Professional Development is a broad term that I will use to capture the planning that professionals might do for: building skills and competencies, increasing their value to an organization, and, keeping themselves enthused, energized and vibrant during the course of a career.

 If you have NOT thought about your development recently it is probably because: 

• You´re doing the job and so busy you have no time to think about developing
• You really have no clue as to what you should think about
• No one is giving you any feedback anyway 

 If this is your situation, consider the up-side of doing diligence on your professional development:

• More control over unforeseen job changes as you grow and expand your talents
• More satisfaction that comes from learning new skills
• More energy that  comes from revitalizing areas that match your values and passions

Managers come in all shapes and sizes, and surely some are better than others in providing feedback, coaching and taking an interest in your development.  However, even if your manager does not do this well, it is important for you to be the proactive one, to keep your skills current and strong for the changing demands of the workplace. Here are some ways to start a process that increases your value to the organization while energizing yourself. 

Take Stock 

Make a list of the goals or expectations that your manager and others have of you for the year. Next to that list, make a sub list of the skills that will be required to do them well.  List technical skills, communication skills, project management skills etc. Jot down your thoughts on each skill; such as; "I do this well, this one needs some development ".  Be as objective as you can. 

Seek Feedback

Make a vow to become more proactive in seeking feedback from your manager and others.   Your manager continues to be a key figure in observing your performance and ultimately assessing your achievements.  Take the lead on arranging informal feedback meetings with him or her to review your list of skill strengths and needs, and get his or her input. If you have other colleagues at work who see you in action and can give you honest feedback, seek them out regularly and ask for their support in providing feedback to you in targeted areas. 

Know Yourself 

 "If your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all." Anna Quindlen.

 What do you love to do? What gives you the greatest satisfaction in the job? If you could carve out a perfect day in the office, where would you be and what would you be doing?  Most development plans will find a place "on the shelf" if they cannot excite you to build on your strengths and further your desire to have a set of skills and talents that foster your passions. We all have jobs to do and expectations to be met.  However, the days are long without nurturing the "spark" in each of us.  Do you know what it is? Do you love organizing events or meetings? Do you love to coach or mentor others? Do you love giving presentations? Do you love to write, plan or analyze? Write down your thoughts. Share them with your manager. See if you can link the passions to goals or projects that would benefit the organization.   

Think Creatively 

 After seeking feedback and assessing strengths and development needs comes the next challenge; where do I get the skills? How? Budgets can be tight for attending seminars, and sometimes our inclination is to assume that a seminar is the right answer for most of our needs.  However, The Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, NC has done extensive research on how professionals learn, and what events stimulate learning.  Their results may surprise you:

• Hardships: 34% of learning actually takes place through hardships: business failures or mistakes, missed promotions, employee performance problems, downsizing
• Challenging Assignments: 27% of learning takes place through challenging assignments: change in the scope of your job, participating in project teams or task forces, or working on a special project that "fixes" an old problem
• Learning from Others: 22% of learning comes through others: having good role models, mentors and peers
• Other Events: 17% of learning comes from other events such as: taking a course, getting feedback, having a business success or for other purely personal reasons.*

Although you would not go looking for a failure opportunity, it may be helpful to know that when unfortunate occurrences happen in one´s career, it truly accelerates the learning for the individual. The other events may provide ideas on specific tactics to obtain the desired development and more exposure. Some examples:

• Offer to join a project team or task force that will help you develop new skills and  make more connections
• Explore switching some duties with a co-worker
• Take on a tough assignment, and seek out advice from those who may have worked on it in the past
• Find a mentor  (most people are surprisingly willing to do this, if asked) and help your mentor understand what you are trying to achieve and why you think they can help you
• Invite a colleague to lunch who seems to demonstrate mastery of the skill you want to improve.  For example a colleague who is an expert project manager, could be a coach to help you develop that area ( again, most colleagues are very receptive to helping each other, and flattered that you ask)

Outside of the organization, or on your own time, there are many additional ways to seek out people or professional groups that can contribute to your development targets. It is most important that you keep your networks active.   Some examples:

• Join a professional group that is most relevant to your career but also your passions. For example; a professional who is currently a financial analyst regularly attends the American Society of Training and Development meetings, to explore her passion to teach and develop her skills
• Surf the internet to find free publications, websites and chat rooms in the area that you are looking to develop
• Explore volunteer work as a significant way to develop leadership skills, public relations skills, or team skills. 

Lastly, for a little inspiration, and some very practical tools to help you, here are some excellent resources:.

Books

Love It Don´t Leave It by Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans ISBN 1-57675-250-x

This book lists 26 ways to get what you want from work. The authors help you think through very carefully, your needs, values and career options in responsible ways.   It is funny, insightful and genuinely useful.

Learning Journeys by Marshall Goldsmith, Beverly Kaye and Ken Shelton ISBN 0-89106-147-9

A wonderfully inspirational book with 37 very recognizable leaders (e.g. Warren Bennis, Stephen Covey, Chip Bell etc.) sharing their "hard earned lessons" on becoming great mentors and leaders. The stories are compelling, human and honest.  Each leader summarizes their learning story with specific questions for our introspection.

Career Warfare by David F. D´Alessandro ISBN 0-07-141758-3

With a more "street-wise" style, this author focuses on the importance of building a "personal brand" or image for career success.  It has many interesting points to ponder.               

For Your Improvement by Michael M. Lombardo and Robert W. Eichinger ISBN 0-9655712-2-x

This book is a very credible, and, a must-have reference book for development.  The authors focus on competencies such as; problem solving, conflict management, business acumen, process management etc. For most, developing these competencies is difficult to figure out. This book is packed with suggested readings and specific tactics listed by competency.  Additionally, there is a lot of information on "career stallers and stoppers."

The Directory for Building Competencies by Dennis J. Kravetz  ISBN 0-927764-00-8

For those that would like additional reference material on how to develop competencies, this book is also packed with tactics and resources.  Some examples of competencies include: interpersonal skills, planning, managing time, work habits etc.

References*

-        Key Events and Lessons for Managers in a Diverse Workforce; 2003 published research report. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership

-        Lindsey E.H., Homes, V., & McCall, M.W., Jr. (1987). Key events in executives´ lives. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership

-        McCall, M.W., Jr., Lombardo, M.M., & Morrison, A.M. (1988). The lessons of Experience: How successful executives develop on the job. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership.

Sharyn Mosca is an international management consultant, speaker and executive trainer. She has led seminars in Europe, Asia, Latin America, as well as the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Her seminars and keynotes focus on helping others clarify and align their values to more authentic leadership practices and career goals. She uses emotional intelligence as a foundation to teach key competencies such as influence, managing change, facilitating and coaching. Sharyn may be reached at 973-492-1681 or   info@smosca.com  Additionally; more information can be obtained through her website and newsletter articles located at  http://www.smosca.com