Who would not want to become better at what we do? Actively paying attention to developing oneself and one’s professional skills is more or less a must-have in the present-day work life. If you don’t do this, you risk being left behind in the employment market by those who do pay attention. However, it isn’t always easy to pinpoint what our development areas are. We may know we need to develop and have things and skills we feel we need to improve, but it’s hard to know where to start.
Methodically thinking things through always forces you to be more precise.
With experience, we often assume we know our development needs and skip deeper analysis. Sometimes, the most obvious things can receive the least attention. But just because they are obvious does not mean they are not important. Therefore, first, below, as a reminder, are some self-evident fundamental points to keep in mind which should be a part of your self-development process.
- For starters, developing oneself does not happen by itself. It takes a conscious effort. And a continuous effort. You cannot pass the responsibility for this to someone else. No one else is going to do the job for you. You are in charge here. You must be proactive yourself.
- Don’t develop yourself randomly or without direction. Take time to assess your current skills, career aspirations, and future goals. Then, create a clear, structured plan outlining the steps needed how to reach your goal. Be thorough, but mind you, “keep things simple”. This is not nuclear science. Clear, simple, pragmatic step-by-step goals are better than fancy declarations and statements.
- Having good self-awareness is a fundamental prerequisite for self-development. Without having a good understanding of what we are doing well in our work and where we perhaps need to improve, developing ourselves is difficult. The “why” is equally essential here. That is, what do we want to achieve? What are our purpose and goal? Without first answering the “whats and whys”, we might focus on the wrong things.
- Staying informed with what happens in the world around us and continuously learning helps us understand and navigate in a fast-changing world. However, for from a career point of view, it’s essential to focus on skills and knowledge directly related to our profession.
- We all have blind spots when it comes to our skills and potential. Superiors, colleagues, managers, subordinates and clients often notice strengths and weaknesses we may overlook. Their feedback can provide valuable insights for our growth. Pay attention to what they say. Ignoring it would be a missed opportunity.
- The yearly development discussion we have with our superior is an excellent opportunity to explore this issue in more detail. Many business leaders also regularly spar with someone outside work, a trusted advisor or, for instance, a career coach, to get an outsider’s perspective and advice on this matter. If you have never tried this, consider giving it a shot. Sparring with other people often gives new valuable ideas and helps you verify your thoughts.
- There are many ways and means to develop yourself professionally. For some, doing the work and learning by doing is enough. Others study on their own and read relevant business books. Some actively participate in in-house training and employer-organised programmes. Some also take part in training organised by external bodies and paid for by the employer. Some study on their initiative and at their own expense, for example, by taking time off work and studying for an MBA. Some do all of these things. Find out what works best for you.
- We should actively pay attention to how we can improve our present work processes, methods, ways, and use of time. There is always something we can improve and learn from this. This is also a part of our developing process and, by definition, what we are expected to do, and something our superiors pay attention to when evaluating if they should “invest in you”. They certainly see more potential in you if you are active here, compared to if you are a “laissez-faire” employee.
- Our achievements to date, our ambitions and our motivational drivers can also be useful orientation markers, giving us benchmarks against which to judge what our current job, career aspirations and future career plans might require of us in terms of professional development.
- Breaking things down into smaller details, as stated in the method below, can help a lot here.
A keep it simple Professional Growth Self-Assessment Worksheet
Why a worksheet? A worksheet makes your self-assessment structured and actionable while keeping it simple and practical.
As said earlier a good self-awareness is a prerequisite for self-development. This method is based solely on your own personal opinion. The starting point is your assessment and perception of your professional competence, knowledge and skills, which at the same time tests how well you know yourself and your work. If you wish, you can later compare the results of this assessment with other skills tests you have taken or would like to take. Take time to reflect on your skills, abilities and knowledge areas that and areas for improvement. Be honest in your assessment and use this worksheet to create a personal development plan.
Step 1. Identify and list header-level key skill areas:
- List the core skills, abilities, and knowledge areas most relevant to your job and career growth.
- Don’t worry about the order at first—you can refine it later.
- Consider all factors that influence your performance, also those that may not seem immediately relevant but could be important in the future, for instance three years down the road.
The header-level skill areas list describe potential areas for your development needs. Already making the header list makes you better aware of your possible development areas. Be open minded. Do not exclude anything you feel might be important for you in your work. Below is an example list. Mind you, these are just some examples. Everyone’s list is individual; your list can be longer or shorter and have content that is different from the example list below.
Step 2. Self-rating and reflection
When the header-level list is ready you then prioritize and focus on which areas are most relevant for you in this moment in time. Rate yourself on a scale of 1 (= Absolutely needs improvement) to 5 (= Expert) for each selected skill. Then, briefly describe why that rating and how you want to develop further in this particular area. You can create a worksheet like this in Excel, or if Excel is not your thing, you can just as easily do this with a pen, ruler and grid paper. As the text space in a worksheet is limited, focus on short clear statements. You can then later on be more specific and detailed about the subject in an attachment. An example of a more detailed description is shown below this worksheet concerning the skill area “Financial literacy”.
