Module 5 – Bringing it all together: creating your professional development plan
In this final module, you’ll build a clear and actionable personal professional development plan.
In this module:
- Set specific development goals
- Identify and select opportunities for growth
- Map out your path to achieving your goals
Planning and achieving your goals
In this final module, you’ll bring together all the resources you’ve created throughout the course to build a clear and actionable personal professional development plan.
Setting your goals with the EXACT model
You may already know the SMART goal-setting framework, which is often used by managers to set goals for others. Here, we introduce the EXACT model, which is particularly helpful for setting personal goals that inspire, challenge, and drive your own development.
The EXACT model focuses on five key dimensions for self-set goals:
- Explicit – Make each goal focused and concise; state it in just a few words.
- Exciting – Choose goals that genuinely inspire you. Frame them positively to help build your motivation.
- Assessable – Define what success will look like so you’ll clearly know when you’ve achieved the goal.
- Challenging – Stretch yourself with each goal; the process itself should foster your growth.
- Time-framed – Ideally aim to achieve each goal within six months. For longer goals, break them into smaller, time-bound steps to help you progress toward a bigger objective.
Activity: Set your development goals
- Using the EXACT model (or any preferred model), set specific development goals. Start with the top-priority skills and areas of expertise from your prioritised list from the previous activity.
- For each skill, define a clear goal that aligns with the EXACT model. If setting a timeframe is difficult at this stage, that’s fine—you can return to this step when you’re ready to add it.
With well-defined goals, you’re now prepared to begin sourcing the tools and opportunities that will support your development journey.
Finding development opportunities
With clear goals in mind, the next step is to explore suitable development opportunities to support your growth. Identifying the most effective type of development for each goal can make the process easier and more productive. Development activities generally fall into two categories: formal and informal learning opportunities.
Types of Development Opportunities
Formal development is typically structured and planned, often accessible through available institutional resources. Examples include:
- Training courses (with or without certification)
- Professional development workshops
- Self-managed study, including online courses like this one
- Seminars and conferences
- Webinars
- Reading articles, reports, or manuals
- Teaching and presenting activities
Informal development happens more naturally and may involve self-directed experiences or learning you initiate yourself. Examples include:
- Supervised or unsupervised practice
- Observation and hands-on learning
- Advice from supervisors or mentors
- Discussions with other researchers
- Work shadowing
- Online videos or virtual events
- Coaching, mentoring, and peer review
Finding Development Resources
Start with your institution:
Many institutions offer extensive researcher development resources. The graduate school or student support unit may provide workshops, courses, or online resources, often mapped to the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF). If you are part of the research staff, there may be specific resources tailored for faculty and staff development. You can also explore the RDF sections on Vitae’s website for suggested activities tied to each RDF domain.
Explore beyond your institution:
- Online resources are abundant, with platforms like Coursera and the Open University offering free courses from top universities worldwide.
- Many professional bodies also provide training, certification, and conferences relevant to specific disciplines. These can offer valuable opportunities to meet others in your field and learn about the latest research trends.
Whether through formal or informal learning, finding the right development opportunities can significantly enhance your skills and career trajectory, making your goals more achievable.
Activity: Find the right development opportunities
In this activity, you’ll revisit your earlier work to gather insights and then research the development opportunities that align with your goals.
Part 1: Reviewing past resources
Look back at the following resources and make notes to help clarify your approach to finding development opportunities:
- Researcher profile: prior and current expertise
a. Review your research activities: which ones were formal or informal development opportunities?
b. Reflect on how these opportunities arose—were they planned, recommended, or spontaneous? - Professional body guidance
a. What advice does your discipline’s professional body provide on formal and informal development? Look for recommendations that support Continuous Professional Development (CPD) or Personal Development Planning (PDP).
Part 2: Finding development opportunities
With your development goals from Activity 13 in mind, start researching opportunities that will help you reach these goals.
- Home institution resources
a. Investigate development opportunities offered by your institution, including any available at the departmental, school, or faculty level.
b. Look for researcher development programmes or workshops that may be beneficial. - Online learning options
a. Explore free or paid online courses, webinars, and training sessions that are accessible both within and outside your institution. This can include platforms like Coursera or Open University. - Networking for ideas
a. If some goals are still unmet, speak with colleagues, supervisors, or others in your research network to learn about the resources they’ve found useful. Your supervisor or PI may have recommendations.
With your clear goals and a solid set of resources, you’re now ready to create a comprehensive personal development plan that draws on all the development opportunities available to you.
Creating your action plan for success
Your action plan is a vital tool to keep you on track as you work towards achieving your professional development goals.
Flexibility and Monitoring
Remember, your action plan isn’t set in stone. As you grow as a researcher, you can adjust it to reflect new insights and changing priorities. It’s also a great way to monitor your progress and celebrate your successes along the way!
Planning for Success
When creating your action plan, aim for as much detail as possible. The following framework could be useful to guide your planning:
- What?
Clearly define the action you’re going to take. Be specific about what success will look like. How will you know you’ve achieved your goal? - How?
Outline the steps you’ll take to move towards each goal. What resources will you need (e.g., information, funding, time)? - Who?
