Examples of Professional Development Goals
Many organizations have drastically altered the way they do things. Where and how we work has been altered to accommodate a way of life that is completely different from what most of us know. With the rush of changes that came with a global pandemic, many employees need to learn new skills to adapt.
Professional development has long been a staple of employee engagement. By providing employees with the tools to learn, you are investing in their future at the organization and in them as individuals.
As of 2018, Forbes explains that 71% of employees feel they need skills training to successfully operate in their role. Whether you are an employee or a leader who helps your team set goals, it’s vital to your personal and organizational success that your training goals are achievable.
In a previous post, we discussed how you might set a professional development goal. The Education Service Center of Lake Erie West laid out a framework to properly set what they call IPDP (Individual Professional Development Plan). This includes:
- An area of focus. What do you want to accomplish?
- An action. What action will you take to get there?
- Why? Why do you want to achieve this goal?
So what might these goals look like? Here are some examples to improve your understanding of a productive professional development goal. The focus is in bold, the action is italicized and the why statement is underlined. Examples drawn and altered from Indeed and Impraise.
- I want to learn more about what other departments do to further my knowledge of the organization.
- I want to complete a professional certificate to improve my credibility with clients.
- I would like to be more comfortable asking for feedback so I can improve my job performance on a more consistent basis.
- I want to apply for a promotion to demonstrate my value and commitment to the organization.
- I would like to improve my networking skills so I can experience new opportunities.
- I want to complete a leadership training this quarter so I can better my chances of receiving a promotion.
- I would like to improve how I manage remote teams so that I can be a better leader.
- I want to learn how to give feedback in a positive, productive tone so I can help my employees while motivating them.
By following this format, you are ensuring that your professional development goals are clear and action-oriented.
Ewald in Practice is focusing on professional development this quarter. Check out the other blog posts on PD via the links below.
