Producing a personal development plan
Featured in the Partnerships at Work training manual
By Ken Birkett & Val Rowland
Category: Performance Management
Credit price: 4 download credits (Single user)
Staying in employment used to be a matter of acquiring knowledge, skills and a qualification in a particular occupation, and then working in a consistent and conscientious manner. As work practices evolved, so people adjusted and the work equilibrium was maintained. But in the last decade the speed of change has accelerated. Technology, information and global competition have transformed the status quo. One effect of this has been continuing and rapid changes in work-knowledge and practices. In their turn these have placed different demands on workers. It is no longer sufficient to wait and see what happens and then respond to it. It has become necessary to assume that change will become the norm and to plan for it through methods such as personal development plans. Whilst most people may not make an impact on the future in general, almost everybody can influence their own personal future. This is particularly so at work. Producing a personal development plan establishes goals and targets which serve as pulling motivators drawing you into a satisfactory tomorrow and thereafter. In essence you use personal development plans to: adopt the right attitudes; aim your learning at fruitful areas; identify feasible job targets; and accept personal responsibility for your future development. The boss, too, has responsibilities for assisting team members in preparing for the future and creating personal development plans. Basic updating training should be a good start towards currently anticipated changes in working practices. In the wider sense a boss needs to offer a continuing support service. Acting, for instance, as a job and career mentor. Ultimately, though, those people who take responsibility for their own future, and act upon that, are the ones who are likely to achieve the most satisfactory outcome.
You begin this personal development training activity introduce participants to the idea of producing a personal development plan. They work on a questionnaire, analysing their personal characteristics. They then pair up and discuss some implications for job security. This is followed by an open discussion on the relevance of those characteristics at work. Participants work on a second questionnaire, analysing their present job. This is followed by a discussion on jobs, people and change. Participants identify a job they could hold in the future. There is a discussion on preparing for change. Participants then prepare an outline personal development plan. Following this there is a general discussion on practical aspects of job and career planning and personal development plans. You then finish the training activity with a round-up session and summary of key points.
Who is it for: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to help participants create personal development plans to take charge of their futures.
- Themes:
- Performance management,
- Personal development,
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 6 |
| Max Group Size: | 12 |
| Typical Duration: | 02:15:00 |
| No of Pages: | 31 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training activity is intended for use in personal development workshops. It introduces participants to personal development plans and their benefits and then helps them to create their own personal development plans for the future.
Download the training activity, Producing a personal development plan as featured in the Fenman training manual; Partnerships at Work