Module Code and Title:       PRD101          Personal Development

Programme:                          BA in English Studies

Credit Value:                         12

Module Tutor:                       Ivor Hanson

General objective: Students starting their degree programme with a plan are much more likely to successfully complete their education and have fruitful careers. This module aims to help students succeed by discovering their personal mission, setting goals, prioritizing tasks and working well with others. The module introduces students to common features of several widely known paradigms of personal development over three broad areas: personal (inner) mastery, interactions with others and the outer world, and continuous improvement. As a popular example of a recent adaptation of these common features, the module largely follows Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People with relevant activities and discussions, providing students with a comfortable forum in which to reflect individually, practice/apply the module contents, and learn teamwork skills. Students should gain confidence in their abilities to implement individual processes for managing time, setting meaningful goals, and monitoring progress towards achieving them.

Learning outcomes – On completion of this module, learners should be able to:

1. Trace the commonalities of various recent frameworks and models for personal development and their similarities with more ancient philosophies such as Buddhism.
2. Identify the fundamentals of effective interpersonal relationships.
3. Examine effective interactions between various relationships.
4. Interpret cross-cultural interpersonal relationships.
5. Define the connections between knowledge, skill, desire and habits.
6. Prioritize short- and long-term personal goals.
7. Clarify actions necessary to achieve short- and long-term personal goals.
8. Allocate time and resources to achieve short- and long-term goals in a balanced manner.
9. Identify, appraise and evaluate risk, risk mitigation, risk estimation.
10. Systematically evaluate and appraise one's personal, professional and interpersonal effectiveness.
11. Identify mechanisms to improve one’s personal, professional, and interpersonal effectiveness.

 Learning and Teaching Approach:

Assessment Approach:

A. Quizzes: Portion of Final Marks: 20%

Short written individual quizzes (4 x 5%) of 30 min duration each, covering approximately 3 weeks of subject matter. Assessment is based on factual accuracy of the answers.

B. Written assignments: Portion of Final Mark: 20%

Take-home exercises (2 x 10%), one covering time management and one covering goal setting. Time management (10%): Students should complete a week-long activity log (2.5%), a time management matrix (importance vs. urgency) (2.5%), and time management self-assessment worksheet (2.5%) along with a 300-500 word reflection essay on the activity (2.5%). Goal setting exercise (10%): Students should identify and define in their own words values important to them (2.5%), then use these as the basis for a personal goal setting exercise, with three each of short- (2.5%), medium- (2.5%) and long-term goals (2.5%) in a SMART format.

C. Viva voce: Portion of Final Marks: 10%

Individual interview with students assessing their level of application of class topics, particularly on ability to reflect on their own progress. 5% - ability to provide examples of and reflect on personal development; 5% - ability to provide examples of and reflect on interpersonal interactions demonstrating topics covered in the module.

D. Class participation and preparedness: Portion of Final Mark: 10%

Students will be expected to participate substantially in class discussions, with contributions reflecting adequate preparation for topics under discussion. 5% of class participation and preparedness will be assessed before midterm and the remaining 5% post midterm. Assessment will be based on the ‘Participation and Preparedness’ rubric.

E. Role plays: Portion of Final Mark: 10%

In-class demonstrations (2 x 5% per student) in pairs or groups on interpersonal interactions.

F. Group multimedia project and presentation: Portion of Final Mark: 30%

Students will complete a project in groups of 3-4 on developing a video of 10 min duration on select social issues; group assessment is 10% on video and 10% on presentation; individual assessment component: 10% on reflective diary (750-1000 words) on group work and making of the video.

Pre-requisites:

Subject matter:

1. Personal development: an introduction
   • Overview of the concept of personal development
   • Importance and applications of personal development in personal, academic, and professional settings
   • Paradigms and principles in personal development: commonalities in different approaches (e.g. concept of inner mastery and outer impact, self-discipline, resilience and adaptability)
     • Overview of personal development principles in Eastern cultures
       • Brief background on concepts from Eastern philosophies relevant to personal development (with particular emphasis on contributions from Buddhism), such as mindfulness practices and their application in personal development and professional contexts, including applications for stress-reduction, optimizing performance, enhancing creativity
       • Skills and qualities essential for effective personal development and leadership: clarity, calm, concentration, deep listening, and resilience
       • Alternative orientations concerning “self”; Minimizing self-importance; Importance of collective health and happiness; compassion for others
     • Recent personal development paradigms with fundamental commonalities in approach (highlighting the basis in other intellectual and spiritual models such as the ideas and ideals of Buddhism)
       • Overview of “Emotional Intelligence” concept of Daniel Goleman
       • Overview of “Personal Leadership: Inner Mastery – Outer Impact” concept of Hitendra Wadhwa
       • Overview of “The Seven Habits”, Stephen Covey

