It is Fit as a Fiddle Friday and I trust you are making time to climb some rock walls or do something to stay fit, right? I'm going a bit off script with this post and sharing some thoughts around Individual Development Plans or IDPs. That is the term we use at Autodesk when discussing professional development.
We are all responsible for our own professional development and required to have a written plan in place and regularly review with our manager. It is a simple process that seems to work well.
The company promotes a set of core-competencies and provides guidance on how to develop those competencies. You can use those as a guide, by selecting one or two competencies to work on. Or, you can do your own thing, as long as it is tied to professional development. In other words, something that helps you grow and perform better at work. It is an ever evolving process, not a static plan.
My current professional development is around trying to utilize social media to stay relevant in front of my clients. I am taking a series of writing classes (or workshops) offered through Write by Night. My personal coach is Nick Courtright and I have my second session with Nick this morning. One of the keys to staying relevant, at least for me, is to have some original content. I am about to publish a five part series on LinkedIn titled, 'The Gift of a CC Sabbatical'. I might trial-balloon each piece on Nuggets first and let my Nuggets readers give me some feedback.
Stay fit and keep learning,
Dad
