Have you adapted your personal development plan?
Personal development is an ever-changing,
fluid process (even in the most stable times). As leaders are currently
overwhelmed with immense changes to the business landscape, the first thing
that often falls off the radar is their own personal development. Simply considering
taking the time and structuring your plan may seem far off base…or even
selfish!
If you are having trouble determining if
your personal development is essential right now, the answer is….IT IS! It’s as
important (and maybe even more so) than your employee’s development. As the
organization’s leader, you set the stage for the culture that is developing
during this time, which is much different than it was before. If you want your
people to drink from the same well (alignment), it’s up to you to fill it
first. And that starts with your personal development.
Your structured personal development plan,
when done right, becomes your blueprint for where you want to go with your
career, what you want to be, and the steps that will take you there. This can
be very different than it was 4 months ago.
If you need more help with putting structure to your plan, this template will
provide guidance on how to build a professional development plan. It’s just
four pages total, with lots of white space and a user-friendly feel. Filling it
out takes willpower, a bit of time, and a general mindset of commitment on your
end. But it’s all manageable and very doable.
Here
are three ways to boost your odds of making your professional development plan
work for you:
Commit to do it. As
you us this template to
restructure your plan, be proactive and disciplined about this activity. Set a
time, date and place where you can really focus and get this task done. Put it
on your calendar—make it a meeting date with yourself. Then choose a place
where you can relax and not be interrupted. The key is to eliminate
distractions, even turning off your cell phone and avoiding email if you can.
Give it your all, and you’ll get the most back out of it.
Don’t strive for perfection. This
is a living document…it’s going to change over time. Recognize and accept that
fluidity, realizing it’s never going to be perfect. For instance, the exact
words you use when filling it out aren’t as important as the activity of taking
control of your growth and writing your plan. If you get hung up on the
expectation for this to be perfect, you might find yourself struggling to start
or get it done. Remember, this is a guide. If there are aspects of it that you
want to tweak or customize for you, go for it—after all, it’s got to be
something you can own, something you can believe and honor. And yet try to keep
the vital elements in tact. We’re sure you’ll find they’re all solid in terms
of a reliable and credible blueprint…that’s why we’ve stood behind this tool
for decades (and through multiple recessions). Many of our clients have
achieved their goals and dreams using this template as their starting point and
an ongoing guide.
Share your plan. Developing
leaders all need trusted advisors. This could be a business partner, your MAP
consultant, or another type of viable mentor. Turn to this person and share
your plan. Get some feedback from this confidant and build accountability with
this person, asking him or her to actually hold you accountable to the goals
and action items you’ve listed. Set up monthly check-ins to review your status,
revise where necessary, identify opportunities to take corrective action and
celebrate your wins.
When sharing your plan, make sure you’re
doing it with someone who knows something about professional growth and your
business challenges. A co-worker you like but who is not disciplined in
challenging himself or herself isn’t ideal. Pick someone you know will push
your comfort zone and help you adapt your plan to be the greatest leaders (and
human) possible.