Start the Year Right with Your Development Plan!

Happy New Year from the Center for
Leadership Excellence! With the changing of the calendar,
we have a natural tendency to look back over the prior year and then look ahead
towards what the next year will bring. Resolutions are made to “do better,”
whatever that means for each of us - eat healthy, exercise, spend time with
loved ones, among others.

It should be no surprise that goals related to education,
career development, and new job opportunities are often included on our lists
of resolutions. In the rapidly changing world of work, employees are expected
to be flexible, adaptable and creative in identifying ways to broaden their
experience and leverage their skills. Rapid advancements in technology require
employees to upgrade their skills and “retool” themselves just to remain
current with their job requirements.

Considering all the time and energy you spend at work, why
not ensure that you get maximum satisfaction from your work and career? Having a sense of where you are
headed in your career helps you — and your manager — make good choices about
work assignments and learning opportunities that can enrich your current job,
lead to promotion through job growth or help you transition to another position.
It also helps your manager to better understand the strengths and interests of
their team, creating a more effective organization and a more satisfying work
environment.

Here at UVa, we believe that career
development is a shared responsibility between the employee, the manager and
the University. Your Leadership Team in the Finance Division is committed to
ongoing employee growth and development as demonstrated by their 2015 AVPF goal
to “Create a development plan for each employee including internal and external
training offerings.”

So how do you make that happen? Creating a development plan can be
done in three steps – Explore – Think –
Act!!!

• Step 1 Explore - Reflect
  on who you are, what you do well and when you are most alive and energized by exploring your skills, preferences,
  values and interests.


•  Step 2 Think - Set
  career goals and map out a strategy to achieve them by collaborating with your manager to develop an annual career
  development plan using LEAD@UVa.




• Familiarize
  yourself with the UVa Job Structure and the skills, knowledge and experience required to be successful in your
  current position, as well as those that support career progression and
  transition.


• Explore Education Opportunities and Training Opportunities


• Identify
  professional development opportunities using the Career Development Tool


• Select
  development activities that support goal achievement, competency development or
  career growth. Activities may include attending a training class, joining a
  professional association, participating in a mentoring program, attending a
  conference or reading a book.




•  Step 3 Act - Take action to
  accomplish your goals and manage your career.




• Monitor your career
  progress by checking your goals and development plan in LEAD@UVa frequently and
  record your success.


• Update your development
  plan as needed and continue to have frequent conversations with your manager
  regarding your progress.

Career development
is a lifelong process of managing learning, work and job-related transitions.
The Center for Leadership Excellence is here to encourage, support, and provide
opportunities for the ongoing growth and development of each employee. For more
information about creating development plans or programs offered by the Center
for Leadership Excellence, contact us at leadership@virginia.edu or 434.982.0123.

No matter your
resolution, we wish you a happy and fulfilling 2015.