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Career Development Planning - 3 Reasons Why You Should Do It!

 Career development planning is an essential part of your success as a manager and as an individual. You may be very good at what you do, but as Jonny Carson said “Talent alone won’t make you a success”. Successful careers do not just happen. They are the outcome of hard work, perseverance and above all good planning.

Starting to plan your career means you are taking charge of it. You know where you are and what do you want to accomplish. The plan in itself helps you set concrete goals with action steps and timelines. This way you are not just daydreaming about your future, you are mapping out the road towards it. Your goals will define how a successful career looks like to you and what do you need to do to make it happen.

What are the benefits of career development planning?

 

1. A plan makes you realize your self-worth. It is not how your employers measure you, it is how you measure yourself and the qualities you have that make you special, unique and indispensable. The plan is a special tool that asks you to assess yourself and identify your skills, talents together with ways on how to utilize them to enhance your career. Many people remain in their current positions because of the way they measure their self-worth. They believe they are as good as the jobs they have. That is the biggest mistake that holds people back from advancing and developing themselves.  

2. A career plan keeps you focused and directs you towards achievements. It is easy to be trapped into the routine of the daily tasks without looking at the big picture. A plan facilitates a vision for your future career and this way you will be able to place your energy into performing those tasks that take you closer to the desired future.  

3. A Plan creates fulfillment. By developing goals and timelines you will be able to track your achievements and to feel good about reaching each milestone. The sense of accomplishment is a huge energy booster to keep you going and it is a very powerful tool to motivate and keep you on top of your game

Quick Career Planning Hints!

Do an objective self-assessment by identifying not only gaps and challenges but also special talents, unique skills, hobbies etc.

Be prepared to change your career! If your current position does not require your talents, your passion and your uniqueness, consider changing it.

Visualize your future! Close your eyes and picture yourself doing what you do best and what gives you the most satisfaction.

Identify a planning template and work with it. It structures the process and it makes it easier to monitor progress.

Once you have the plan, commit to it.

Commit to self-directed learning and development. Nowadays, you need to upgrade and enhance your skills on regular basis.

Assess the business sector you are in and look for gaps. Build specific and unique skills around those gaps.

Maintain a positive attitude. 

Related Articles: 

Career Planning Tips


Career Development Planning - Free Resources!

Our Decision Making & Problem Solving Resources

Decision Making SkillsDecision making skills are an important aspect of the manager's job. Making decisions is a difficult process that consists of identifying and selecting alternatives, criteria and possible outcomes, to improve a situation.

Decision Making Steps - The five decision making steps presented here can be used in an individual or group decision making process.

Decision Making Tips - Decision making tips that will help you become a better decision maker.

Group Decision Making  - Group decision making is a process and a tool that helps to identify and bring together all the available alternatives to any context that requires solutions or changes. 

Rational Decision Making Process - The Rational Decision Making Process is a cognitive process which is made up of a logical step by step process.

Split Second Decision Making - In this kind of decision making we must focus on a small set of key factors which influence the decision rather than on a large number of factors, solutions and possible outcomes.

Problem Solving Techniques - Because problems are unavoidable, managers spend a good portion of their time seeking problem solving techniques.


                 Our Team Building Resources

Team Building Skills - Team Building Skills are essential for your effectiveness as a manager. Molding a group of people into a coherent, synergetic team requires a good understanding of the importance of team building as well as a good attitude, careful planning and consistency. 

Team Building Strategies - These successful team building strategies are designed to boost your team's morale and  support a new approach into building a high performing team willing to overdeliver.

Team Building in the Workplace - Traditionally, team building in the workplace has not been a top-priority for organizations. While the attention was focused on increasing productivity or serving clients the tendency was to neglect the most valuable asset; the human asset, employees.

Employee Empowerment - Employee Empowerment can not be achieved without building human capacity.

Free Team Building Activities - Team building activities are a great opportunity to motivate staff, stimulate "out of the box" thinking and solve problems by recognizing challenges and building on strengths.

Team Building Ideas - Many teams work better when they are able to spend some time away from work interacting with each other and letting their hair down. Here are 5 great team building ideas for your team.

Employee Motivation Program - Traditionally an employee motivation program was designed to motivate the employees to do their jobs better. Nowadays, it has become an incorporated practice that involves organizational structures, career advancement, personal development, decision making and problem solving powers. 


         Our Communication Resources

Effective Business Communication - Effective business communication is key to your effectiveness as a manager.  You cannot be successful if you cannot communicate effectively. 


Definition of Business Communication -
The definition of business communication has taken a whole new meaning in today's  environment  with technology, virtual teams, horizontal sharing etc.

Good Listening Skills -
You can have good listening skills. You can stop some of the main causes that prevent you from becoming an effective listener. All you have to do is make a few changes in your work environment and in your approach to listening. 

Effective email communication -
Effective email communication is often an overlooked business skill, when you think about the fact that over 80% of our communication is now done over email; it pays to be good at this skill.

Effective Communication in the Workplace - It does not matter if you work for a company that has nine employees or 9,000; effective communication in the workplace is an essential part of any organization.

How to Improve Communication Skills - In order to improve communication skills, you must know exactly what it is. The word communicate is rooted in the Latin word communicate, which means to make common or to share.




     Our Time Management Resources

Time Management Activities: Controlling your time seems impossible at times. There's just too much to do, too many deadlines to meet and only 24 hours in a day. Relax! Accept the fact that you have all the time available to do what you must do!
But, are you doing what you must? Are you meeting your priorities? Find out with these time management activities.

Time Management Tips :To achieve all your goals and become a successful manager, you must get your time under control. Here are some time management tips to get you started in organizing your life and increase productivity without draining all your resources.

Importance of Time Management: The first step to better managing your time is to be completely self-aware of the importance of time management and its benefits in your life.

Effective Delegation: Delegation is not a sign of weakness. It’s an opportunity to empower and discover potential, new talents and skills.

Definition of time management - In a nutshell, time management is the ability to manage time using a range of skills, tools and techniques to effectively manage tasks, projects, goals and schedules.

Time Management Tools - Better time management is made possible with the right time management tools.There is a wide range of tools to help you use your time efficiently and double your productivity without doubling effort.

Time Management Chart - A Time Management Chart is one of the most effective ways of planning your time.

Why is Time Management Important - If you have reached this page then you are probably asking yourself; Why is time management important? With the quickened pace of the modern world, teams are expected to produce quality results on a tighter schedule .

Learning Time Management Skills -  Learning time management skills is crucial not only for a successful career but for every aspect of your personal development.

Time Management Quotes - A great collection of time management quotes!

 Contact me for more career development planning support!


 Career Development Planning  > Home Page



Outstanding Leaders consider themselves a work in progress
 Dr Franklin C. Ashby 

lead and learn

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