This is a personal plan for career development. You’ll work on several specific items for growth as you progress through the plan. You’ll work at your own pace, doing these steps in a week, two weeks, a month, or whatever pace you feel comfortable with.
It can often help to work through this with a mentor or a manager. You can discuss this in a regular 1-on-1 but I’ve found it works best to schedule a short separate discussion dedicated to your self-improvement. You should schedule a recurring meeting with your manager.
The first step is to identify areas of strength and weakness.
One piece of information that will help you identify these might be to understand your specific job requirements and responsibilities and those of the position you’d like to progress towards. If you’re company has it, take a look at the company documentation for these roles. You can also research your job online for additional ideas.
Most of us naturally gravitate toward working on our weaknesses. Keep in mind that you can also continue to grow in areas of strength and sometimes you’ll get your best gains in those areas.
Make three short lists. Start with your main strengths. Make another list for weaknesses. Finally, note a few items that you’d like to work on. This final list will be flexible as you continue through this 12-step program.
Now that you’ve got your strengths and weaknesses outlined, pick one thing to work on for a time and write it down. It should be something that applies to an area of strength, weakness, or growth that you identified before. This time it will be more concrete. Keep it simple so that you don’t get stuck on it for too long. If it’s complex, try to break it down. A good rule of thumb is something you can accomplish this week.
Make detailed personal notes about your progress. Include your successes and your failures. Jot down any lessons you’ve learned and any ideas you have to grow further. Be careful to think about those, however, and prioritize the areas that you feel will make the most improvement for you.
If you’re working with a mentor, discuss this with them. The first time you meet you can share your strengths and weaknesses and you can get their feedback. Tell them about the item you’re working on and any progress you’ve made or setbacks you’ve had.
Written by Joel Dare on April 1, 2024.