http://peoplefuel.com

I’ve worked for the same company for fifteen years.  During that time it has changed ownership; gone from publicly held, to private ownership, to public again; outsourced whole departments, laid off workers and hired replacements; reorg’d, revamped and reengineered the way they do business. I’ve been with one company but I’ve changed jobs every 3-4 years, often accepting lateral transfers across departments.  My manager never came to me and suggested I look for another position; I had to find every opportunity myself.  This is one of the reasons I’m still around and my former peers are looking for employment.

You are responsible for your own development and the skills you acquire will enhance your marketability.  To progress, you have to continuously improve your value to your employer and maintain your marketability in a highly competitive world.  Your career is about what you want, but it’s also about what your employer needs.   Resisting opportunities to learn new skills is tantamount to career suicide.   It’s not always easy to take a risk, leaving that comfortable zone of familiarity and forging ahead into the unknown.  I’ve second guessed myself every step of the way but I’ve never regretted my actions. My only regrets are for actions I didn’t take, opportunities I let slip by because I was too afraid to grab them with both hands.

Research shows that successful employees have a development plan and they invest significantly in their own development

You can develop new skills or enhance existing skills through:

Coaching and Mentoring

Seminars and Workshops

E-learning and Self Paced Courses

Books and Classroom Training

Community Activities and Professional Association Involvement

For example, if you may have a development goal to improve your public speaking, identify a person who has demonstrated this skill and ask for their help.  You can join Toastmasters and then test your proficiency by volunteering to present information at work, at church or your child’s school. 

Effective development plans are clearly defined and manageable according to time and resource commitments.  Planning is essential.   Begin with an honest assessment of your current skills, style and preference.  I started my career in customer service.  My attention to detail, ability to streamline work processes and solve problems was put to good use.   However, I didn’t like the constant interaction and spending 80% of my day on the phone.  Building on the aspects of the job I enjoyed, I began to position myself to be internally focused, rather than externally.   

Identify your short term and long term goals and the skills you need to achieve them.   I created a list of my Goals, Required Skills, Acquired Skills, Action Plans, Target Date and Completion Date.

Ask for help and feedback as you define and manage your development plan.

Be sure you have time to implement your plan.  Schedule time to read books, meet with subject matter experts and attend training. 

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