1. Creating Your
Professional
Development Plan: 3
Surprising Truths

2. As a Marketing Strategist, one of my main roles is to help my clients develop the
professional skills and abilities required to achieve their goals. It’s a process that
takes time and planning, but I love helping people figure out what needs to be
done, how to get started and how to stay on track
Unfortunately, few people really know what it takes to create and implement a
solid professional development plan. Truth be told, there are quite a few
misconceptions around the topic. So I’d like to share three essential—and
somewhat surprising—truths about the process to help you.

3. 1. It’s Up To YOU
• Your professional development is not the responsibility of anyone but you.
Not your company, not your boss, not even your coach. Just you.
• Some companies try to help with the process by helping employees create
professional development plans (PDP) as part of the performance review
process. While it’s a nice gesture, it simply isn’t very useful for the vast
majority of employees.
• In my experience, I’ve found that a PDP created at the behest of an
employer is often an exercise for management, not the employee. In fact,
if the employee will later be judged on that criteria, he or she actually
feels encouraged to aim low so as not to be set up for future failure. For
those who happen to have bigger goals that don’t involve working for the
company, the PDP is pretty meaningless. The employee ends up playing a
game, telling the manager what he wants to hear and not using the plan
to facilitate real, desired professional growth.
• Even if your company helps you develop a plan, it’s always a smart idea to
create one of your own in private. This will help you identify and take
action on growing the skills needed to achieve your true long-term career
goals, whether or not they involve your current company.

4. 2. It’s Never “Final”
• A PDP is not written in stone. It can—and should—be revised on
regular basis. Goals shift, people change, circumstances present
new challenges and opportunities. As a growing professional, you
have to remain nimble.
• One of the things I like to tell people is that the further out you go
in goal setting and planning, the more it becomes just a guess. You
can’t predict the future, and there are all kinds of outside influences
that will shape your reality. A downturn in the economy, a new
technology, a sick family member…all of these things can impact
your goals and your ability to follow through on a planned course of
action.
• The important thing is to simply start the process. Once you have a
plan, it can be revised. Regular review is an essential component of
any PDP so, as things change, you can make adjustments. Even
better—as you see change on the horizon, you can proactively plan
for it.

5. 3. It’s Never Done
• A professional development plan is never
complete. If you want to continue moving
forward in your career, you must continue
growing your skills. Learning is a lifelong
process, and your PDP is a career-long tool. As
long as you’re a professional, your PDP will be
a big component of your Career Success
Toolkit.

6. Contact Me
• Emmanuel Leslie Addae
Skype ID: leslieman2001
Tel: +233262979845