Every leader aspires to have a team of employees committed to enhancing their on the job skills, achieving career growth, and ultimately succeeding both personally and professionally. But how can this multifaceted aspiration be realised effectively? The answer lies in crafting an all-encompassing professional development plan. In this blog, we explore the significance of professional development plans in fostering team growth, delve into various development plan types, guide you through creating a professional development plan template, and illustrate how Whole Brain® Thinking can be a catalyst for success.
Understanding Types of Development Plans
1. Professional Development
Professional development plans revolve around equipping employees with skills and knowledge pertinent to their workplace. These plans extend beyond career goals and can benefit those seeking a career change or entering the workforce. They typically involve on-the-job training, classroom instruction, mentoring, coaching, project assignments, or job shadowing.
2. Career Development
Career development plans focus on honing specific skills and acquiring knowledge to achieve career objectives. They encompass short and long-term goals aimed at gaining the expertise needed for career advancement. Self-assessments can help individuals identify suitable career options within the organisation.
3. Individual/Personal Development
Individual development plans empower individuals to pursue personal goals, even if unrelated to their current career. These plans encompass various life aspects, including mental and physical well-being. Goals may include fostering a positive mindset, improving fitness, or embracing new life challenges.
4. Leadership Development
Leadership development plans cater to high-potential employees aspiring to become leaders. They concentrate on strategic thinking, effective communication, conflict management, team building, and other essential competencies required for leadership roles.
Want to learn more about how you can accelerate your development to become a high potential leader? Download our free whitepaper.
The Importance of Professional Development Plans
Creating professional development plans is vital for cultivating a successful team. They provide a roadmap for employees to progress towards their professional goals, enable proactive skills development, and shift the focus from managers setting the direction to individuals taking ownership of their growth. Collaboratively developed plans align with performance conversations and foster continuous improvement.
Integrating Whole Brain® Thinking into Professional Development
Whole Brain® Thinking, coupled with the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI®) assessment, offers a scientific foundation for professional development. Understanding thinking preferences across the four quadrants (Analytical, Structural, Relational, Experimental) helps individuals tailor their development goals and approach. Embracing these preferences optimises collaboration and performance. Understanding your colleagues’ thinking preferences better may be an action step within your plan to meet a key goal or need for your own professional development going forward. Need a refresher on the four thinking quadrants? Take a look at this article.
Let’s explore how each of the four quadrants may approach professional development plans in different ways.
Blue (Analytical) Thinkers
- Blue thinkers may prioritise professional development plans with clear metrics and outcomes.
- They value markers of progress and success to measure their growth and achievements.
Red (Relational) Thinkers
- Red thinkers are driven by the impact they can make on their development and the lives of colleagues, clients, and stakeholders.
- Developing a plan for them signifies a personal commitment to their values and the positive impact they seek to create.
Green (Practical) Thinkers
- Green thinkers find enthusiasm in the planning process itself.
- They focus on how activities will be constructed and organised in the development plan.
Yellow (Experimental) Thinkers
- Yellow thinkers embrace the opportunity to dream big and envision the future in their professional development plans.
- They are motivated by the “why” of the plan, exploring innovative and unconventional approaches.
Thinkers of various types may approach both professional and personal development planning differently, placing emphasis on distinct aspects or outcomes. Integrating Whole Brain® Thinking into your planning process is an excellent means of ensuring a holistic approach to enhancing your skills. It also allows you to consider various key areas you may wish to refine.
Crafting a Professional Development Plan Template
Templates streamline employee growth efforts while allowing for individual goal setting and adaptability. A well-structured template aids in documenting goals, tracking progress, and making necessary refinements. Key components include:
Skills and Knowledge Assessment
Assessing current skills, knowledge, competencies, and interests provides a foundation for identifying developmental needs. It’s crucial to have a clear idea of your starting point before you consider the steps that need to be taken. The evaluation should encompass both tangible skills, such as technical proficiencies, and intangible skills, often referred to as soft skills, like communication and leadership capabilities.
Goal Setting
Crafting specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals aligned with organisational objectives, ensures employees stay motivated and resilient. Taking into account both your short-term and long-term goals is essential when considering your professional growth.
Action Plans
Detailing how each goal will be achieved through specific activities, regularly updated as conditions change, helps to facilitate effective execution. These activities may include training courses, coaching, mentoring, further education, and many more. Breaking these actions down into smaller sub-tasks will make your skill development more manageable and easier to track over time.
Progress Tracking
Regularly measuring progress using relevant metrics offers insights into success and areas for improvement. It’s also a great way to keep yourself motivated by continually looking at your improvement in different areas. There’s no use having goals if you aren’t measuring your progress or celebrating your achievements!
Below is a free sample professional development template. We encourage you to complete it by first assessing your current position and then defining your desired destination. Develop actionable steps to bridge the gap, and outline how you will monitor your progress over time. Don’t forget to consider which thinking quadrants you may want to focus on to aid you in achieving these desired outcomes.
Sample Professional Development Plan Template
Professional Development Plan Template
Name: ___________________________________
Department: ________________________________
Self-Assessment (Where You Currently Are):
1. _______________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________
Objectives or Area of Focus:
1. _______________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________
Professional Development Needs and Goals:
1. _______________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________
Current Strengths and Competencies:
1. _______________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________
Action Steps:
1. _______________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________
Timeline/Deadline(s):
1. _______________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________
Support Resources Needed:
1. _______________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________
How Success Will Be Measured:
1. _______________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________
Set your path for Professional Success
Crafting an effective professional development plan template is paramount for individuals and leaders alike. It empowers individuals to stay competitive and fosters team growth, enhances employee engagement, and aids in realising aspirations. By recognising development opportunities, setting achievable goals, and embracing measurable action steps, you pave the way for sustained success.
Discover our other resources to assist you in your professional development journey:
Your Playbook to becoming a more Inclusive Leader
Training with the Brain in Mind
If you want to learn more about how Whole Brain® Thinking and the HBDI® can help you and your organisation, have a look at how it works here or get in touch and we’ll help you find the right solution.
