Your Personal GPS: The Personal Development Plan

In my last post, I discussed how critical it is to recognize our struggles and create ways to address those struggles in order to see improved results. In that post, I mentioned several ways to increase performance by asking for help.  One of which was Creating a Personal Development plan, or setting your Personal GPS. Creating a personal development plan does not have to be a long, drawn out and daunting task.  It does not have to look like it just came from a high end printer or created by an expert graphic designer.  That is focusing more on form, not function. However, it does need a few basic elements.  First, and probably the most important, is understanding what the goal is. What is your end point? Where do you want your GPS/Plan to take you? Ask yourself, “if I create this plan, and implement all items perfectly, what is my ideal end result?”  Perhaps a promotion is the goal, or increased sales / profitability results are needed or even just adding a new skill.  Whatever the goal is, make sure that it is specific and measurable.  “Get more customers” is not measurable.  "Increase customers by 25%” is. Once the goal is set , begin to think about the necessary resources to increase performance.  Some things to think about:

• Do you have the knowledge/training needed? If not, how will obtain training, grow your knowledge?

• Do you have the right contacts, are you networked with the right people? Perhaps attending networking meetings or targeted civic organizations could be helpful. 
  

• Are you doing the right activities to achieve your goal? Maybe a simple increase is activity is needed, such as “cold calls” or “letters mailed.” 
  

Whatever the task, make sure it can tie back to the goal and has an impact on goal achievement.  Again, ensure that these items are specific and measurable.  Finally, and perhaps the most difficult, share it. If you work within a company, share it with your supervisor.  Creating this plan on your own shows a certain level of desire to achieve and commitment to personal and professional growth. If you are the boss, share it with your mentor, or some other type of accountability partner.  Either way, this person (your supervisor or mentor) may have some other thoughts or ideas that you may not have considered.  They may also be able to give you a level of accountability that you are unable to provide yourself. Ponder this:  You have just created a map without the use of a compass or a GPS.  The destination has never been more clear.

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About the Author:

Michael Stern is a Vice President in Retail Banking at a local Lancaster County Bank. Putting leadership and mentoring at the center of his day, Michael helps his peers, clients and team achieve better results.

To Learn more about Michael, find him on LinkedIN

Please note: All postings, ideas and thoughts posted on this site are the author's own and do not represent their employers positions, strategies or opinions.