Header-level skill area = Financial literacy development needs in more detail.
- I want to improve my ability to read and interpret profit and loss statements, balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements.
- I want to improve my budgeting skills and how to prepare budgets and financial forecasts.
- I want to improve my ability to understand investment analysis, like evaluating ROI, payback periods, and net present value (NPV).
- I want to improve my understanding of what capital allocation means for a company.
- I want to improve my understanding of corporate taxes, VAT, and payroll taxes.
- I want to improve my understanding of the KPIs and business metrics in my business, e.g. revenue metrics, expense metrics, growth metrics, and operational metrics.
Of course, it doesn’t have to be this many points in a topic, but there is likely always something we can improve. Be precise. Say where and how. Should you have good or excellent skills in some topic, say that.
Note A: At the executive management team level, good number skills are a must-have, particularly for the CEO and CFO. How about all the other management team members? Well, the issues discussed in the management team can often be very number-centric, so at least a reasonable level of number skills is a must-have. At least I would feel uncomfortable not understanding what the others are talking about. When not understanding, the input in the discussions might be relatively poor. A point worth noticing is that with poor number skills, chances are you will never get into the executive management team in the first place.
Note B. Every job has job-specific requirements. The required mix of expertise and knowledge varies depending on the job. Compare, e.g. the CEO, CFO, CMO, CISO or CHRO. If we want to do our job well and have plans to advance in our careers, we, by definition, always have job-specific knowledge and skill development needs. Clearly state the specific skills and knowledge you need to develop in your work.
In a company, we interact with each other, and what we do impacts each other, so we also need to have some understanding of what other people in different functions do. So, if I were, e.g., a CHRO, how much would I need to understand what is happening in the sales function, in manufacturing or on the board? If I were CEO, how much do I need to understand what the CIO, CFO or CTO is doing? This is something everyone must figure out for themselves. But I can tell you that zero knowledge is the wrong answer. So, what are your development needs in this respect?
Note C. You should pay attention to developing the essential skills needed before you need them, not only after you suddenly realise you lack a crucial skill in a work-related situation. For instance: If you anticipate joining an executive management team soon, now is the time to prepare. Understanding board dynamics and decision-making is crucial in a management team. You can do this through self-study or for instance by attending board education courses focused on governance, key issues, and best practices. For a first-time CEO, knowing these things in advance is an absolute must-have.
Step 3. Feedback from others
Think about the feedback you have got from superiors, colleagues, subordinates and clients. Have you received constructive criticism that aligns with you own assessment. What strengths, weaknesses and areas of improvement have they mentioned. Don’t ignore the feed-back. Does what people say reflect your thinking. If you disagree with what they say, maybe you should check your self-assessment. We look at the world only through our eyes and have blind spots. You may for instance feel you are an excellent communicator while others think you are not. Categorically saying all feedback is wrong, is like saying that the customer who does not like buying your products is wrong. Perhaps it is the product that needs some improving, not the customer.
Step 4: Action Plan & Timeline
You now have an overview of your development needs. You have now also prioritized your development needs in Step 2 above. Now create a time-wise plan and roadmap for how to go about them, like below, a step-by-step action plan for the skill areas you have prioritized. Remember, learning and developing take time. Sometimes years. If needed, you can be more detailed about the subject in an attachment.
Step 5: Monitoring & Adjustments
Do not forget to regularly follow-up your progress to stay on course. Set a review schedule, e.g. monthly or quarterly, depending on the skill in question to evaluate how you are doing. Define success metrics to measure your improvement. Again, nothing complicated is needed. Just simple metrics to evaluate your progress and to check if you need to change something you do. For instance:
Conflict situation management success factor:
Increasing comfort at handling conflict situations. Look for positive feed-back from the parties concerned, some signs showing that you have become better in this. If you have not, ask them what you are doing wrong.
Financial literacy success factor:
Increasing comfort in discussing financial matters with superiors, colleagues and subordinates. However, this is not enough. Also test your skill level by discussing this with the CFO or an external financial expert at regular intervals as you keep developing.
Leadership and management success factor:
Ask for feedback from the team and persons concerned. Compare to your action plan. Have you become better at delegating or are you still doing tasks you should have delegated to others?
Summarising benefits
Having defined what your skill development needs are, you now know how to develop yourself to correspond to your career desires. You have a plan and a roadmap for how to do it. You also get positive spill-over effects on top of this. For instance, in the development discussions with your superior, when meeting a headhunter or in hiring interviews with a potential employer, because you are now much better prepared to discuss these topics. You will likely also have a better chance of motivating your employer to take part in your talent development and education costs. I am confident that those who take an interest in your company’s talent potential, talent management and development, people like the CEO, your superior, the CHRO, the head of talent management, etc., will notice if you are active and demonstrate self-initiative in developing yourself.