It is not too late to make a New Year’s resolution. One that might be very worthwhile is to create a personal development plan. In your father’s time companies planned for the development of their staff. Not so much anymore, especially with what the global pandemic has done to business. Most companies have their hands full figuring out how to navigate their corporate strategy, leaving employees to take charge of their careers.

A personal development plan will help you to set a direction and move with determination toward your goal. The process is straightforward but works best if you write it down for yourself. Here are the steps:

Establish a clear and measurable goal and know why it is important for you. Establish a target date. Even if you must change that date, having a timeline keeps you focused. Determine milestones to help you know if you are on target or not.
Now it is time to test out the willingness of your boss and the company HR to support your new goal. A supportive boss may give you some flexibility in your work schedule or perhaps even actively coach you. HR might approve attendance at an in-house training or external workshop.

Whether either of those things happen or not, do not stop there. Here are some of the other resources at your disposal.

Research business books on your topic which have gotten good reviews and read them.
Search ted.com and thersa.org for short video presentations that are relevant.
Do an Internet search for your topic and read relevant ideas on websites, blogs, and published papers.
Ask people in your company or at other companies whom you may know that have skills related to your area of interest if you can take them to lunch and have a chat about the area of interest (post-Corona). In the meanwhile invite them to a Zoom session. You may be surprised at how willing they are to talk with someone from their lonely locked-down existence.
Look for open-enrollment seminars related to your field of interest that you might attend. These might be through training companies, colleges or universities or professional associations.
After lockdowns are over, look for association-hosted congresses and trade shows where you can not only learn about the field of interest but make contact with other professionals who could be helpful, even as mentors.
Find an external coach who can guide and advise you toward your goal. I do this type of work quite frequently and find it mutually rewarding to support someone who has a plan for self-development.

Finally, you will need to consider who else needs to be informed and what resources you will need to achieve your goal. Letting people know, including in your private sphere, means more supporters who will be there cheering for you.

Do not wait for your employer to invite you to learn something new. Manage yourself and grow into new opportunities.

Herb