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15 Professional Development Ideas, Topics & Activities

By: Grace He | Updated: September 07, 2023

This is a list of professional development ideas.

Professional development ideas refer to topics and activities for employees to improve their skills and advance their careers. This growth may help employees gain more confidence in their abilities and improve their contribution to the company. Example topics include workplace conflict resolution, communications, and critical thinking.

This concept is an employee engagement best practice and a worker engagement strategy .

This article includes

professional development topics
professional development activities
professional development ideas
professional development workshops
personal development ideas for work

Here we go!

List of professional development topics

Companies invest in their workers’ education and training to keep up with the competition and increase profitability. A team with a fantastic work ethic, problem-solving abilities, amicability, effective job prioritizing, and the ability to adapt to new situations will record high productivity and success. Professional development ideas for work include:

1. The Art of Storytelling (Top Choice)

assignments for developing professional skills

Persuasive storytelling is a valuable ability for every employee who has to inspire action. In The Art of Storytelling, participants will learn to share personal narratives that both inform and entertain their audiences.

The Art of Storytelling offers the following features:

a 120-minute session led by an expert facilitator
the five essential elements of a captivating story
effective strategies and techniques to maintain audience interest
dedicated practice time for participants to refine their skills
in-depth feedback provided by the hosts

For added convenience, we will meet you at your preferred venue with all the necessary materials. If you want to have a lasting impression in the workplace, then knowing how you may exert your influence and advocate changes is crucial. Companies looking for professional development activities that help their staff share engaging narratives should consider The Art of Storytelling.

Learn more about The Art of Storytelling .

2. Environmental sustainability

Environmental sustainability means using natural resources wisely now so that future generations can still meet their needs without problems. Sustainably conscious workers consider the environmental impact of activities, products, and processes. Then, these individuals find ways to reduce negative effects on the environment.

Environmental sustainability includes reducing waste, conserving energy, using eco-friendly materials, and adopting renewable energy sources. Businesses can be more sustainable by using eco-friendly practices, like reducing waste and saving energy. Firms should also be ethical in their sourcing, get involved in community projects, and regularly check how they impact the environment and society. This process is essential for fighting climate change, preserving biodiversity, and ensuring a healthier planet for future generations.

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3. Time management ideas

Employees will be more productive and less stressed by learning time management skills. There may be more time to attend conferences and other training events after finishing projects on time if all team members have excellent time management abilities. Time management skills also directly affect an employee’s work-life balance.

Professionally and individually, time management skills are essential. Improved time management is necessary to meet deadlines, manage your workload, and reduce stress. An excellent time management tool is an in-depth awareness of your habits and routines. This process starts by noting how much time you spend on different tasks each day. Afterward, determine the tasks you can outsource, procrastination tendencies, and utilize tools for workload prioritization.

Check out this list of books on time management .

4. Professional certifications

Professional certifications are credentials individuals earn once they have demonstrated a specific level of knowledge, skills, and competence in a particular field or industry. Professional organizations, industry associations, or certification bodies typically grant these certifications. Certifications serve as formal recognition of an individual’s expertise and can enhance career prospects. Examples include the Project Management Professional certification for project managers, the Certified Public Accountant designation for accountants, and the Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification for cybersecurity professionals. Earning professional certifications can validate one’s qualifications and often requires passing an examination and meeting specific experience or education requirements.

Professional certifications are a highly beneficial addition to any professional development plan. These courses provide proof of expertise and skill in a specific field or industry. These certifications often require difficult training and exams, ensuring that individuals have up-to-date knowledge and skills.

5. Communication skills

Communication is the lifeblood of every company. Lack of communication means there is no shared knowledge, ideas, or diversity among employees. As the economy shifts and becomes more unpredictable, most forward-thinking organizations are emphasizing the need to have employees who are proficient communicators. The most crucial goal is to create an environment that encourages open communication among all team members.

As part of the professional development course on communications, workers will learn vital skills such as:

Teamwork: Handling group efforts, team-building events, and shared objectives. Employees will get to work as a team instead of focusing on individual contributions. Our perspectives, abilities, and expertise are all unique. You can take advantage of this detail by promoting a diverse approach to problem-solving.
Clear writing: When it comes to interacting with customers and employees, effective digital communication is often the only viable option for today’s companies to prevent miscommunication.
Active listening: Open communication with coworkers and superiors is effortless when employees learn to listen attentively and comprehend the viewpoints of all parties.
Conflict management: The ability to deal with difficult situations professionally. The application includes handling salary negotiations, complaints, or the departure of employees.
Discretion and confidentiality: These skills demand being trustworthy and fair in all interactions with coworkers, from the lowest levels of the organization up to the highest levels. You should always maintain a professional demeanor while dealing with sensitive or private material.

