WHAT DO I NEED TO LEARN?
What I hope to achieve
Having analysed your current situation, the next step is to
detail your priorities for development. Following the completion of Step One,
you should be able to identify gaps in your skills and knowledge where you can
set specific development objectives. These objectives should contain an element
of challenge so that they carry you on to new ground, but they must also be
realistic. At this stage it is useful to set targets in terms of required levels
of competence.
The process must involve a mix of identifying new skills
which would be of benefit to you and also of identifying learning opportunities
which might be available – such as courses which are on offer – and
assessing whether or not they might be of benefit to you. For each type of skill
or experience that you identify, you should undertake a process such as the one
outlined in the following table.
DESCRIPTION OF SKILLS, COMPETENCE AND EXPERIENCE
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What best describes your current level of competence
and the level you now want to attain?
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Unaware
- unaware of subject area
- possess little or no knowledge/skills
- require full training and development
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Skilled
- possess requisite knowledge/skills to perform effectively and
efficiently
- able to work with considerable autonomy
- need occasional top-up training
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Aware
- possess basic knowledge/skills
- unable to work without supervision
- require training/development and more in-depth information
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Expert
- acknowledged by others as an authority
- very substantial personal autonomy
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Capable
- possess adequate knowledge/skills
- able to work with some autonomy
- able to work effectively as part of team
- require guidance/some further training
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When establishing your objectives, you should also work
within practical constraints that may influence methods of development. Factors
you may wish to take into account include the learning type which best suits
you, the resources that are available and the benefits that you will obtain from
achieving each objective – eg promotion, increased salary, greater job
satisfaction etc.
Finally, objectives should be set within a realistic time
frame. In some cases they will not be easily achievable within the 12-month
cycle. However, it should be possible to determine some progress towards
achieving an objective in this time period and to re-evaluate long-term
objectives in the continuing cycle of development.
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