2. Independence / Inner mastery / Private victory
   • Selections from Eastern wisdom highlighting the significance of inner power
     • Introduction to Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche’s Not for Happiness; potential value of genuine spiritual practice for personal development (close reading of tutor-selected excerpts)
     • Introduction to Ashok Arora’s Meet Your Soul; (close reading of tutor-selected excerpts)
   • Features of emotional intelligence relevant to knowing and controlling oneself
     • Self-awareness: Definitions and hallmarks
     • Self-regulation: Definitions and hallmarks
     • Motivation: Definition and hallmarks
   • Principles and pillars of personal leadership relevant to inner mastery
     • Purpose: Striving to have a clearly defined view of the personal motivation behind one’s actions; Identifying and letting inner values guide direction.
     • Wisdom: Directing emotions, thoughts and beliefs; Importance of continually examining and, if needed, rescripting these.
     • Self-Awareness/Self-Realization: Clearly understanding one’s thoughts, emotions, beliefs, mindsets and motivations.
   • Habit 1: Be Proactive
     • Self-awareness; Principles of Personal Vision
     • The Social Mirror
     • Between Stimulus and Response
     • Proactivity Defined
     • Taking the Initiative
     • Act or be Acted Upon
     • Listening to our Language
     • Circle of Concern - Circle of Influence; Direct, Indirect and No Control; Expanding the Circle of Influence
     • The “Have’s” and the “Be’s”
     • The Other End of the Stick
     • Making and Keeping Commitments
   • Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
     • What it Means to “Begin with the End in Mind”
     • All Things are Created Twice
     • By Design or Default
     • Re-scripting: Becoming Your Own Planner
     • Personal Mission Statement: Long Term Goals (LTG), Personal and Professional LTG, Steps Needed to Reach LTG, Planning of Steps to Reach LTG, Measuring Progress Towards LTG
     • At the Center of Circle of Influence
     • Alternative Centers of Influence
     • Identifying Your Center of Influence
     • A Principle Center
     • Writing a Personal Mission Statement
     • Using Your Whole Brain (Left vs. Right brain)
     • Tapping the Right Brain
     • Expand Perspective
     • Visualization and Affirmation
     • Identifying Roles and Goals
     • Personal, Family, and other Organizational Mission Statements
   • Habit 3: Put First Things First – Personal Management
     • What is Personal Management
     • The Power of Independent Will
     • Four Generations of Time Management
     • Quadrant tool for time management – Important vs. Urgent; Managing Quadrants; Controlling Quadrants; Determining Quadrants
     • Fourth Generation of Time Management Skills: Time Management – Personal Management - Planning and Scheduling, Daily Schedule, Weekly/Monthly, Long Term Planning
     • Delegation: Delegating to Others; Delegating to Time; Two kinds of Delegation - Gofer vs. Stewardship

3. Interdependence / Outer impact / Public victory
   • Features of emotional intelligence relevant to interpersonal interactions
     • Empathy: Definitions and hallmarks
     • Social skill: Definitions and hallmarks
   • Principles and pillars of personal leadership relevant to outer impact: Love (universal appreciation and respect for others)
     • Seeing others for their wholeness, rather than only as the role or function they serve
     • Importance of connecting, supports, collaborating and communicating authentically with those around
     • Shifting focus to a team’s success rather than just one’s own
   • Concept of public victory
     • Paradigms of Interdependence
     • The Emotional Bank Account & Six Major Deposits: Understanding the Individual; Attending to Little Things; Keeping Commitments; Clarifying Expectations; Showing Personal Integrity; Apologizing Sincerely When You Make a Withdrawal
     • Problems are Opportunities
     • Habits of Interdependence
     • Risk Taking: Types of Risk, Personal Risk, Financial Risk, Social Risk, Emotional Risk, Physical Risk, Professional/Political Risk, Risk in Business, Calculating/Estimating Risk, Mitigating Risk
   • Habit 4: Think win-win
     • Six Paradigms of Human Interaction: Win-Win, Win-Lose, Lose-Win, Lose-Lose, Win, Win-Win or No Deal
     • Three character traits: integrity, maturity, abundance mentality
     • Relationships
     • Agreements
     • Win-Win performance agreements and processes
   • Habit 5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood
     • Listening skills
     • Principles of Empathic Communication; Empathic Listening
     • Character and Communication
     • Diagnose Before You Prescribe
     • Four Autobiographical Responses: evaluate, agree or disagree, probe, advise
     • Understanding and Perception
     • One-on-One
   • Habit 6: Synergize
     • Principles of creative cooperation
     • Synergistic Communication
     • Synergy in the Classroom; Synergy in organizations
     • Synergy and Communication
     • Considering Additional Alternatives
     • Negative Synergy
     • Valuing Differences
     • Force Field Analysis
     • Synergy in the Environment

