Your Professional Growth Checklist

(By Don Hunter)

Now that 2006 is just about over, you should be assessing this year in terms of your career goals and objectives, primarily which ones you achieved and which ones you did not. And at the same time, you should use the information derived from that assessment to help you plan for 2007. One of the areas addressed in that plan should be your career development objectives. Below is a quick checklist of the areas in which you should be focusing in order to maximize your plan and derive the most benefits from it.

( ) Training opportunities offered by your company

Does your company offer ways that you can increase your knowledge or your skill set? Have they offered to send you to training classes? And more importantly, have you accepted such an invitation or inquired about the different programs they might have?

( ) Mentoring relationships

What kind of relationships do you have with your co-workers or people from whom you could derive knowledge and information? In any dynamic working environment, it's natural for people to gravitate toward those who have more experience in an effort to better themselves and advance their careers. (Check future issues of The ASM for articles about mentoring relationships.)

( ) Training opportunities outside of your company

Have you selected instructional books, tapes, or CDs that you want to read or listen to in the coming year? They could be specific to your industry, or they could deal with just about any aspect of your personal and professional development.

( ) Conferences and conventions

Do you attend a conference or convention every year? There's a chance that your company may agree to send you to one, but even if they don't, you should consider attending on your own. It's an investment that could pay considerable dividends down the road. (Remember, the most important commodity in which you can invest is yourself.)

( ) Your network of contacts and resources

Attending conferences is a great way to increase your network of contacts in the industry and in the marketplace. Do you currently have a networking plan for 2007? Networking, both formally and informally, can accelerate the pace of your career.

So if you haven't begun to plot your career development plans for 2007, there's still time to do so. However, you don't have to labor for hours in order to devise a detailed list of objectives. Use the quick checklist above to help create a rough outline of the things you want to accomplish and how you'd like to accomplish them. The key is to incorporate some flexibility into the plan, because you never know what's going to happen that might alter the plan, even if only slightly.

If you have any questions about this topic, please send me an email at brg@charterinternet.com. And if you're currently engaged in a job search or are interested in advancing the scope of your career, be sure to send me your resume. I'd be happy to discuss your career goals and ambitions, including ways in which I can help you to achieve them. Keep in mind that any exchange of information, including resumes, will be kept in total confidence and handled in a discreet fashion.

Seven Objectives for Staff Development in 2007

(By Dan Simmons)

Now that the end of 2006 is upon us, I'm planning for next year, and I'm sure that you're engaged in similar activities. We both know that the key to your success in the coming year will boil down to the strength of your team. But how do you know if you're on the right track and planning in the correct fashion? Here's a quick checklist to help ensure success in 2007.

( ) Retain Key Employees

Have you implemented systems, incentives, career development plans, career paths, evaluations, and clear direction that will keep your key people with you for another year? Have you created a work environment/schedule that helps them to keep their life and work in balance?

( ) Recruit Top Performers

Create a list of five to 10 people or target companies that you would like to recruit or recruit from next year. Give these names to your recruiter (call me if you need one) or your HR department. Set a goal for interviewing one person each month to build your team. You should be able to hire one top candidate from this list. Consider how much easier your life would be with another top performer on your staff.

( ) Build Your Employment Brand

Make certain that you and your people can articulate your company's goals, vision, mission, and culture quickly and honestly. Use this information in all of your employment advertising, on your company's website, and during your interviews.

( ) Raise the Bar

Determine how you're going to help the least effective person on your team find another position in your company (or outside of it) so that they can enjoy a more rewarding career and so you can replace them with someone better.

( ) Train and Develop

Create a list of ways that you're going to increase the skills (and therefore) the productivity of your team through training in the coming year.

( ) Incentive Pay

Review the current compensation plan and make certain that it encourages the members of your team to reach their highest productivity levels.

( ) Your Own Personal Development in Recruiting and Retention

As more and more Baby Boomers retire and the schools continue to turn out fewer and fewer top prospects, it will become evermore important for you to develop your people management skills and to have the right mentoring attitude. If you'd like to do some recommended reading on these topics, drop me a line. I'll recommend a good book and also a great report on the status of the employment marketplace for 2007. Contact me at dan@consearch.com.

I wish you a happy holiday season and a prosperous 2007. Thanks for reading our newsletter this year. We've got some great changes in store for next year.