What is personal development profiling? It is simply a personal development plan. A variation of this is often seen in businesses, called the professional development plan, where an employee is encouraged to set forth a professional plan to develop themselves within their career and to create milestones for career development.
The plan will entail where an individual currently is and where they would like to go. They will then identify the information gap – that gap between the current state and the future state. As series of long-term and short-term goals are created to design a road to the end state. Not only does it keep you aligned where you want to be, but it also keeps you accountable for where you want to be. It is a guide to accomplish anything.
The personal development plan or profile is a bit different from a professional development plan as it can encompass any aspect of an individual’s life. It is a dedicated pursuit of self-improvement.
Brian Tracy lists seven main categories for personal development:
- Personal skills
- Personal growth
- Personal power
- Personal improvement
- Personal empowerment
- Personal objectives
- Personal analysis
Although these main categories identified by Brian Tracy are significant, the focus here is on the role of personal development profiling within learning.
Within the realm of education, it is essential to understand the purpose of learning. What is the end goal? Is it to reach a destination like a new career? Is it to gain more knowledge? Is it to develop oneself?
Throughout life, a variety of plans may be used. A longer-term plan may be to understand oneself as a learner. Another plan may be to gain a doctorate degree. Or maybe the plan is change one’s career path.
Of course, shorter development plans may be needed. Is there a particular topic of interest? In this case, a shorter-termed plan focusing on this one topic may be needed or required. For instance, an in-depth study for deeper understanding of Kolb’s learning style would fall in this category.
How to Create a Personal Development Profile:
- First, pay attention to what you want. What is the end goal? What would you like to know or achieve?
- Next, look at where you are now. What do you already know?
- Thirdly, identify how you are going to achieve these goals?
- Lastly, how will you know you have achieved the goals?
Be sure to also take the time to add in a piece of reflection. Pause periodically during the journey to evaluate where you are in your progress and be sure to also pause at the end, after you have achieved your goal, to evaluate what went well and where improvements could be made.
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