PROF DEV NOTES L2

Characteristics of Professional Development

- Be better able to recognize opportunity
 Idea #1: Set Goals - Professional growth requires direction and guidance from leadership, and goals are an
effective way to provide the guidelines.
 Idea #2: Introduce New Projects - Another way to promote professional development for employees is to
allow them to work on projects outside of their usual role.
 Idea #3: Have a Learning Budget - The company values are to “Set Ourselves Up for Success.
 Idea #4: Encourage Experiences - A mindset to assume that professional growth only happens inside the
office.
 Idea #5: Provide Mentorship - Mentorship is a great way to encourage professional growth.
- Be more aware of the trends and directions in technology and society: The developments in digital technology of
recent years are truly dramatic and their implications far-reaching.

Mega-trend Categories:
1. People and the internet
2. Computing, communications, and storage everywhere
3. The “Internet of Things”
4. Artificial intelligence and big data
5. The sharing economy and distributed trust
6. The digitization of matter

The Professional of Future Employees:

1. Commuting - Time and means of transportation used by employees from their homes to their workstation.
2. Employment branding - Professional brand.
3. A professional offering his services autonomously to a firm. The difference between a freelance.
4. Closely related to employment branding. It is a professional management system for business
relations within the value of an organization.
5. Subcontracting or externalization of some of the services required by a third party.
6. Soft Skills. Personal attributes and traits related to communication, learning and human interaction.
7. Welcome pack - A pack comprised of useful items to start off a new activity.
8. Z (generation) - Born between 1996 and 2010, they’re the next members of the working force.

The Learning Model at Work

1. Happiness at work - The quest for happiness through self-achievement.
2. Multiple intelligences - Understanding that there are more than two kinds of intelligence.
3. Learning method - According to which a new addition to the staff receives teachings.
4. Process by which an employee’s path is re-oriented to new professional goals.
5. Teamfeeling - Book on the topic of team management, paying particular attention to planning, emotions.

Different Forms of Self-Initiated Professional Development

 Personal Research and Study - If you are in a job which is more theoretical in nature, then you might go to
book, articles, research papers, etc.
 Attending Courses - These forms of self-development programs are applicable to those who are more into a
practically oriented job.
 Apprenticeship - Apprenticeship is not only meant for those who have graduated recently and are yet to step
into the professional world.
 Peer Help - This is a very common form of a professional development program.
 Research Work - Doing some research work is also a great way to achieve professional development.

Uncommon ways to be a positive influence on yourself and others

1. Respond don’t react - Someone says something negative about you or something you value.
2. Stay neutral and objective when things go wrong - Life is indeed difficult. There are good times and bad.
3. Be honest about your emotions but own them - Being a positive force doesn’t mean you have to deny your
own negative emotions.
4. Show you are glad for others - It’s great to see people doing well.
 5. Be strong for others - When people’s lives are in the troughs rather than the peaks then, it’s time to
concentrate on their strengths, and everyone has some strength.
6. Choose to be happy - Happiness is a choice. Every piece of information you process can be interpreted in a
million ways.
7. Intend your day - When you know you have a tricky meeting, or a difficult time coming up; then it’s time to
begin intending your day.

Employability Skills for the Future Workforce

1. Creativity: One of the biggest predictions is that the future global economy will be made up mostly of
creative output.
2. Complex Problem-Solving: Another skill in list of employability skills of the future involves finding creative
solutions through problem-solving.
3. Critical Thinking: Critical thinking is the ability to identify problems, gather information, and make sense of
data to find viable solutions.
4. Virtual Collaboration: Advances in technology have allowed people across the globe to work together
through remote virtual teams.
5. Social Intelligence: One of these future skills employers want – social intelligence.
6. New Media Literacy: Gone are the days when the ability to operate the computer and use office-related
applications are the only skills needed for a successful career.
7. Lifelong Learning: Employment skills for the future require one to be a lifelong learner.
8. User Experience (UX) Mindset: Every transaction would go through pre-recorded, automated responses.
9. Design Thinking: Another one of the cutting-edge employability skills of the future is design.
10. Responsible Digital Citizenship: In a world where the boundaries between the virtual and the physical world
are blurred.

Approaches to Professional Development

 Skill Based Training - Effective skill-based training allows participants to learn conceptual information or
necessary behaviors.
o Two types of training:
 On-the-job Training: Many times, when employers and leaders hear about “on-the-job training”
 Skill-based Training: This type of training is somewhat different—it focuses on how to do
something specific a task.
 Job Assignments - Learning by doing - by working on real problem s and dilemmas.

Benefits of Professional Development

 Showcase your will to improve - By taking the initiative to plan and invest in your own training program.
 Keep your qualifications up to date - Most things we learn as adults come with a half-life, and with savvy
technologies and fresh approaches affirming the need to reskill.
 Stay on top of the latest developments in your field - The market isn’t static, and neither should your skills
be.
 Network with like-minded professionals - Courses can lead to connections.
 Optimize your CV - Enrolling in an online course during your search demonstrates to future employers.

