and positive and productive reinforcement is essential. A successful store manager always has a focus towards making organisational profitability by overcoming regulatory challenges, maintaining quality of products and developing a better customer service (Ramanathan, Subramanian & Parrott, 2017). Therefore, it can be said that a store manager always has a better focus on the operation. A sound technical knowledge (inventory management, stocktaking and negotiation with vendors) is another competency of store manager. Having an excellent competency in communication skill is always essential for a store manager (Arrigo, 2015). Skills to make a decision, develop organisation and plan, solve the problem and maintain customer-centricity are some specific competencies among store manager (Rego, Júnior & e Cunha, 2015). Critical thinking and analytical skills are also crucial for store management.

After considering these set of competencies that are required among store manager, I have observed that I have good strength in some of the necessary skills. However, there are some skills in which I have seen some weaknesses. For the assessment of my efficiencies to be a good store manager, I have conducted a SWOT analysis. After applying the strategic tool, it is noticed by me that I have more than six years experience in the management in an MNC; therefore, I am capable of performing the responsibilities allocated to a store manager. I have a good record in maintaining commercial focuses on the organisation so that it can be helpful for Australian hardware in securing better profitability. The SWOT analysis has stated that I am a good leader who has complete control over the employees. I have sufficient focus on the operation of an organisation so that I can handle an organisational challenge and develop the right quality products and services. I am also competent in managing inventory and stock in my organisation. Therefore, it can be said that I have sound technical knowledge.

Inefficiencies in the problem-solving skill are the most significant issues among me. Due to having lesser PS skill, I have faced several problems in emergency handling.  I have negligible critical thinking skill and analysing skill that creates difficulties in investigating an issue from its depth that has created problems for me in identifying proper solutions. I have an excellence in communication skill that helps me in communicating with the suppliers as well as understanding the issues among employees and the customers. However, I have some shortness in written communication. For this reason, I cannot make the employee understand the importance of any situation with the help of written communication.

2) Feedback on the performance from COO and a fellow store manager:

For seeking the feedback from the chief operating officer and the fellow store manager, I have conducted a face-to-face interview where I have asked the question about my performance. This strategy can be helpful for mine in assessing my performance with efficiencies. The questions of the interview are shown below:

1) How far do you think that I am a good leader?

In this question, the COO has answered that I lead people by setting a good example which has made me a good leader. The COO has also demonstrated that I ensure risk-taking and consistent organisational improvement. COO thinks that I maintain excellent team dynamics, which increases organisational efficiencies.

For answering the question, the fellow store manager has responded to that I am capable of developing open communication with employees that increases bonding and cohesion among employees.  The person has also stated that I have a good focus on inspiring and motivating the team members that have established me as a good leader.

2) Do you think that I am a better operational and commercial efficiency?

COO has answered that I am competent in understanding business effectively. For this purposes, I always have a better focus towards making an informed decision which can improve the organisational profitability.  COO has also mentioned that I allocate the pro[er expenditure to perform a task which enhances operational effectiveness.

In this question, my fellow store manager has mentioned that I always guide the employees about how they can develop excellent customer services or handle the inventory, which increases the chances of profitability.

3) According to you, how much competent I am to resolve organisational issues?

For answering the question, the COO has mentioned that I have some disputes in handling the organisational issues. For this reason, they have to assign other people to resolve organisational problems.  

The fellow has mentioned that I became nervous in handling the emergencies, which reduces the scopes of grabbing different opportunity during the crisis. For this reason, the fellow store manager thinks that I need to improve this skill.

4) Do you believe that I am eligible in supporting employees in organisational premises?

The COO has mentioned that I am eligible in understanding the employee’s particular need that makes in offering proper support to the employees that they required. The COO has also described that my approach towards employees is highly effective in handling conflict in organisational premises.

The fellow manager has described that I have developed an honest and open communication with employees that helps me in assessing employee's need, which makes in offering proper support to the employees. 

5) Do you think that I have better customer-centricity? 

COO has mentioned that I develop every strategy in my organisation by considering the need of the customers. I always try to offer the best quality products by providing proper instruction to the manufacturing team. Moreover, I also help employees in developing adequate customer services.

The fellow manager has mentioned that I provide a proper guideline to the employees about how they should behave with the employees and how they will assess the need of the employees so that they can develop appropriate customer services. 

3) Developing a personal development plan:

Analysis:

a)  From the feedback, I have observed that I have some issues in problem-solving skills. For this reason, I need to improve my critical thinking, problem-solving and the analysing ability. Improving these skills can help analyse a problem more deeply and develop a different effective solution for resolving the solution so that the issue can be solved with efficiencies.

b) For identifying the developmental opportunity, I have first identified the opportunities that are available in my organisation. After that, I have recognised strategies from the internet pages, books and journals to improve a particular skill. After that, I have identified different internet-based training opportunity available to me. 

c) Acquiring critical thinking skill can improve problem-solving ability. Developing problem-solving ability can resolve any organisational issues and improve the administration, productivity and operations. Analysing power can improve the capacity to explain a situation which increases the chances to develop a better corporate strategy for achieving competitive advantage.

d) I have developed networking with other managers so that I can gain some practical knowledge from them to improve my organisational efficiencies.

e) The plan has been developed in the way so that it cannot hurt a business ethically and legally so that it can align with the policies and procedures of Australian hardware. The plan has been developed in the way so that it can improve both the team and individual efficiencies of me so that the personal and the team goal can easily be achieved. For playing a role as store manager, improving problem-solving, CT and analysing skills are necessary; therefore, the plan also aligns with my role.