A powerful Personal Development Plan

Personal Development Plans can often be “something and nothing” – a paper exercise, but they can also be useful. I am a big promoter of writing plans and has put a yearly plan each january. But when are all the plans at their best?

  • Identify clearly the difference between where you are now and where you want and/or need to be
  • Link immediate (short-term) objectives and actions with longer-term, wider personal goals
  • Have both a developmental (learning) perspective and a career management perspective
  • Provide an appropriate level of stretch
  • Are motivating and create a bias for action
  • Are shared with your support network
  • Can be monitored to check that progress is happening and how fast it is happening

 

Some useful questions to ask 

Why do I want this?

How does this goal align with my personal values?

How does it align with the values of the organization?

What will I do when I have reached my goals? How should I celebrate?