Reflective Essay on Weekly Learning Activities

Question

Task: To successfully complete this assessment task, students should answer the following reflective essay questions:
Which concepts/theories from which week’s learning activities are significant or important to you?

Why are these concepts/theories you have identified important or significant to you? (Theoretical review)
How are the concepts/theories you have learned influencing/impacting your decision-making in relation to your current interpersonal relationships, professional workplaces and/or personal life? (Practical Application)

What have you learned about yourself through the unit activities? What skills do you possess and what skills are you lacking? How are you going to improve your decision-making in the future? (Self-knowledge and self-development)
You should tie all your arguments/insights together at the end of your paper, highlighting how you think you will be able to use your learning in your future career and in life generally.

Answer

Introduction
Herein reflective essay, the concept of decision-making, an essence of management can be considered as the process of choosing the effective and appropriate course of action from two or more alternatives in achieving the desired results. With the help of this decision-making process, it becomes easier for the managers to tackle the problem and thus derive the maximum available opportunities (Szutowski, 2019). When the decisions are taken correctly, it is likely to lower the uncertainties, diversities, and complexities in the organizational process. Being a General Service Officer (GSO) in Opal Aged care Centre, it is my responsibility to take varied decisions related to the day-to-day operational process. This study will highlight the concepts and the theories from the learning activities important to me. Moreover, it will also discuss the importance of those concepts and theories, how those concepts affect the decision-making process along with the critical analysis of the two significant tools and their effect on my future learning process.

Concepts/theories from the week’s learning activities significant to me
The concepts from week 2, 3, 4 and 5 are important for me in the development of my career. In week 2, the conceptual skills can assist me to serve the patients in the aged care centre. Being the GSO in the aged care centre in Melbourne, I must try to get a grasp of those concepts that will help the aged patients to recover quickly. Further, from week 3, the concept of self-awareness is likely to enhance my knowledge and thinking while carrying out the operational activities in the aged care centre. With the help of this self-awareness, it becomes easier for me to understand my strength and weaknesses to perform the best for organisational development. On the other hand, from week 4, the concept of sense-making will assist in the interpretation of the real-world scenario in the aged care centre. I must try to create a favourable situation in the aged care centre by assisting my teammates adequately. Moreover, from week 5, the effectiveness of a decision-maker will help me to carry out the role of GSO in the Opal aged care centre accordingly. I must try to make proper use of the intellectual capacity so that it lays a vital effect on the patients admitted to the aged care centre.

Importance of the concepts/theories from weeks’ learning activities
The conceptual skills assist in the development of solutions about the topics, theories and ideas. It also involves the management of the challenges across different areas with an innovative and creative approach (Jumino, 2018). As the GSO of the aged care centre, this conceptual skill will make it easier for me to understand the complicated issues and ideas faced by the patients in the aged care centre. Moreover, with the help of this conceptual skill, I can also develop a support network to build social capital in the aged care centre. As conceptual skills enhance the ability of the manager to diagnose and analyse the situation thereby analysing between the cause and the event, in my case, I can say that it has assisted me to gain an improved understanding of the aged ca4re scenario. Further, with the help of these skills, it can be considered effective for me to visualise the entire organisation. This is possible through the development of an argument as well as the conceptual skills that are essential to developing the social network.

With the help of self-awareness, it will become easier for me as a GSO in the aged care centre to benefit the entire decision-making process. This will help in the development of self-awareness and thus understand the internal factors assisting in the decision-making process (Saura et al., 2019). On the other hand, self-awareness will also help me in influencing the choices to understand and respond well in the decision-making process. Further, the self-awareness will also help me to know my values, habits, emotions, needs, weaknesses and strengths thereby making it easier for me to work in the aged care centre. With the help of self-awareness, I can craft out my plan for personal and professional development to a great extent. It also assists me in the development of such a vision through which I can grow in my professional field accordingly. Moreover, I can also protect myself from different types of repression and other associated methods that are likely to avoid me from becoming conscious of the dangerous and the unpleasant truths. As a GSO in the aged care centre, I can utilise this self-awareness to carry out the act with authenticity and conviction that is required for resonance.