4. Continuous Improvement
   • Improving emotional intelligence
     • Actively soliciting feedback
     • Practicing behavioural change with the help of others
     • Replaying and reflecting on incidents
   • Principles and pillars of personal leadership relevant to continuous improvement: Growth
     • Transitioning to an empowered mindset
     • Learning-adopting-doing: applying learning to continually anchor critical personal leadership skills
   • Habit 7: Sharpen the saw
     • Principles of Self-Renewal
     • Four Dimensions of Self-Renewal: physical, spiritual, mental, social/emotional
     • Scripting Others
     • Balance and Synergy in Renewal
     • The Upward Spiral (Learn-Commit-Do-Learn-Commit-Do)
     • Intergenerational Living
     • Becoming a Transition Person

5. Conclusion
   • Project Preparation and Guidance/Coaching by Group
   • Final project preparation and presentations

Reading List:

1. Essential Reading
   • Arora, A. (2010). Meet Your Soul. Gyan Publisher.
   • Covey, S.R. (2013). The 7 habits of highly effective people. Simon & Schuster; Anniversary Ed.
   • De Bono, E. (2009). Think! Before It’s Too Late. Ebury Publishing.
   • Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche (2012). Not for Happiness. Shambala.
   • Goleman, D. (1998). What Makes a Leader? Harvard Business Review, Nov-Dec 1998, p. 93-102.
   • Maldonado, M. (2013). Leading from the Inside Out: Mastering Personal Leadership for Professional Success. The Authentic Leadership Series: Issue 4. American Public University. http://onlinecareertips.com/2013/02/mastering-personal-leadership-for-professional-success/
   • Wadhwa, H. (2012). How Heroes Inspire You To Be Your Best. Inc. Magazine. http://www.inc.com/hitendra-wadhwa/how-heroes-inspire-you-to-be-your-best.html
2. Additional Reading
   • Allen, D. (2002). Getting Things Done. Piatkus.
   • Allen, J.(1911). Eight Pillars of Prosperity. http://james-allen.in1woord.nl/
   • Bach, R. (1970). Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Scribner.
   • Colvin, G. (2010). Talent is Overrated. Portfolio Trade; Updated edition.
   • Gilbert, E. (2010). Eat, Pray, Love. Penguin Books.
   • Hill, N. (1937). Think and Grow Rich. https://archive.org/details/Think_and_Grow_Rich
   • Isaacson, W. (2011). Steve Jobs. Simon & Schuster.
   • Kuh, G. D. (1995). The other curriculum: Out-of-class experiences associated with student learning and personal development. The Journal of Higher Education, 123-155.
   • Kuh, G. (1991). Involving Colleges: Successful Approaches to Fostering Student Learning and Development outside the Classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
   • Marcus Aurelius. (167 BCE). The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. http://classics.mit.edu/Antoninus/meditations.html
   • Personal Goal Review (2007). Effective Time Management Strategies. http://www.effective-time-management-strategies.com/personal-goal-setting.html
   • Rarick, C.A. (2007). Enlightened Management: An Analysis of Buddhist Precepts Applied to Managerial Activity. Journal of Global Business Management. October 2007. http://www.jgbm.org/page/3%20%20Charles%20Rarick%20.pdf
   • Ratey, J. (2013). Spark. Little, Brown and Company; Reprint edition.
   • Schwartz, D. (1987). The Magic of Thinking Big. Fireside; Reprint edition.
   • Stanley, T. (2009). Stop Acting Rich. Wiley.
   • Sternbergh, B., Weitzel, S.R. (2001). Setting your development goals: Start with your values. Center for Creative Leadership.
   • Tolle, E. (2004). The Power of Now. New World Library; 1st edition.
   • Wadhwa, H. (2013). Nelson Mandela and the evolution of great leaders. Fortune Magazine Online. http://fortune.com/2013/12/06/nelson-mandela-and-the-evolution-of-great-leaders/
   • Yale University Library (n.d). Goal Setting Resource Kit. http://www.library.yale.edu/lhr/pp/Goal%20Setting%20Resource%20Kitv2.5.doc

Date: May 23^rd, 2016