Your End-of-Year Development Plan - Part One

Notes From Randi’s Desk

September feels like a reset. It is a fresh start, as well as the home stretch towards the end of the year

Now’s the time I like to review the goals I made back in January to prepare myself for a fourth-quarter push. Much like you have for your business, or the business you work for,  you should have a yearly plan for yourself. 

If you haven’t made a personal development plan in the past, think of yourself as a business and create quarterly goals, outlining what you’d like to achieve.

It’s the time of year when many of us are already planning for 2023. We are thinking ahead to next year's first quarter.  But, blowing the dust off your development plan from this year can inject some energy into many aspects of the fourth quarter. 

Start by taking a look at the plan you crafted at the beginning of the year. I want to note, that it’s okay if you never made one. There is still time! It’s also okay if you haven’t looked at it since it was first developed. 

While you review, answer these questions honestly: 

1. Have you implemented the plan?
➡️ If your answer is yes, do a gut check to see if the results are actually what you want. 

➡️If your answer is no, look at what got in the way. Figure out how to get around the obstacles moving forward. Don’t stop, take what you’ve learned as valuable information and move forward.

2. Do these goals still motivate me?
This question is especially important if you haven’t yet begun to implement your development plan. Perhaps you haven’t been motivated to start because the goals you set no longer align with your values. Be willing to acknowledge this and discover if there is a new goal that lights you up. It’s always okay to start over.

If your goals do still feel right, you have a great foundation from which to build. 

3. What do I need to do to achieve my goals?
Imagine yourself a year from now, having achieved your goal. What does Year-From-Now-You need from Current-You in order to be there? 

Be as specific as you can. Create your development plan like you would your business plan. What are the imperatives to achieve your goal? 

Each of these imperatives has to have action behind it. Break down each imperative into a step-by-step action plan. 

Let’s say your goal is a promotion and in order to achieve that, you need to get a certification. Your action plan steps may include:

1. Research the different certification programs.

2. Find one that fits best.

3. Figure out whether or not your company will pay for it.

4. Enroll in the program.

5. Block off time in your calendar to attend the program.

Include timelines to hold yourself accountable. 

4. What support do you need? 

Goals are so much easier to achieve when you have support. Figure out what that looks like for you. 

Support could look like having a conversation with your boss to tell them about your goals and plans. It could be in the form of self-help and development books. You may also benefit from working with a coach. 

Again ask, what does a Year-From-Now-You, need from Current-You to get to where they are? Specifically, what support does Year-From-Now-You need in place?

Here is an example of how revisiting your development plan is helpful:

My client, let’s call her Mary, works for a big tech company. They have a well-specified, laid-out process for how promotions work. Mary does a great job - she gets good bonuses and excellent feedback - but hasn’t yet achieved the promotion she wants. 

She has the support she needs. Leadership is on board with her goals and of course, I support her as her coach. I encouraged her to ask the quintessential question: What does promoted Mary need from Mary today to get to her promotion? 

She came to realize what she most needs is to step into the role she seeks, even before she gets the promotion. She needs to see herself in the role so that others can see her that way too. It has made a difference. Mary is well on her way to achieving her goal and feels more confident in the journey towards it.

Take a look at your development plan this month and use this blog as a guide. Feel free to send me any questions that come up and I’ll answer them in Part Two.