Ways to Increase Your Chances of Reaching Your Goals

1. COMMUNICATION SKILLS (LISTENING, SPEAKING AND WRITING)
Communication skills are perhaps the first set of skills that potential employers will notice.
2. ANALYTICAL AND RESEARCH SKILLS
As much as you think a question/problem presented to you is a piece of cake, be very wary of giving a rushed
answer.
3. FLEXIBILITY/ADAPTABILITY
An ability to manage multiple assignments at the same time and being flexible enough to work under ever
changing conditions.
4. INTERPERSONAL ABILITIES
“No man is an island”. So, the saying goes.
5. ABILITY TO MAKE DECISIONS AND SOLVE PROBLEMS
Decision making and problem solving is another skill that is high in demand.
6. ABILITY TO PLAN, ORGANIZE AND PRIORITIZE WORK
 Simple as it may sound, an individual that can show that he/she has been able to plan and organize their
work is very valuable.
7. ABILITY TO WEAR MULTIPLE HATS
Theoretically, when someone is offered a job, there is a job description included in the contract.
8. LEADERSHIP/MANAGEMENT SKILLS
The ability to manage people is a very powerful skill.
9. ATTENTION TO DETAIL
Even though many may think that the bigger picture is more important than the tiny details.
10. SELF-CONFIDENCE
Being self-confident exudes an aura that can convince those you work for (or with) that you know what you
are doing.
11. PUBLIC SPEAKING
Why is it that those that are brilliant at memorizing information.
12. TACTFULNESS
Being tactful is necessary in many situations, when dealing with clients, as well as colleagues.
13. CREATIVITY
Being creative can be beneficial to any role you may have in the workplace.
14. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY
Integrity and well-founded moral values should be highly respected in the workplace.
15. STRONG WORK ETHIC
Employers always look for employees that are passionate about what they do and are very committed to
their assignments.
16. ABILITY TO ACCEPT AND LEARN FROM CRITICISM
If a person demonstrates an attitude that is appreciative of feedback, it can be deduced that he/she is willing
to learn.

Benefits of Training in Professional Development

 Cross-Training - Cross-training can be used in almost any position in almost any industry.
 Job Enlargement and Job Enrichment - It includes adding tasks that are on the same level of skill and
responsibility.
 Job Rotation and Cross Training - High potential professionals are given assignments in different functions
and in different locales.
 Coaching and Development - Capable mentors and coaches must exhibit a wide range of competencies.

Different Types of Coaching

 Business coaching
 One on One Coaching for Executives – One to one coaching is increasingly being recognized as the way for
organizations to improve Executives for developing new skills, improving performance, and preparing for
advancement.
 Personal/Life Coaching – The personal/life coach helps individuals gain awareness of and clarify their
personal goals and priorities.
 Career Coaching – The career coach helps individuals identify what they want and need from their career.
 Group Coaching – Group coaches work with individuals in groups.
 Performance Coaching – Performance coaches help employees at all levels better understand the
requirements of their jobs.
 Newly Assigned Leader Coaching – Coaches of individuals assigned or hired into new leadership roles help
these leaders to “onboard.”
 Relationship Coaching – The relationship coach helps two or more people to form, change, or improve their
interactions.
 High-Potential or Developmental Coaching –The coach works with organizations to develop the potential of
individuals who have been identified as key to the organization’s future or are part of the organization’s
succession plan.
 Coaching to Provide Feedback Debriefing and Development Planning – Organizations that use assessment or
360 feedback processes often utilize coaches to help employees interpret the results of their assessments
and feedback.
  Targeted Behavioral Coaching – Coaches who provide targeted behavioral coaching help individuals to
change specific behaviors or habits or learn new, more effective ways to work and interact with others.
 Legacy Coaching – The legacy coach helps leaders who are retiring from a key role to decide on the legacy
they would like to leave behind.
 Succession Coaching – The succession coach helps assess potential candidates for senior management
positions and prepares them for promotion to more senior roles.
 Presentation/Communication Skills Coaching –This type of coaching helps individuals gain self-awareness
about how they are perceived by others and why they are perceived in that way.
 Team Coaching – One or more team coaches work with the leader and members of a team to establish their
team mission, vision, strategy, and rules of engagement with one another.

Characteristics in doing a better job

1. Be adaptable to change - Nothing is going to stay the same during the course of your work.
2. Build–and consistently sustain–your network - Have you ever heard the saying that your income is the
average income of the five people who you hang out the most?
3. Think differently - Don’t be afraid to be a thought leader.
4. Prioritize and get the most important things done - You can easily be overwhelmed by your workload if you
constantly face concerns and if you let these concerns easily pile up.
5. Always keep updated with the current events in your industry - Innovation is one of the factors that can help
your company (and therefore your position in your company) thrive in your industry.