Reflective Report On Critical Self-Analysis And Reflection Of Learning

Methods of Self-Analysis

Self-analysis is one of the most important tools that are being used by the students in this modern day scenario for understanding their strengths and weaknesses. Self-analysis keeps the students to develop a clear cut idea about the areas of their strengths and weaknesses. The students must be taught the methods of applying the self-analysis skills in their personal and professional lives as well. This will help them to find out the areas of their strengths and their weaknesses (Uthaug, 2018). This is the best way through which the students can actually learn to take different steps for improving their weaknesses. I have undertaken many workshops and weekly activities that have helped me in finding out my backlogs. I will have to find out different means for overcoming these errors and myself for becoming successful in the future. These workshops were mainly about the methods of design thinking and innovative thinking.

I am really very thankful to my teachers that they arranged for the workshops on a weekly basis and asked us to participate in the same. This has really helped me a lot to understand my own personality. I have been able to understand the areas of my strengths and the areas of my weaknesses. I have realized many unknown facts about my own personality. This will surely help me in the long run. As I want to become a successful manager in the future, I will have to inculcate some or then other kinds of qualities within myself. This has also been a very good opportunity for developing a team spirit. 

This is because I got many different viewpoints and opinions about myself from my peers. In the week 1 workshop, I came to know about the entire course details. I was initially worried and did not know the methods of design thinking. I was really getting afraid (Madore, Addis & Schacter, 2015). I did not know what to do and how to proceed in the work. However, I could understand the details of the assignment as I started paying to make attention to the class and started thinking deeply. In the week 2 workshop the concepts of design thinking started becoming much clear to me.  I realized that I have to be much more innovative. I need to develop the divergent style of thinking. This will help me in finding out the solution to any particular problem from many different angles (Sowden et al., 2015). This naturally helped me to widen my range of thinking. I learned about the Unilever Water Purifier and Gillette Razor. I realized that innovating thinking is indeed one of the most important tools. I also came to know about the deep drive approach and the brainstorming methods. This is really very enlightening. I will try to develop a very strong and deep innovative thinking capacity.

Learning from Design Thinking Workshops

Week 3 was also very useful for me. I have always suffered from this problem of time management. I often go by only one particular kind of thinking style and do not try to widen my area of thinking. It is for this reason I was having a problem in learning about the Divergent and Convergent thinking tools.  I was also not quite sure about at the usage of all these tools. However, as I started paying deep attention, I realized that it is not really that tough (Watson, 2015). I have to understand that in order to be a successful manager in the future, I have to be much more creative. I think that some of the quotes that I came across during this session have been very inspiring from me like “watch and learn”, ‘’Patience ‘’, ‘’Cross-disciplinary’’ and many other such other sentences (Furnham, 2015). In the 4^th week, I came to know about the difference between problem-solving and problem finding.

I think that I have to learn a lot from this week activity. This is because I was trying to find out problems in that which actually did not have any such problem. So, I need to utilize the methods like visualization, spotting, Personas and many other such effective tools for understanding and analyzing a problem and reaching to its solution. Week 5 was again about design thinking. This helped me to understand the different techniques of design thinking and how to carry on the process of brainstorming and mind mapping (Rosciano, 2015). I realized that I have to be less judgmental and say yes to any kinds of challenges. In other words, I have to understand that I cannot stay biased. I have to make my ideas and my opinions much more open-ended I realized that I have to start identifying and understanding each and every day to day objects in an innovative manner. I learned about the usage of the mind mapping and the brainstorming in the value chain analysis before delivering a particular product (Behm, Culvenor & Dixon 2014). Before the launching a product in the market it is really very essential to see the products properly through a value chain analysis (Madore, Jing & Schacter, 2016). This will help in understanding the different effects that product might have after being launched into the market. There are many activities like the inbound logistics, outbound logistics, operation, marketing and sales, services and also many other such products (Baruah & Paulus, 2016).

Reflections on Strengths and Weaknesses

This helps in understanding the different stages of mind mapping that through which we can design the launch of a product in many different ways and see the best possible means. Week 7 has also been very beneficial for my career and my future development as well. If I get appointed in any of the reputed firms in my future then I will have to produce many reports. There are several methods that help in extracting the data and producing an error-free report. There are steps like following a proper method either Qualitative or Quantitative Approaches, using either the primary or the secondary data, carrying on the interviews, surveys, focus groups and many other such things. I also learned that I will have to abide by the ethical considerations while preparing any reports for an industry. In this week I came to know why ethics is one of the most important parts of working in any position and in any industry.