Sensemaking assists an individual to act when the individuals get shifted to some other work process. I can say that this sensemaking will make it easier for me to hold on to the aged care patients in the cater away from fear by providing them inner strength and peace (Ahmadi, 2018). This will also assist me to rationalise the entire process of sense-making along with the collective experiences and the development of meaning among the individuals. As the GSO in the aged care centre, sensemaking will assist me in tackling the aged care centre and developing a favourable impression. I have also learned to fulfil the mission, vision and long-term values of the organisation thereby being productive and committed. I have allocated the tasks and the resources following the requirement of the aged care centre.

The effectiveness of the decision-making process can be judged when only appropriate steps are taken in judging the decisions that are taken by the individuals (Newman et al., 2017). In my case, I can say that with the help of an effective decision-making process, I can assist the patients residing in the aged care centre in Melbourne to be positive so that they can stay healthy and fit. Moreover, I must also try to set such examples among the patients based on which they will feel motivated and thus recover from their illness within a short time frame. With the help of the decision-making process, I have learned to choose those values that will assist in protecting others by making ethical decisions. This will also motivate me to control the organisation and to manage the business activities.

Concepts/theories learned influencing/affecting decision-making in the interpersonal relationship/workplace and personal life
The conceptual skills are necessary for my job role as a GSO to enhance my thinking and the management of the broad strategic situation. These conceptual skills can be considered to be important to me when dealing with the patients of the aged care centre as it assists in the combination of the creative intuitions as well as an understanding of the entire scenario in the aged care centre (Bratianu & Vatamanescu, 2017). The strengths of mine that can help me in highlighting the conceptual skills in my role as a GSO includes understanding the values and the objectives of the scenario for which I am employed to take care. However, the weakness that I need to tackle in the enhancement of my conceptual skills includes learning from others because as GSO, I must know to adapt to the situations while learning from others and discussing the ideas with my colleagues whom I trust in my professional career.

Self-awareness also makes it easier for me to evaluate my decision drawing on past experiences as well as limiting my beliefs in taking a decision. As I am involved in the position of a GSO in the aged care centre, I must try my best to understand the feelings of the patients who are residing in the aged care centre thereby respecting their opinions and ideologies (Dishon et al., 2017). In this situation, I can say that the strengths that have helped me in the development of self-awareness include the confidence and the feeling of freshness that is inherent in me while taking any decision. However, the weakness that affects the development of this self-awareness within myself includes taking much time in adopting an action that assists in the realignment to the particular situation.

Sensemaking can be considered to be an influential perspective that can be tackled through the collaboration of the management and the individuals in charge. It is my responsibility to be engaged in the sensemaking aspect because I am associated as a GSO in the aged care centre which is responsible for serving mankind. The strength that is inherent in me to help me in sensemaking includes being positive and productive as well as complying with the organizational norms (Ribeiro-Soriano & Kraus, 2018). On the other hand, the weakness in me affecting the sensemaking process includes fear in the risk-taking approach that restricts me to work for the growth and the development of the organisation in a period of crisis.

The effectiveness of the decision-making process can be improved from my past experiences as well as personal values. The development of strong feeling within myself so that I can carry out the job of GSO in the aged care centre carefully. Moreover, care should be careful that this feeling is justified so that the emotional aspects linked to the decision-making process can be managed accordingly (Pantano et al., 2017). However, one of the vital weaknesses that arelikely to affect this decision-making process includes the failure to gather sufficient information before carrying out the task. As a GSO, this is likely to hinder my work and thereby cause discrepancies in the work process.

Critical analysis of the two diagnostic tools
The decision-making questionnaire can be judged upon by providing a rating to each of the statement. After the completion of this questionnaire and summing up the rating by following the instructions, I am categorisedto possess a dependent decision-making style (Doherr et al., 2017). With the help of this dependent decision-making style along with my position as a GSO in the aged care centre, I can search for appropriate advice and thus provide them directions. This should be done by respecting the feelings and the ideologies of the patient admitted to the aged care centre.

