Developed by Authenticity Consulting, LLC
Personal Development
The focus of the Library is on resources for personal, professional and organizational development. At the core of these is personal development. Without personal development, it's difficult to sustain professional and organizational development.
Sections in This Topic Include
Are You Learning Everyday?
Learn, Grow, Lead: Stand Out In the Crowd
Various Perspectives About Personal Development
Customize a Personal Training Plan
Also see
Related Library Topics
Also See the Library's Blogs Related to Personal Development
In addition to the articles on this current page, also see the following blogs that have posts related to Personal Development. Scan down the blog's page to see various posts. Also see the section "Recent Blog Posts" in the sidebar of the blog or click on "next" near the bottom of a post in the blog. The blog also links to numerous free related resources.
Library's
Career Management Blog
Library's
Coaching Blog
Are You Learning Everyday?
© Copyright Marcia Zidle
Jack Nichlaus was asked if there are really talented golfers who never make it. “Oh, hundreds of them”, he replied. “A lot of people out there are more talented than I am and yet, through the years, I’ve passed them by. That’s because I never was satisfied with my game. I was learning new shots every single day.”
It’s up to you to make sure you are continually improving, growing, and learning every day. It’s up to you to make sure you never go out of style! It’s up to you to take charge of your professional development. Here's how.
1. Have a learning perspective.
Be on the lookout for teachable moments. Approach each learning experience, whether you want to be there or not, with the questions: What can I learn? What one or two things can I take away that I can use immediately? Who else would find value in this learning?
2. Benchmark your skills periodically.
Do it at least once a year. For those in a fast moving profession or industry every three months may be required. In other words, what’s in your work portfolio? Is it filled with skills or competencies that are up-to-date and sought after? Or, is it filled with skills which are obsolete and not very portable?
3. Create a learning plan.
Pinpoint specific skills and knowledge that you need to acquire or up-grade. Then identify the professional development activities that are available to you. They can include mentor relationships, special assignments at work, in-house and public seminars, professional conferences, on-line courses, university education, books, journals, blogs, etc.
Are you learning every day?
I hope so. If not, you may find yourself a professional dinosaur...out of touch, out of skills and out of work. Just as a company invests in its own research and development, you need to invest in your own career growth and development. Remember, as you never outgrow your need for milk, you never outgrow your need for professional development.
Learn, Grow, Lead: Stand Out In the Crowd
© Copyright Marcia Zidle
Is Experience the Best Teacher?
Yes, says The Center for Creative Leadership. Their research found that a variety of challenging assignments contribute greatly to the building and seasoning of new and emerging leaders.
However, not all challenges are equal. The ones that will enhance leadership skills are those that:
Require working with new people or high variety or time pressures.
Call for influencing people with no or limited direct authority or control.
Involve building a team, starting something from scratch or solving a problem.
Demand a “take charge” attitude, quick learning, coping with uncertain
situations.
Choose Your Challenges Wisely
It’s not necessary to change one’s job to build leadership capabilities. Rather be on the lookout for or request these kinds of assignments, projects or tasks. They are developmental. In other words, they will help you learn, grow and lead more effectively.
- Be part of a task force on a pressing business problem
- Handle a negotiation with a customer
- Present proposal report to top management
- Work short periods in other units or departments
- Plan an off site, meeting or conference
- Serve on a new project / product review committee
- Manage the visit of a VIP
- Go off-site to troubleshoot problems
- Take a board position at a community organization
- Be part of the company’s trade show booth team
- Redesign a work process with another function
- Resolve conflict among warring subordinates
- Take over a troubled project and get it back on track
- Manage projects requiring coordination across the organization
- Supervise assigned office space in a new building
- Spend a day with customers and write report
- Do postmortem on a failed project
- Evaluate the impact of training
- Write a proposal for a new system, product, etc.
- Interview outsiders on their view of the organization
Pick one or two of the above professional development assignments that would help you develop your leadership capabilities now.
Career Success Tip
You learn on the job every day. But are you learning what you really need to learn to develop your leadership and advance your career? It’s up to you to make sure you’re continually improving, growing and learning. It’s up to you to take charge of your professional development.
Various Perspectives
Recommended Articles
Self Development
Tips
Brain Based Learning Insights Change Everything About Learning
Personal Development - A Guide to Self Improvement
Driving Higher Levels of Performance on the Corporate Racetrack:
Finish First
Additional Articles
Personal Development
Articles
A
model for continuing professional development
Identifying
Your Values and Morals
Complete, Online Self-Help
Book
ASTD
Leadership Knowledge
Base: Information to Improve Your Leadership Skills.
CareerLab: 700-page career,
outplacement, HR megasite
Getting
Fired: An Opportunity for Change and Growth
Good Personal Growth Quotes
Your Personal Vision Statement: The Beginning of Your Future
Ask: One of the Most Powerful Words in Business Language
Take Time For Your Business Education
The New Global Marketplace Requires the Versatility of a Swiss
Army Knife
Driving Higher Performance
Coaching
Tool -- The Power of Vision
Personal
Reading Improvement
Why Johnny Can’t Do the Four Cs
A Look at the Education vs Experience Debate
Twelve Lessons I Learned (or Re-Learned) This Year Part I
Twelve Lessons I Learned (or Re-Learned) This Year Part II
Twelve Lessons I Learned (or Re-Learned) This Year Part III
Final- The Twelve Lessons I Learned (Or Re-learned) in 2011
The Worst and Best Degrees: A Bunch of Bunk!
What does make-up have to do with HR?
Personal Development Plan - A Guide to Self Improvement
Also see
Self-Assessments (numerous
self-assessments)
Goals - Setting Personal
Goals
Changing Your Behavior
Basic Requirements
of Learners in Training and Development
Learning Style Inventory
Mindpower
Personal Productivity
Personal Wellness
Reading Skills
Student Skills,
includes:
- - - Reading Skills
- - - Tips
for Studying More Effectively
- - - Tips to
Do Better On Tests
For the Category of Personal Development:
To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may
want to review some related topics, available from the link below.
Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.
Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been
selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.
Related Library Topics
Recommended Books
General Information
-
Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision in Business
- by Carter McNamara, published by Authenticity Consulting, LLC.
Includes step-by-step guidelines, tips and tools to effectively lead:
1. Yourself
2. Other individuals in the business
3. Groups and teams in the business
4. Business organizations
5. As well as all functions within the business organization.
Many of the Library's materials about business, leadership and management are adapted from this book. Just click on the title of the book above to see the Index and Table of Contents.
-
Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision With Nonprofit Staff
- by Carter McNamara, published by Authenticity Consulting, LLC.
Includes step-by-step guidelines, tips and tools customized for personnel in nonprofits to effectively lead:
1. Yourself
2. Other individuals in the nonprofit
3. Groups and teams in the nonprofit
4. Nonprofit organizations
5. As well as all functions within the nonprofit organization.
Many of the Library's materials about nonprofit leadership and management are adapted from this book. Just click on the title of the book above to see the Index and Table of Contents.
The following books are recommended because of their highly practical nature and often because they include a wide range of information about this Library topic. To get more information about each book, just click on the image of the book. Also, a "bubble" of information might be displayed. You can click on the title of the book in that bubble to get more information, too.