Week 8 was mainly about prototype testing. I am really very thankful to my teachers for teaching us this particular method. This will help us in doing a very quick review and testing of all the possible effects of launching any particular product in the market. This will help in preventing the undue wastage of money, time, energy and other resources. I also learned about early prototyping and the later rapid prototyping as well. I thought that this process is very useful and easier. However, I also learned about the drawbacks like high customer expectations, lack of sufficient budget, wireframing and others. So, I have learned that I need to go forward in a very tactful manner and make sure that I am being able to meet the requirements of the customers. Earlier I was always afraid of what people would think about any ideas or suggestions given by me. However, after going through this activity, I have learned how to first analyze the aftereffects of a chosen solution before launching it. This will surely help me a lot in the long run.

On week 9, I came to know about the playtesting. This is one of the most crucial things that I need to remember while launching any product in the market. I have to carry on many brainstorming activities and find out different alternative plans that will help me in backing up one plan with the other. We learned this process through the learning launch

Actions for Improving Weaknesses

Week 10 was the most awaited week where all of us had to make some presentations in front of our lecturers and come up with their new ideas. I could learn a lot about the team working methods. Apart from this, I felt that this really helped me a lot in increasing my confidence level. Earlier I felt very nervous while presenting anything in front of a large group. However, during the course of this group presentation, I have been able to get over the fear of public speaking. I could also feel an increased level of confidence and zeal within myself. I also learned about the innovative ideas and the design thinking methods used by another team as well. This was really a very knowledgeable experience.

Strengths and weaknesses (550)

STRENGTHS	OPPORTUNITIES
One of my major strengths my ability to stay open to the views and opinions of others. I want to learn many new and innovative techniques that will be helpful in shaping my future career. I also consider myself to be a patient and good listener. I have been given this feedback by my teammates that I am one of the most disciplined teammates and I know how to listen to the ideas and opinions of others.	I will try to be a part of all the design thinking workshops that will be conducted in my college. This will help me in gaining a clear and vivid idea about the different mind mapping, brainstorming, and other innovative methods.
WEAKNESSES	RESULTS
I think that one of the greatest weaknesses is my rigid thinking style.  Though I am patient in listening to the views of others, I often avoid thinking from their point of view. I have to widen my area of thinking. I need to use the methods of brainstorming and mind mapping in order to try all the alternative solutions for one particular problem.	I want to see myself as a successful manager in any of the leading MNCs in the future. In order to do that I have to develop a positive approach and face each and the problem without fear.

Actions for improving the areas of weaknesses

Activities	Month 1	Month 2	Month 3	Month 4	Month 5	Month 6
Increasing my concentration level	I will try to work over my concentration level and make sure that I am being more attentive in the workshop activities.	I will have to work over  my thinking capacity and make it much more Innovative.	I will have to increase my patience level.	I will take part in many quizzes and aptitude test.	I will also be working over my listening skills	I will be able to develop a sound thinking capacity and thinking approach.
I will try to develop the divergent style of thinking.	I will try to get out of my comfort zone and take up many new challenges that will help in developing my brainstorming capacity sand my thinking style as well.	I will start analyzing the notes and the other notes that are being shared in the workshops.	I will take part in all the group and team activities.	I will make sure that I am being able to understand each problem before	I will be using all the processes like a triple tool, group learning, brainstorming, and other such materials.	I will be able to use all these thinking tools and develop my thinking style.
I will try to be more innovative and make sure that I am	I will be working over my level of empathy while analyzing any problem.	I will try to observe many pictures studies and workshop activities	I will try to see the problem and analyze it before reaching the solution.	I will make sure to not rush to any particular decision.	I will take admission in many of the problem-solving skill tests so that I can improve.	I will try to develop a sound problem-solving skill and make sure that I am developing a strong and
I will try to concentrate more on the brainstorming activities.	I will try to develop a varied and wide range of thinking pattern	I will try to accept the views and the opinions of others in my team before giving out my suggestion.	I will try to be a good listener and take the views and opinions of others	I will make sure that I am creating an open mind to accept the views of all my team members as well.	I will try to focus on the innovative ideas being given by others and suggest my own point of view	I will be able to formulate new, fresh and innovative ideas

Conclusion

So, it can be concluded that design thinking is one of the most important tools that is used in the modern workplaces. So, it is the duty of the schools and the colleges to start teaching their students the methods of design thinking, brainstorming, mind mapping and other such tools. His will help the students to develop a very positive and innovative approach towards all the problems of their personal and professional lives as well. In order to become successful in the future, I have to develop a sound innovative thinking style so that I can reach the solution of each and every problem coming in my way.

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