Personal Development Plan

Personal Development is defined as “The process of improving oneself through such activities as enhancing employment skills, increasing consciousness and building wealth.” (Business Dictionary, 2013)
Formal Education-

Education is the key that opens the doors to for success. I would like to one day open my own consulting firm, but before I can even take that step. I needed to learn how to go about teaching and training myself before I can teach and train others.
I would like to teach on the adult level. Although teaching high school is somewhat ok, you had some who wanted to learn and some who did not, but they had to be there. Teaching adults who want to learn in order to better their lives through education is much more rewarding.
It took me twenty years from the time I first attended college to graduate with an Associate’s Degree. I had my first child after my third quarter at Williamsburg Technical College. I vowed to myself that I would return in the fall. With getting married, all the military moves, two more children, a husband who wanted to go to college himself; my fall of 1985 became fall 2001.
I did not think that I could learn the new ways of math, after being out of the loop so long and letting the modern world of technology like calculators and cash registers do that part of thinking for us. I had to realize that in order for me to teach I have to be teachable.
There were obstacles along the way; work and after school activities for the children that slowed me down. I did get through it though. I may not have been a straight A student, but my B’s and C’s came with much pride in knowing that I did my best and I did not give up. Now that I have gone beyond my initial thought of education by receiving my Master’s Degree in Instructional Design and Technology, lets me know that when putting my mind to it I can achieve the goals set before me. Will I continue to my Doctorates Degree? Well, that is still stirring in the pot on the back burner.

Assessment

Assessments will help you to understand more about yourself, your abilities, character and interests.
An assessment will not tell you what to do, but can help you in your decision making. This can be measured with your personal ideas, skills and goals.
Looking back in life, I am required by self to assess three things.

1. Where I was- In my twenties I was unsure of what I really wanted to do with self. I was a young wife
and mother. Focus of self-sat on the back burner practically unreachable as the days turned into months into
years. At thirty-five I returned to college. Obtained my AA Degree at thirty-eight and my BS at forty-two.
Started writing three books.

2. Where I am- In my forties- Husband retired from the military, children are older. One graduated from college,
one in college, one a sophomore in high school waiting to see if she gets accepted to Governors School of the
Arts, and a three year old granddaughter. Thus far I have them on the right track. As for me personally, at
forty-six I have obtained my Master’s Degree, one certificate and finishing another certificate. Both
certificates will accompany the Master’s Degree. I am still working on the three books.

3. Where am I going- I would like to either open my own consulting/training firm or teach adults how to be able to
learn a new skill that will take them from where they currently are to where they would like to be. I would
like to serve as a mentor in order to help and inspire someone else so that they will understand that their
goals are obtainable even though obstacles may slow you down.

Job Experiences

For about eighteen years, I worked as a Cashier or Sales Associates at various places before working as an Administrative Specialist at other various places. My favorite places that I have worked were in Atlantic City. At Tropicana Hotel and Casino, I was a Change Attendant and at Atlantis Hotel and Casino, I was a Slot Attendant. I like meeting people and at those two jobs, I met and observed people from all walks of life, cultures, backgrounds and ethnicity. It seemed to me that everyone was after the same goal, a better quality of life for their families and themselves. With education and training, many can still achieve those same goals.

As a cashier, I often wondered how the right motivation and incentives would make us, the employees, want and enjoy our jobs more. I would like to teach companies and individuals how to be motivated within their jobs and their lives. From the frontline employees, start a domino effect with making or breaking a company. The customers are ultimately the ending results for any company.

As a substitute teacher for eight years, I was able to help shape the minds of many students, some who thought that they could not go to college whether it was because of money or thought that their grades would stop them. I would tell them that “my family had not the funds for me to go nor did I have the perfect grades of a 3.0 to get into a university, but I found out that there were funds waiting for me to utilize and there are a lot more resources for you to look for and to obtain.”
As an administrative specialist, I learned to upgrade my office skills. These were necessary skills that will help me to further self in the future.

Interpersonal Relationships

Interpersonal relationships are social associations, connections, or affiliations between two or more people. (Science Daily, 2012)
One thinks that we learn about interpersonal relationships at a young age when we interacted with other people. Each day we interacted with more people we learned to improve on the types of relationships with other people whether it is with family, friends, neighbors, teachers, bosses and co-workers. We learned which way to interact with each groups of people. We learned how to dress for success not only with our clothing but our personality.

Interacting with others is something I can do. Somehow I learned like so many others to adapt to my surroundings and the company I am with. I also like learning about other people and doing this by observing and interacting with others. I think we learn about ourselves through these relationships. In the workplace we learn to play with others who have different values and work ethics, to be patient, responsible and respectful, a team player and career building. Although most of these things we learned going through life, but one thinks that we become more aware of these traits in our different relationships as we get older and the interactions takes us in different groups. Through these relationships we learn to grow within ourselves and learn to be more productive in the things we do.

Noe states that “An effective development strategy involves individualization, learner control and support.” (Noe, p. 381) One would think that by companies looking into the personal development of their employees, they may be able to match them to the employee’s professional development. Finding the strengths and weakness of both the personal and professional developments of the employee and applying this to a particular section of the company may enhance productivity as well as long term commitment between employer and employee.


Business Dictionary
http://www.businesdictionary.com/definition/personal-development.html

Science Daily 2012
http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/i/interpersonal_relationship.htm


Noe, R., (2010). Employee training and development. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.