Personal development plan

© Copyright 1998-2012 Sukh Sandhu | Personal Development Plan 1

This document is intended to explain the concept of Personal Development Planning and Personal

Development Plans (PDPs).

PDP - Personal Development Planning and Personal Development Plan

PDP is defined as 'a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect

upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal,

educational and career development'.

PDP embraces a range of approaches to learning that connect planning (an individual's

goals and intentions for learning or achievement), doing (aligning actions to intentions),

recording (thoughts, ideas, experiences, in order to understand and evidence the process

and results of learning) and reflection (reviewing and evaluating experiences and the results

of learning).

The tables below will help you to go through three steps to arrive at such a plan:

Step 1 - The requirements of your current and/or future role

Step 2 - Identify your strengths and development areas

Step 3 - Build up a SMART action plan to bring about change and development

Step 1 - The requirements of my role

Start by thinking about your role and the elements of your job that require you to work. Depending

on your situation, you may wish to concentrate on your current role or perhaps on a future

anticipated role.

For example:

- What are the key relationships that will be important for success in this role?

- What will be the key tasks that you will be performing?

- What additional knowledge and understanding will you need?

- With whom, and how will you mostly be communicating?

- How clearly will your goals be defined?

- What personal pressures will this role impose on you?

In the light of your answers to these questions complete the table below:


To fulfil the requirements of my role I need to:

Step 2: Identify your strengths and development areas

Area of Strength Ways to use it more extensively


Address the issues as discussed by your supervisor or trainer in class:

Issues/ Area of Development Ways to address the Issues/ Areas


Step 3: Build up a SMART action plan to bring about change and development

Working with the areas you have selected in Step 2, identify the specific actions you are going to

take to bring about change and development for yourself. The plan you make should be a SMART

plan, i.e.

Specific ………………. not ‘wish lists’ or vague statements

Measurable ………… how do you know you are doing it & is it effective

Affordable ………….. do you have the’ resources’ to do it

Realistic …………….. is it feasible, can you deliver this

Timely ……………….. when is it going to be done exactly

Specific Is your goal well-defined? Avoid setting unclear or vague objectives; instead be as precise as possible. Instead of: To do well in my exams Make it specific: To increase study time to 30hrs per week and attend all scheduled revision sessions or instead of: “I will use my diary better” make it for specific: “Every Friday afternoon I will plan my diary for the next week to maximise the use of my time.”

Measurable Be clear how will you know when you have achieved your goal. Using numbers, dates and times is one way to represent clear objectives. Instead of: To get better grades

Make it measurable: achieve a 1 grade improvement in next 2 assignments.

Instead of “I will ask my colleagues for feedback” make it measurable: “I will diarise

feedback sessions every month, arrange for a colleague to check every 3 months

that these are working, and review results every 6 months.”

Attainable Setting yourself impossible goals will only end in disappointment. Make your goals challenging, but realistic.

Instead of : Catch up on this year's backlog of reading during holiday period

Make it attainable: Allocate 4 hours a week in holidays to do academic reading.

Relevant Try and step back and get an overview of all the different areas of your life: Academic, Personal and Career. Consider how relevant each objective is to the overall picture.


Time-bound Set a time scale for completion of each goal. Even if you have to review this as you progress, it will help to keep you motivated.

Instead of: Find out about work abroad for holiday

Make it time-bound: By end of Easter holidays compile CV and identify 4 possible

holiday opportunities using resources at the careers centre or on the web.

Use test questions – for example:

will the actions help you improve

are you addressing the correct areas & are you asking for the right level of improvement

will your measures help you to check progress against your plan

have you thought of any help or support you may need to deliver

Now use the table on the following page to finalise an action plan in three areas.


Personal Development Plan

Development Objective Specific actions Blockers and how they will be removed

Support required How I will know when I have achieved the objective

Personal development plan

Education

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