One way ensure that you will bring added value to your company is to have a professional development plan in place. Creating such a plan takes thought, research and work, but it will pay off down the road. And the time will pass anyway, so put it to good use.
To create your own professional development plan, follow these 10 steps.
How to create a professional development plan
- Where are you now? Do a skills inventory. List the hands-on skills you have – like the ability to create a killer pivot table in Excel or your mastery of search engine optimization – as well as personal skills such as negotiations and assertiveness. Be sure to note transferable skills, too, those things that you can put to good use regardless of your industry, including written and verbal communication, ability to connect with others and so on.
- Decide where you want to be. If you are employed, are you happy in your job? Would you like a promotion? If so, what position do you want? Are you thinking of changing jobs or industries? Business owners should determine where they want their companies to be, short term (within a year) and long term (five years).
- Where do you need to grow? Come up with just three areas for development (any more than three and you could be headed for a nervous breakdown). These development areas could be anything from building stronger leadership skills to learning how to be a great public speaker.
- Create a plan. Any plan should be crafted around SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound). When do you want to achieve your goal? Put a date on it, and work backwards from there. Chunk it down into manageable pieces.
- Get support. Whom do you know who can help? If you are a career professional, it could be your boss or someone else in your organization. If you’re a business owner, it might be someone in a related industry, a recent retiree in your own industry or someone entirely unrelated, like a coach. If you can find a mentor who is willing to give you a hand, be sure to offer value in return.
- Develop resources. Networking is key. Spend up to 20% of your workweek making new connections and solidifying the ones you have. The best opportunities aren’t found on Craigslist, but in knowing people who may hold the key to what you want to know and where you want to go. Make a networking plan, then get out there and mingle!
- Research. Do you need to enroll in a certificated program? Get a college degree? Can you get what you need through online courses, events or training? Build a list of where and when these opportunities to grow are offered, how long they will take, costs and any other pertinent information. If you’re a career professional, check to see if your company will pay all or part of the costs. If you have your own business, remember that training and coaching are legitimate business expenses.
- Reassess. Now that you have the bigger picture, go back to your plan and fit the classes, trainings, events and so on into your goals. Have you bitten off too much? One of the biggest reasons why we fail is that we try to jam 10 pounds of crap into a 2-pound bag. Unless you can take a months-long sabbatical, you’ll have to find a way to mesh these activities into your present responsibilities – including your day-to-day work tasks as well as family obligations, recreation and so on. It’s better to adjust your plan at this point than to get bogged down later and give up.
- Implement. Get going! The best plan, the most thorough research, will not do one bit of good unless and until you put it into action. Because you’ve got a realistic schedule of what professional development courses you can do and when, it will be easier to stay on track. If you need help staying accountable, consider hiring a coach. What you don’t want to do is get so far behind in your personal development plan that you throw up your hands and say, “Screw it! I’m done here.”
- Monitor and adjust. Set aside time every week to evaluate your progress. What’s going well? What isn’t? Are you where you planned to be? Is this (fill in the blank) really going to help you or is it a waste of time? Is there something you should add to your professional development plan? Is it taking the amount of time you thought it would? Remember, your plan is not chiseled in granite. It should be a living, breathing entity. Feel free to modify along the way before you give up.
If you follow these steps and stick with your plan, by the time 2017 rolls around, you’ll have the confidence to go for that new job or big client. Congratulations!
What’s your best advice regarding professional development? Please share.
Great steps. I just did a workshop on goal setting. This is nice because it take you one step further into the assess, adjust, evaluate again. Creating a professional development plan is key and so many entrepreneurs fail to do it.
Thanks, Cathy. Glad you found it useful. Got to figure out what’s working and what isn’t, and do more of what is! Unfortunately, it’s sometimes hard to tell what minor tweak will bring you the massive success you deserve.
creating a personal development plan..an awesome idea….
Helps you stay young and moving forward instead of just drifting. Thanks for coming by, Sharona.
These steps create an evergreen formula for creating the professional life you envision for yourself. As I was reading it, I was thinking that in both our personal and professional lives, it is so important to continue to grow and develop ourselves based on what enlivens our passions and enriches who we are. When we do that, we have so much more to offer the world! Thanks Jackie!
No, Beverley, thank you for your wonderful, thoughtful comment. I’ve always believed if you’re not growing, you’re dying. Appreciate you!
Jackie,
This is so simple and focused. What a great way to get from A – Z. I also like to set up steps in a group where we hold each other accountable. Love your blog!
Great list for creating and reviewing our personal development plan, Jackie! You addressed all the areas I do when creating my plan. I think one of the most important things to remember when creating new habits and learning is to remember that there WILL BE OBSTACLES and when we can anticipate them ahead of time and have a plan to overcome them, the chances of success are greater. Thanks for such a great development guide.
Great point, Tandy. Your point about planning for obstacles is terrific. There will be problems we cannot anticipate, but planning for the everyday problems will make it much easier for us to deal with the once-in-a-lifetime issue (like hurricanes…I hope!). Appreciate your comment.
No matter what we do in life, we all need to have a plan, steps to get there and help to keep us accountable. I also love where you shared about “why we fail is that we try to jam 10 pounds of crap into a 2-pound bag.” That would be me.
I use a paper planner to help me plan out my year, my month and my week. I still get a bit muddled but it’s still better than no plan at all.
Great tips.
Another paper-planner! Yes! I have used paper for years and have found it works beautifully. Its battery never dies, it doesn’t break and no one wants to steal it. 🙂 One thing that may help you with your planner is to come up with three yearly goals and write them in your planner. Your chances of achieving those goals by the end of that year are greatly improved — just by writing them down — even if you don’t take concrete steps to get there. There is something magical in committing yourself in writing. Thanks for giving me the chance to say that, Claudette!
I don’t create a personal development plan since consistently developing myself has been as second nature as brushing my teeth since I was in college. You are probably a lifelong learner like me Jackie!
I’m with you on that, Rachel. It’s an organic thing for me, too. Thanks for your comment.