Identify the individuals who can support you. This might include your supervisor, principal investigator, librarian, IT trainer, or colleagues who can provide advice and guidance. - When?
Specify when you’ll dedicate time to work on your goals and when you plan to complete them.
Boosting Your Chances of Success
Consider these additional strategies to enhance your action plan’s effectiveness:
- Make an External Commitment: Sharing your goals with others can increase your accountability. Team up with a fellow researcher to discuss your action plans and agree on the next steps. Schedule regular check-ins (e.g., every two or three weeks) to support each other.
- Schedule Your Activities: Block out time in your calendar to focus on your development activities. This dedicated time will significantly improve your chances of achieving your goals.
- Allow for Flexibility: Life is unpredictable, so build some slack into your timelines. This way, if something unexpected happens, you have extra time to adjust. If all goes smoothly, you might complete your goal ahead of schedule—it’s a win-win!
- Stay Motivated: If you start to feel demotivated, revisit your development goals. Remind yourself of the bigger picture and how your current activities contribute to your overall growth as a researcher.
A structured approach, such as the one above, can help you create a robust action plan that not only guides your professional development but also empowers you to adapt as you progress.
Activity: Create your Professional Development Plan
In this activity, you’ll select the planning tools that resonate with you and map out the steps needed to achieve your personal development goals.
- Step 1: Choose Your Planning Tool
Start by selecting the planning tools that appeal to you. Options may include:
a. The RDF Planner (if available at your institution or via individual subscription)
b. Your diary or planner
c. A wall planner
d. A Gantt chart
e. A project management software application
f. A simple notebook and pencil - Step 2: Review Your Goals
Look back at your personal development goals and the development opportunities you identified in previous activities. - Step 3: Break Down Your Goals
For each goal, outline the specific steps you need to take to achieve it. Many goals require multiple actions. For example, if your goal is to “Become proficient in using statistical analysis software,” your steps might include:
a. Attend a course on using the software.
b. Acquire access to the software.
c. Practice with sample data. - Step 4: Use Guiding Questions
Use the following questions to refine your action steps:
a. What? What specific actions will you take?
b. How? How will you accomplish these actions?
c. Who? Who will support you in this process?
d. When? What realistic timeframe will you assign to each action?
Add timeframes to your goals if you haven’t already. - Step 5: Integrate with Your Schedule
Next, relate your action plan to your existing schedule. Allocate time for each action step, considering other commitments such as research activities, teaching, and personal responsibilities. Adjust your timelines as necessary—this is a normal part of the planning process. - Step 6: Seek Feedback
Finally, consider discussing your plans with someone else, like a supervisor or fellow researcher. This open dialogue can help validate your decisions and offer new perspectives that could enhance your action plan.
By following these steps, you’ll create a clear and actionable plan to guide your professional development journey!
Alternatively, you may want to consider the GROW framework as a way for you to condense the steps above:
- GOAL – What exactly do you want to achieve?
- REALITY – What is your currently reality?
- OPTIONS – What could you do? What possible options are open to you?
- WILL – What will you do? When will you do it?
Activity: Plan regular review sessions
Now that you have a comprehensive action plan with clear goals, resources, and a step-by-step approach, it’s time to ensure you stay on track. Here’s one way to effectively schedule and conduct your regular review sessions to monitor your progress and make necessary adjustments.
- Step 1: Schedule Your Review Session
Set aside dedicated time for a regular self-review, and add this to your diary, calendar, or scheduling tool. This will serve as a crucial touchpoint for assessing your progress. - Step 2: Suggested Agenda for Your Review
Consider using the following agenda for your self-review session. Feel free to modify it to fit your needs:
1. Monitor Progress
a. Celebrate your achievements! Acknowledge the steps you’ve successfully completed.
b. Reward yourself for your accomplishments, no matter how small.
2. Review Goals
a. Reassess your goals. Are the timeframes still realistic?
b. Adjust resources or approaches as needed to stay aligned with your objectives.
3. Engage with the PDP Process Again
a. Analyse your experiences and expertise gained since your last review.
b. Collect and Organise Evidence: Gather any new evidence of your progress and accomplishments.
c. Select and Prioritise Areas for Further Development: Identify any new skills or areas that need attention.
d. Revise Your Action Plan: Update your existing plan or create a new one based on your reflections. - Step 3: Reflect and Adjust
After each review, take a moment to reflect on your journey and adjust your plans accordingly. This iterative process will help you stay focused and motivated on your professional development path.
By scheduling regular review sessions, you’ll create a structured approach to tracking your growth and ensuring you continue to make progress toward your goals!
Congratulations, you have completed the course!
If you have completed the activities, you now have a portfolio of evidence, and a professional development plan that reflects your development goals.
In the process of working through this course you have generated a good deal of evidence for several of the descriptors in at least three subdomains of the RDF:
- B1: Personal qualities (especially self-reflection)
- B2: Self-management (especially preparation and prioritisation)
- B3: Professional and career development (especially career management; continuing professional development; and responsiveness to opportunities)
Don’t forget to add these to your portfolio when you next review your PDP!
Now what? Continue your professional development journey by exploring our library of resources.
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