Be the Best Possible ‘You’. Build a Personal Development Plan.
If you want to be the ‘best you’ possible, you will need a plan. A good personal development plan (PDP) becomes a roadmap for your personal and professional growth. Everyone has the potential to be better at what they do, regardless of long-term aspirations. Don’t wait for a supervisor or someone from HR to ask about your personal development. Be proactive and establish your own.Your personal development plan does not have to be completely focused on work-related items. It can include what you want to improve in your personal life as well. Blend the two together to ensure balance in what you want to accomplish for yourself.Your PDP will only be as good as what you put into it. If it is done out of compliance, then it will just be words on a paper likely to be reviewed a couple of times a year. Fully embracing it will move you forward in everything you do. It can be a truly rewarding experience.Here are three tips to help you build a meaningful PDP for yourself.
Engage Multiple Learning Outlets
I have seen many PDPs in my career and most begin with a list of reading materials. A lot of people, including leaders, think that PDPs are driven by what books or articles you read. While I certainly agree that reading is an important component of a PDP, there is much more to it.Look beyond just reading materials to find other mediums for learning. You could attend an online webinar or an online discussion group on the subject you want to continue your development in. There are many different ways to gather new information and create learning. Look for things you can experience and participate in. The more senses you engage during your learning, the more it will actually stick with you and become a relevant part of your life.I mentioned before that your PDP does not need to be 100% work related. I recall an experienced leader I was working with took a cooking class as a part of his PDP to create balance in his life. It ended up becoming an important part of getting away from work and opening his mind to fresh new ideas, ultimately benefiting his professional life as well.
Create Action
Your PDP should create actions you will take. If you do read a book or article, what is the action that comes from that? Write a book summary after you have completed it. Write down key topics that you want to learn more about. Capture the items you want to put into practice from the book and then keep a journal on how those are impacting you in your work or personal environment. Participate in a book review session with peers, friends, or other leaders. It has to be more than doing a singular event and then crossing it off the list. Perhaps you can attend a seminar and engage with other attendees about the topic in more depth. Find a video and discuss it with others or teach back your learnings to your team. Teaching is, in many ways, the best form of learning as well.Whatever you have on your PDP, ensure it creates action and activities for you to take part in. These activities should be successive, keep you moving, and create memories and learning you can come back to in your career. Create action to create growth.
Find a Mentor
While it does say ‘personal’ development plan, that doesn't mean you have to go it alone. Having a mentor or coach is a great way to accomplish many components of your personal growth. A key piece of your development should come from learning from others. Find people that you can bounce ideas off of or have discussions around what you are learning. Not only are mentors someone that you can listen to and learn from, but they are also people to share ideas with and teach what you learned. People become the great multiplier in development. If you want to really grow from your development plan, you will need to engage with others. Learn from them, listen to them, discuss ideas, and share your own learnings.Once you have your PDP put together, discuss it with your Supervisor, a friend, partner, or mentor to discuss how you can accomplish what you have set out to achieve. Build a strategy for when and how you will review your PDP both with yourself and your supervisor. The more you review your plan, the more it will become a part of what you do every day. I recommend setting up at least a twice-monthly review with yourself. Set aside 20-30 minutes to review your plan, what you have accomplished, and what the next steps will be.Taking a vested interest in yourself will encourage others to invest in you as well, opening the door to new opportunities, promotions, and career development.So, what's in your PDP? Share some of your action items and growth ideas by leaving a comment.