Managing Work Priorities and Professional Development Personal Statement

Managing Work Priorities and Professional Development - Personal Statement Example The principles of managing work priorities and professional development are discussed in this paper. As a business owner of Jim’s Cleaning, I am expected to give my best possible performance while on the job. In turn, neither can it be disputed that the head of an organisation sets its cultural tone, and is perhaps the single most important force allowing it to achieve success. Just as every cog in a machine is expected to play a part in its continued optimal functioning, so too does an organisation rely on the time management and work prioritisation of its head, to put their best foot forward when it comes to their day-to-day tasks. At the same time, though, I realised that while it is of course important for me to work towards Jim’s Cleaning’s success and prosperity, it is my own professional development that should be foremost to ensure the success of my business venture.No matter how dreary or inane one’s job happens to be, I am still ultimately a huma n being rather than a glorified automatons and it is therefore inevitable for me to somehow desire my own development and growth. Not only do they want to get paid for their work, it is but natural for employees to desire a sense of fulfillment that cannot simply be obtained through a pay slip. Maslow (1943) himself has made note of this, citing specifically how human beings as a whole seek self-actualization and self-transcendence more than anything else. We as humans seldom find satisfaction in what we are now – that is, we are said to possess an innate desire to become everything we are capable of becoming, even exceeding that if at all possible. Elusive as it may be – only 1% of all individuals are said to achieve self-actualization in the end – it is still something generally deemed worthy of working towards (Maslow, 1996). He goes on to explain that while basic needs such as food, water, clothing and shelter are indeed important to any rational being, thes e become mere means to a greater end. Even those whose most pressing need is money will inevitably think and wonder, somewhere down the line, if that is all they are meant for – or if they are meant for bigger and better things (Steere, 1988). This is related to the concept of metamotivation, earlier posited by Maslow. Someone said to be metamotivated does not work merely to get by from day to day, but to somehow become a better person tomorrow than he is today (Goble, 1970). This arguably does a lot to explain why there are those who, despite having better options, settle for low-paying jobs – or why those working in lucrative positions are perfectly willing to leave them behind. No matter how much one may insist that the most important things to look for in a particular job opening are the salary and benefits, even these admittedly important considerations become moot if one fails to find fulfillment working under such circumstances. In doing this assignment and focu sing on my business Jim’s Cleaning, I have realised that someone who loves what he is doing, and feels that he is actually getting somewhere in his job, will ultimately be more content with the idea of remaining there even with a modest paycheck. For example, it can be argued that the specialist cleaners at Jim’s are generally paid lower than what they should receive. Barring external factors such as skill, experience, tenure or connections, these