Why focusing on personal development?

Here are just a few reasons why we should focus and start planning our development today:

  • ensures the right/necessary skills, abilities and behaviors to do our daily job
  • helps us adapt to potential changes in our role/company and better prepare for the future;
  • keeps us engaged and motivated as we meet our personal and professional growth aspirations
  • helps us remain innovative contributing to current needs of Carmeuse and its commercial objectives.

To support and facilitate your personal development, back in April we launched our Development Management Process and by now, everyone should have completed the:

1 – Employee Self-Assessment

2 – Manager reflection on employee development

3 – Development Discussion between you and your manager

Moving forward, now it's time you focus on your Development Goals.

Tips for setting development goals

Figuring out how to set and define your goals does take thought and careful commitment. Thus, consider the following step when defining your development plan:

  • Have a clear vision about your development needs and refer to the development conversation you had with your manager reviewing notes of that discussion in Oracle.
     
  • Start with your end goal in mind and create a concrete plan to reach each goal by breaking it down into smaller actions and more achievable milestones.
     
  • Express your goals in a positive way as it helps increasing your commitment and motivation.
development_goals
  • Define your development goals in a SMART way like you do it for your business goals – as a reminder, SMART stands for specific, measurable, ambitious and achievable, relevant, time based.
     
  • Choose your development actions from a wide range of options: taking a relevant training; finding a coach, mentor or networking community; shadowing another colleague or practicing more on your daily job.
     
  • Identify and set your priorities focusing on max 2-3 development goals at a time.
     
  • Write your goals down and capture them in Oracle to give them more force and make them much more real.
development_goals

Tips for achieving development goals

Setting your development goals is an important first step. However, it's also important to make sure you pursue and reach them. So, here are a few tricks to help you achieve your goals.

  • Make time and space in your calendar to act on your development goals and make it happen.
     
  • Review your development plan and check on your progress regularly as this gives you the opportunity to adjust the timeline and/or update your development goals.
     
  • Reward yourself and celebrate success when completing any step/milestone in your development journey, to help you stay motivated along the way.
     
  • Make your manager your development partner and check-in regularly with him/her to discuss and ask for feedback on your progress, achievements and potential challenges (at least twice a year around September and December).
achieving_development_goals

Would you like to know more?

  • Take the e-learning on "Developing yourself" to explore more about the tools you can use to plan your development;
     
  • Also check out these additional resources:

Via Bookboon:

Via LinkedIn Learning:

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