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CRAFT YOUR CAREER PATH

CREATE A PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

PLAN COMMIT SUCCEED

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What's a Professional

Development Plan?

A Professional Development Plan (PDP) is essential to any industry orcareer goals. If you want to achieve goals, you'll need the knowledgeand strategy to get there. That's what a PDP does - it allows you to putdown solid goals so that you stay focused on achieving them.

A PDP lines out the steps to where you want to go, and moreimportantly gives you a timeline so that whether you want to go backto school or get that big promotion, you have a path lined out to keepyou focused on the current task.

A true leader is always learning. Learning could be in the form ofknowledge in their expertise or strengthening interpersonal skills. Itcould be classroom learning or hiring a coach. A PDP takes intoaccount all the learning you might need in order to get to where youwant to be.

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First, Get AmbitiousWant to be CEO one day, or maybe make partner? It may seem far offright now, but that is exactly what a PDP is designed to support -- bigdreams. If you don't have big dreams, it'll be challenging to get there soconsider dreaming big for our PDP.

**What would your dream career be? **What role or position do you want to have? **What degrees or education would you want to have? **Any place in particular you'd like to be working? **When do you want to stop working?

These are all things we want to include and think about when wedevelop a plan for ourselves. If you have outside goals like learning toplay the guitar or climbing Mount Everest, craft that in a plan too. Thisis where creating your own plan versus a company driven plan worksfor your personal growth goals too.

Remember that everything is

achievableI don't say that just because I am a coach, I truly believe it. I have seenpeople go from mail room to board room with enough experience,education and planning. I have even seen people leave the board roomto follow their dreams in careers they've had no experience in. It didn'tseem possible for either of them before, but with the steps all linedout, it became possible.

It all starts with the first step...

Step 1

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#1 Self-AssessYou have to know where you are and where you want to go in order to put a plan in place. Here's where you'll list all your goals, where you are and what you'll need to support you on your path.

Answer these questions (and record them where you can start creating your PDP).

**What would your dream career be? **What role or position do you want to have? **What degrees or education would you want to have? **Any place in particular you'd like to be working? **When do you want to stop working?

Imagine yourself in that dream role or position.

**How do you imagine yourself showing up? **What would day-to-day life be like when you achieve those goals? **What things might you have to do differently in your life to accommodate that dream? **Who will you need to communicate with? **What are your strengths and challenges  if you were to step into that role today?

Every different position, company and lifestyle takes a different composition of educationand skills. It's helpful to lean on your strengths when possible, and doing somethingdifferent often means learning new skills.

Skills and education should include both the IQ (intelligence quotient) and the EQ(emotional quotient), meaning that social and leadership skills are just as important asskills you can learn in a classroom. For example, if you are wanting to be a top leader,communication and mentorship may be skills you have or need to grow - it just dependson the type of leader you want to be.

**List the skills & education you have that will help: **List the skills & education you'll need along the way: **How can you get those skills and education?

There's a lot of ways to get the skills and education you need. You may need a degree, ora certification, or you might need a professional coach to help with your weak spots. Howcan you best acquire the knowledge and experience you need?

Get more detailed:

Skills & Education needed:

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#2 Crafting the goalsOne at a time, or as it makes sense to group them, you're going to draft out the goals and steps to get there. To make it a little less overwhelming, we're going to keep it to 5 steps. For example:

You might think - it's not that simple!! Of course there are a ton more steps in any bigdream, but by grouping them, we can take them down to the pieces.

So then take the first goal and break it down if you need to. Maybe you aren't sure whatyour overall goal or timeframe should be. Although this doesn't have to be crystal clearfrom the start, you might feel like you need more clarity before moving on. You canbreak it down more like this:

Step 1: Setting the goal & timeframe

    A: Talk to people who are in positions I think I would like     B: Research my strengths and roles that might best fit me     C: Begin to understand how long it might take to accomplish it

Break it down into as small as the pieces you need to be able to move forward -- but onlythe step you are working on. Don't break down every step because at this point, you arejust guessing and things could change. Stay focused on what's right in front of you.

Add this to your goals and plan.

