In this competitive era, having a PDP Plan (Professional Development Plan) is a must. Without it, you will not know in which you need to move to reach your goals, which will spread confusion in your mind.
So, let’s know what is it, and how to write a Professional Development Plan.
What is a PDP?
A PDP is a set of plans that you have made to achieve your professional goals. It gives a clear idea of what to do at every step. In addition, it helps you know the areas where you need to improve yourself. Thus, everything happens in a systematic way, and you can monitor and check your progress at every stage.
It will help you plan your future and manage your learning and development. Having known what a PDP is, let’s move further to know how to prepare it.
- Think about what you have already achieved or done:
Think about what you achieved so far, which will give you a clear idea of your progress in the last 12 months. Thus, you will come to know what’s going well and the areas you need to improve. Thus, you will clearly know your weak points and plus points.
- Note down your strengths and weaknesses:
Your plus points are a mixture of talents, knowledge and skills. When you clearly know your strengths, you will be able to identify activities in which you can add value.
On the other hand, when you know your weaknesses, you come to where you are lacking. For example, you should think about activities that are required to be done but you can’t do, as you don’t have the required knowledge and skills.
After that, you will be able to know clearly what you need to do to improve yourself.
- Start setting your goals:
Your goals can be short-term or long-term, big or small. To have everything clear, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I wish to progress here?
- Would another role make me happy?
- Are there any skills I need to learn?
- Are there any skills I need to improve?
It will help you know what you want, not what your manager or boss wants you to be or have. When you start setting goals, you should prioritize them, and don’t try to tackle too many at once.
- Have an action plan:
Set some concrete action after knowing your goals. Think about where you need to go then back towards where you need to start, outlining the steps you have to take. It could be from reading up on a particular topic, shadowing a workmate, going on a secondment, or enrolling in a new course to learn a new skill.
Another thing to do is to have your actions clear, measurable, and obtainable.
- Don’t forget to evaluate and update your PDP:
To make your PDP plan effective, don’t forget to update it regularly. For this, you should set a weekly reminder in your calendar so that you can form the habit of spending time reviewing your progress and updating the areas your professional development plan you have been working on.
Your PDP must be set in stone. In fact, you should always try to do something to improve and challenge yourself to grow in your professional life.
