Personal Development Program

Let's be clear about the purpose of your personal development program. You have two broad approaches: 

The first one is the program sponsored by a person's employer.  The individual is encouraged to attend or participate in a personal development procedure to enhance those qualities that are sought by his or her employer. 

The second type is the individual development program, in which the entire content and pace is wholly determined by the person. Either can be supported by a personal development coach.

The first criterion that sets parameters for a PD program relies on who has designed the program and who decides the desired outcome.  In some cases, an individual puts together a series of activities that will enhance his personal growth in the way most meaningful to him. 

Other times the individual follows a program at the behest of her boss – and she is investing time and effort into the program in the belief that the company knows just what her needs are. 

Employee personal development programs

Many corporate personal development programs organize employees into a group of peers.  This is very effective for staff who are retraining when the company is taking a new direction, or for those retraining for career progression in talent development programs.

You may join a group with a common goal, for example, to achieve an MBA or to take management-training courses.  These usually mean enrolling on a formal program.

With an employer-generated personal development plan, the desired benefit – something that the employer wants the employee to be able to deliver – is usually a visible change in behavior: better written reports, clearer verbal communication, managing conflict effectively, for example.

A personal development coach is likely to explore the underlying basis of the difficulty:

• The employer is concerned because the worker does not deliver reports on time; for the employee the issue is writer's block stemming from perfectionism and anxiety.
  
  
• On the other hand, poor presentation skills could be the result of fear of criticism or fear of looking foolish.
  
  
• Difficulties with conflict might be based on issues from the past: fear of violence, difficulties with authority, taking authority, being assertive .
  
  

We're not machines. Great personal performance isn't just a matter of skill and technique. It's about building up the inner resources of the employee. So bear that in mind as you read this article on personal development goals.

When an employee undertakes a personal development program, the organization benefits far beyond the immediate goals set for the initial program.   By immersing in a personal growth and development ethos, the employee boosts many aspects of his psychological self (confidence, charisma, persuasiveness empathy, openness, clarity, for example) rather than the single area that was the original focus of the program. The foundation for all the employee's areas of performance will be enhanced. 

The lasting value of the professional development program are determined by the individual, whether he is doing this for himself or for his company.

We've all seen short-lived benefits of training courses peter out, leaving staff working in the same old way. Personal values and beliefs determine behavior. Not the other way round.

If an organization really wants to develop its human capital – and have that development endure, stand the tests of time – then a personal development program needs to focus on deeper coaching issues. Behavior change is the visible tip of the personal development iceberg.

More on employee personal development.

The place of personal development tests

The corporate human resources developer may use personal development tests as the starting point for the whole cycle of performance management: induction, mentoring, appraisal, training.
Tests provide some material for the organizational coach, but it needs to be put in the context of workplace experiences and challenges.

I've worked with very elaborately gathered 360 degree feedback and Myers-Briggs reports that have been bland an uninteresting (or worse, pigeon-holing a manager) until  they've been torn apart in a coaching session.

Personal development tests can tell a great deal great deal about a person. But they need to be interpreted in the work and personal development context to help the key learning experiences to stand out.

Given a central subject – Mr. Smith in the Intake Department – the  people who work all around him (hence, “360 degrees”) provide a summary of their experience of him in his role. Mr. Smith's peers give their opinions.  His supervisors have their say.  His coworkers and internal customers are also queried. 

All these people are asked to provide feedback in a number of areas, typically:  

• They evaluate a subject's current behavior. 
  
  
• Ideas about perceived strengths
  
  
• Ideas about perceived weaknesses
  
  
• Feedback should be specific
  
  
• Relates to issues the subject has control over
  
  

These provide interpretations – not 'facts' – and so they need to be evaluated and synthesized by Mr. Smith himself before they start to create a beneficial learning experience.

I've worked with people who have been very threatened by their feedback, occasionally coming to a coaching session fearful ... or tearful. It's important to know that nobody has rights over your person!

Coaching helps to sift the feedback into valuable and useless heaps – and helps you plan how you will respond. We will look at those knee-jerk reactions of yours, too, if they get in your way.
Personal development tests / evaluations like these can be used to suggest a focus for personal development programs:

• graduate management training courses
  
  
• courses aimed a professional memberships
  
  
• in-house training courses, or
  
  
• employee-led programs

More on personal development tests.

A personal development program – What should you look for?

When you think about a program, what do you need to consider?

It is important to place yourself into programs and courses that are appropriate for both your emotional and skill levels. 

• Pre-course requirements: do check that you match the profile of people that the course intends to benefit
  
  
• Goals that are negotiated based on any PD testing ... not slavishly driven by them
  
  
• A pathway of increasing levels of challenge leading from here-and-now performance issues towards those goals
  
  
• Relevance: it should be easy to connect the program with every day workplace issues
  
  
• Stretch: show a balance between stretch and overwhelm!
  
  
• Provide a basis for future development
  
  

An ad-hoc personal development program

When you're investigating prospective development plans on your own, you can measure your own fit a program by interviewing people who have already completed the course. Talk to the  course leader. Read course materials, student handbooks

You can put together an effective ad-hoc program yourself by including the stages discussed here: from goals to imagining the the learning experiences you need to help you reach them.

An ad-hoc program might lack continuity ... but it will usually make up for that by having its creator – you – at the center of the planning, preparation, experiencing and evaluating. It will help you keep a firm grip on your own personal development needs. The demands placed on you to take control and synthesize your own learning experiences create invaluable exercises in developing self-confidence and leadership. 

Aspects of an effective personal develop program will mix together a variety of elements.  Both seminars and workshops can be included, plus some time spent at professional conferences.  Reading, writing papers, and articles all play a role.  And the value of personal development coaching cannot be overlooked for its ability to keep you focused on what's working and where to turn next. 

Whether a personal development program is planned as a long or a short course, it can incorporate both in-house and external contributions.  It can be directed at professional qualification such as career certification.  It can focus on a qualifications via graduate or postgraduate study.  There can be elements of research on the workplace or reflecting some aspect of your specific work role. 

And, as mentioned before, the integration of coaching, mentoring, or just simple tutorials play a big role in the value your professional development program has in your career ... and your life!  

All of these factors are significant in the construction of a personal development plan, whether it is undertaken by the employee or ordered by the supervisor. 

The ultimate aim of the personal development program is a more effective employee (good  for your current employer – and your future prospects) and a happier, more self-confident person who is resilient and looks forward to all life's challenges.