The VAC Perception Quiz also helps in finding out the learning style. In this quiz, the questions are categorised as A, B and C and the results are calculated based on the number of answers marked under each category (Page et al., 2017). The results of this quiz categorise me to possess an experiential learning style where I receive the opportunity to apply my learning, skills and knowledge based on the relevant setting. Being a GSO of the aged care centre, I must participate in different activities and thus enhance my knowledge.

The utilization of the learning in the future career and life Presently, being the GSO of the aged care centre, I must try to move myself to some other higher managerial position. I think the learnings over the four weeks along with the decision-making tools will help me in this aspect (Zou et al., 2018). I have also learned to work on devising solutions using the particular approaches and insights that I have gained in the decision-making process. I have also learned to enhance my self-confidence and be self-aware while dealing with the aged care patients in the centre. Moreover, to undertake any action in future, I must carry out the improved level of analysis of the causes and the effects thereby drawing on the conclusions associated with the future actions. I have also learned to enhance my future capabilities thereby reflecting on the questions and evaluating what the individuals believe that they know it.

Conclusion
Thus, it can be said that the decision-making process will assist me in identifying the issue and finding out the relevant solution associated with them. Although the decisions are to be taken quickly and effectively, I think that this decision-making process allows an individual to think critically abouta particular problem. Therefore, I can say that it is my responsibility to carry out the decision-making process accurately without thinking of any other alternatives.

References
Ahmadi, F., Rahimi, M., & Rezaei, A. (2018). Study of relation between business model and sensemaking decisions. Journal of Humanities Insights, 2(02), 99-108.

Bratianu, C., & Vatamanescu, E. M. (2017). Students’ perception on developing conceptual generic skills for business. VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems.

Dishon, N., Oldmeadow, J. A., Critchley, C., & Kaufman, J. (2017). The effect of trait self-awareness, self-reflection, and perceptions of choice meaningfulness on indicators of social identity within a decision-making context. Frontiers in psychology, 8, 2034.

Doherr, H., Christalle, E., Kriston, L., Härter, M., & Scholl, I. (2017). Use of the 9-item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9 and SDM-Q-Doc) in intervention studies—a systematic review. PloS one, 12(3), e0173904.

Jumino, J. (2018). The Importance of Decision Making for Information and Library Managers. Anuva: Jurnal Kajian Budaya, Perpustakaan, dan Informasi, 2(3), 307-315.

Newman, G., Chandler, M., Clyde, M., McGreavy, B., Haklay, M., Ballard, H., ... & Gallo, J. (2017). Leveraging the power of place in citizen science for effective conservation decision making. Biological Conservation, 208, 55-64.

Page, J., Meehan-Andrews, T., Weerakkody, N., Hughes, D. L., & Rathner, J. A. (2017). Student perceptions and learning outcomes of blended learning in a massive first-year core physiology for allied health subjects. Advances in physiology education, 41(1), 44-55.

Pantano, E., Rese, A., & Baier, D. (2017). Enhancing the online decision-making process by using augmented reality: A two country comparison of youth markets. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 38, 81-95.

Ribeiro-Soriano, D., & Kraus, S. (2018). An overview of entrepreneurship, innovation and sensemaking for improving decisions. Group Decision and Negotiation, 27(3), 313-320.

Saura, J. R., Palos-Sanchez, P., & Blanco-González, A. (2019). The importance of information service offerings of collaborative CRMs on decision-making in B2B marketing. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing.

Szutowski, D. (2019). The importance of decision-making quality throughout the product innovation development process. A., Ujwary-Gil, N., Potoczek (eds.), Network, Innovation, and Competence-based Economy, 125-146. Zou, H., Su, H., Song, S., & Zhu, J. (2018, April). Understanding human behaviors in crowds by imitating the decision-making process. In Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (Vol. 32, No. 1).

Appendices