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By Vincent Malunga | 15 April 2022
The adage goes – learning is a life long journey; it never stops. This needs to be every employee’s mantra. A new position is not just an opportunity to make money now; it is another stepping stone to a higher rung on the ladder. To keep growing and rising, one has to deploy upskilling as a deliberate strategy.
The question is: How does one do that? The first step is to identify a set of skills or competencies you still need to acquire for your current role and another set for what you consider to be the next appropriate role after the current one.
Second, start looking for opportunities while still in your current role to develop such skills. This may include taking on more responsibility without necessarily being compensated for it or seeking out opportunities to act in various capacities or deputizing others.
Third, make sure that you include these overtly in your personal development plan, discuss them with your supervisor and secure his/her support to assist you develop accordingly.
Fourth, do set timeframes for developing these competencies and review periodically if you are on track. You have to take full ownership and responsibility for achieving these.
Fifth, if you run across obstacles in your quest for development, then enlist your supervisor's and HR’s intervention to ensure that your path remains rock free.
Sixth, identify and pick a suitable mentor aligned with the vision of your future development. Mentors can assist with identifying other opportunities for development over and above what is available in your current role and they do not need to necessarily be from your current organization. They are also very good being sounding boards for your development ideas. They can review and point you in the right direction for what you need, based on practical experience. They are indispensable for accessing the right kind of networks you need to be part of.
Seventh, you can enroll in formal academic or practical training programmes that either you or your employer fund and/or provide time for. These not only provide you with the opportunity to develop the skills or competencies you need but also provide official proof of such competencies upon completion.
True professional development is hardly ever accidental; it is in fact a function of deliberate personal strategic planning and actioning, on a path towards an end goal that every serious professional considers.
It is thus well worth spending some quality time on. Happy planning for your personal development! Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive articles on various career-related topics.
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This article is also published in the GFI Newsletter on LinkedIn
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