Businesses don’t grow by maintaining the status quo. Since an organization is only as strong as its people, it follows that business growth is directly related to employee growth.
Professional development is best done in a structured way so individual growth can align with overall organizational growth.
Over the years, the LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report has offered incredible insights into what it takes to cultivate and maintain a positive, fulfilling workplace culture.
One of the most consistent takeaways from these reports is that employees who believe their organization is investing in their future are willing to invest back.
In our 2022 survey, “opportunities to learn and grow” ranked as the No. 1 driver of a great work culture. Past surveys have found that 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their careers.
“A strong career development plan will position you to move further and faster, expanding your definition of success, and empowering you to achieve it on your terms.”
Offering professional development through upskilling and reskilling existing employees can save your organization time and money in the long run.
Formalizing your professional development strategy ensures that the skill development offered aligns with the organization's goals and the needs of your teams and individuals.
From a functional perspective, having a templated professional development plan allows you to outline goals, create strategies, and track progress. It also creates a centralized database of training opportunities that can be used to upskill other members of your workforce.
Statement of personal and professional goals
Skills and abilities list
Progress updates and remapping goals
Investing in both the personal and professional development of your workforce will ensure they feel valued and supported in their growth. Further, any professional development plan should support the growth of both the individual and the organization.
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The first conversation you should have with your employee when mapping out their professional development plan is a listening session where you ask questions designed to draw out what they wish to pursue. This includes both their development in their current role as well as skills they wish to develop that will help them grow into larger roles.
In her course, Defining and Achieving Professional Goals, business professor and best-selling author Dorie Clark cautions against going overboard with a long list of goals. “I'll argue that we shouldn't take on more than two professional goals at once. That's because if we truly focus and move a needle on two big things, you can see progress and results in a relatively short period of time. That creates a virtuous circle of encouragement that enables us to gain momentum and keep going.”