Level Up: Strategies for Continuous Self-Development

I am sure you have heard the phrase- You own your development. I have a secret I want to share - I loathe that ideology and every time I hear it is like nails on a chalkboard. In my opinion, this has given people leaders a pass to delegate development to HR, peers of new hires, and a mask to cover their inability to develop talent or disinterest in the time and energy it takes to develop direct reports.? Nonetheless, this acceptable position has helped build my awareness that for most of your career, you will likely receive no feedback at all, like for years! So how can you show up differently for yourself and others? ?

I want to offer a few suggestions that I have observed and admired others use to develop themselves professionally. Maybe you don’t know where to start or maybe it's time to do something different. If that is where you are today, this article may help. So don’t feel bad if you are overwhelmed by how or where to start. Step one - slow down and look around your community there are so many opportunities to serve -to list a few PTO/PTA, church, food pantry, animal shelter, local hospital, or senior living center ( to name a few). Step 2 - be clear on what you have to offer. Step 3-Go in with solutions and get started. Volunteering is a great way to work on your development.?

For the last 2 years, I have had the opportunity to serve in a leadership role on the leadership development committee with the Omicron Tau Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. This assignment has been challenging because things move a lot slower than I would like, consensus is perceived as the best way to resolve conflict, and convincing people there is no one right way or approach is daunting at times. I offer this not as criticism but to share that you will have frustrations. However, the reward is that when working with groups that are mission-based you don’t have to revisit the why because everyone is clear on why we are here. As the committee approaches the tasks of pulling together the chapter retreat it has reminded me of the practice and rigor it takes to develop yourself. You have to fit it on your calendar and commit. Many times in civic work there is no formal feedback loop, all time given is free, and it can be a blank palette to create and design what good looks like. Summer is a good time to get activated or find something in the fall when your kids go back to school that you can participate in.

Have you heard of the 70/20/10 rule? It is believed that an individual learns 70% of their knowledge from challenging experiences or on-the-job assignments, 20% from developmental relationships, and 10% from coursework or training. Some would argue that 10% of training/ coursework has or can have an amplifier effect on the other 90% of experiences by providing clarity, support, or boost.

When you see a list like the following provided as ways to develop yourself, you can assign your own value of the % it can support your learning:

• Read often.
• Adopt a new hobby.
• Sign up for a training session.
• Identify in-demand skills.
• Try a new schedule.
• Commit to an exercise routine.
• Set big goals.
• Change your mindset.
• Find a mentor
• Volunteer
• Serve on a board

So back to the impact the “develop yourself” mantra has had on me - I have found that often 70% of the job experience can be missed if you aren’t intentional and it is easy to miss here because you don’t know what you don’t know. Usually, in hindsight, I have learned or realized that was what I should have learned. So today I build reflection in my daily routine. 20% of learning provided by relationships is impacted if you don’t effectively develop your board of directors. You will need someone to introduce you to key stakeholders and people you can relate to, those with time, ability, and interest in developing your skills. 10% is where the personal commitment to you comes in because learning agility is very personal. You can miss here with poor listening skills, not being curious and not being coachable. So when left with no other option but to develop yourself, what do you do? You have to do the work and be open there is no past you that needs to be outdone or corrected just get grounded in this chapter and what good can look like today.