Step 1: Set the goal and the time frame to complete itStep 2: Smaller action steps I can start doing today (Research what needs tobe done, connect with people who already know or are there, connect toorganizations that might help my experience, etc)Step 3: The next bigger step to getting there (get a certification, get coachingon particular areas, etc.)Step 4: Another bigger step (ask for the promotion, get a position with acompany you want to work for, start a side-business, etc)Step 5: Last big step before getting to the goal.

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#3 Completing the PDPNow that you have the steps, fill them in with the resources you need for the ones in front of you, or any big ones you'll want to keep your eye on for future steps (like a specialized coach or program only offered at certain times). So here's where we'll come up with the list of resources that you can use to get all the skills and experience you'll need to attain your goal.

Add the resources that will benefit you for each of your steps. Here are some resourceexamples. You might want to research the best ones of each for the skills you'll need:

Books: Books are a great way to learn IQ skills, and now, even EQ skills. Whether youneed to strengthen  your accounting skills or your communication skills, there are tonsof books that can help. Do some research and find some with fantastic reviews thatpoint to what you want to learn.

Formal education: sometimes degrees or certifications are necessary to move to wherewe want to go. In those cases, you'll want to know what your options are, if they classesmean a change in your current job, the cost of getting that degree and much more inorder to be able to give valid timelines and to support your expectations.

Mentors: Whether you are able to find someone in your desired position to mentor youor you hire a coach who has the experience to support your growth, you'll need to findhelp from somewhere. While you can learn alone, it takes longer and it's a bit morebrutal. Leaders know how to lean on people who know more than they do in specificareas. Not to mention, these mentors also become some of your best networkingcontacts and champions who can help in more than just advice.

Industry/Networking Organizations: Join organizations that support your industry ordesired role. You'll meet people to mentor you, to learn from and even exchangeopportunity information. The most visible people in just about every industry belong tothese organizations. It's the easiest way in.

Add the resources that will support your plan and make commitments to timeframes ingetting them done. This is your PDP. These are your action steps.

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#4 Accountability &

check-inThis step is just as important, if not the most important step. Aplan means nothing unless you hold yourself accountable togetting it done. This is challenging for a lot of people, so oftengetting a coach or a mentor is ideal.  It's an investment of timeand money in yourself and your future.

A mentor or coach can help you break down the steps andensure your will check in with your goals consistently. You candefinitely try this on your own, but most people find havingoutside accountability is essential to holding to timelines.

Plus, with a coach or mentor, you'll also have the expertise ofsomeone who's been there and knows how to guide you. Let'sface it, you don't know what you don't know, but someonewho's been there does. So get some guidance when you need it.

To-do: Check in monthly at the minimum on how you are doingwith your goals and what you need to do next to keep it moving.

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After a few check-ins, you'll start to see where your plan may have tochange or some additional steps need to be added. This is normalsince again, you can't know everything on a path you've never takenbefore. So every 6 months, or when it makes sense, you'll want to re-assess where you are, what needs to be done and re-adjust what youneed to.

Bonus: Use this with your team to make your leadership easier

Encourage your team members and employees to develop their ownPDP. Keep your team motivated and accountable by checking in withthem regularly on their PDP. Just remember it isn't just about beingaware when the mark is missed, it's also about celebrating. By having aPDP with specific goals and dates, you can help your team celebratethe goals they hit!

#5 Assess & Pivot (if necessary)

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Need some help

creating a plan?That's one of my specialties. I'm here to support yourbig goals and dreams. Let's put together acomprehensive plan to get you to the goals you want- whether that's building a new business or workingyour way to the top of a Fortune 100.

Let's schedule a call to talk about your goals. Contactme at gford@bygeorgecoaching.com

From the Founder:Hello! I'm Georganne Ford and I want to help you levelup your business goals while developing leadershipskills that you will use throughout your career.

I'm not a fly-by-night trainer. I've invested half my life inbusiness leadership and continue to update myeducation and certifications to ensure my clients, likeyou, get quantifiable results to business growth... and allthe other challenges that come with owning a businessand managing people.

Website: bygeorgecoaching.com Email: gford@bygeorgecoaching.com