Career success relies on your ability to communicate effectively with coworkers. As part of your professional growth, you can learn strategies to strengthen communication with coworkers, supervisors, suppliers, and customers. You should learn to adapt your discussion depending on the individual’s attitude and how to communicate using multiple means, such as in person, via email, or over the phone. Knowing how to read and being aware of body language are essential for effective communication. Additionally, employees can use communication skills outside of the office, so working on these skills is among the top personal development ideas for work.

Check out this list of communication-building activities .

6. Conflict management and resolution in the workplace

In the workplace, disagreements are a normal part of the team development process and can be beneficial. Leaders and workers should manage conflict effectively so it does not negatively impact corporate operations or the team’s relationships. Understanding the other party’s viewpoint and coming up with solutions that benefit both parties is vital in conflict management. Taking a stand for what is morally correct and ethical might lead to conflict in the workplace.

A manager’s ability to deal with sensitive issues is crucial, and this training will help them learn:

Proper communication in stressful circumstances and being courteous yet persistent to reach a peaceful resolution.
Self-assessment of an issue to devise tactful solutions
Vital qualities like self-discipline, fairness, understanding, tolerance, and empathy to handle difficult circumstances while also demonstrating a strong work ethic.

Managers that are proficient in these three areas will be able to cope with more complex problems that need collaboration, interpersonal skills, and clear communication.

Here is a list of conflict-resolution activities .

7. Financial literacy

Financial literacy is the ability to understand and manage your finances effectively. The understanding involves having the knowledge and skills to make informed financial decisions. Financial literacy encompasses a range of topics, from understanding personal finance basics like creating a budget to more advanced concepts like investment strategies. Employees may learn about budgeting, saving, investing, and planning for the future. Being financially literate empowers individuals to make wise financial choices, achieve their financial goals, and secure their financial well-being.

Financial literacy is an important topic for professional development because it helps individuals make smart financial choices, both in their personal lives and at work. Being financially literate helps individuals manage their own money better and helps them assist with financial planning and decision-making at their workplace. In today’s complex financial world, financial literacy is crucial for career growth and financial security.

8. Performance evaluations

Most times, a manager’s role includes doing performance evaluations. Therefore, every manager should understand performance management for workers. This ability entails assessing your team’s members, grasping their qualifications and experience, and placing them in roles that make the most of their abilities. Performance management may also include addressing any performance issues, developing an improvement plan, and addressing any bad conduct occurring in the workplace.

Regardless of one’s position in a company’s hierarchy, providing and accepting constructive criticism is essential. Your professional career will benefit if you become more adept at giving assessments to workers. An effective appraisal or feedback shows your appreciation for their efforts and your desire to see team members flourish in the future and offers improvement tips.

Although a manager handles performance evaluation, employees may sometimes need to provide constructive criticism to their colleagues during peer review. Employees will learn more about how to give and receive constructive criticism as part of the professional development program.

Here are tips for giving employee feedback .

9. Flexibility

In today’s dynamic corporate environment, individuals must continually improve their skill sets and be able to adapt to ever-changing working conditions. Employees in today’s fast-paced corporate environment benefit from this area of professional development. However, adaptation to a new environment and training needs many resources.

Some techniques to promote employee flexibility in professional development include network support, cross-training, business trips to other offices, peer learning and knowledge exchange, and switching departments.

Almost all companies experience change or transition, but a successful change implementation relies on the cooperation of all workers and supervisors. As the manager, it may be beneficial for you to learn how to prepare your team for change better. In addition, you, as an employee, can learn how to effect positive change or how to prepare for negative change.

10. Better customer service

Customer service training is one excellent example of employee development activities. Your firm and its customers will benefit greatly from your efforts to improve your customer service competencies. Customer service skills include patience, understanding, empathy, adaptability, and calmness under pressure. Professional development in customer service can equip employees with the skills needed to deal with difficult clients or how to make a customer’s bad experience better. Examples of training activities include conflict resolution and de-escalation training and courses in emotional intelligence and active listening. These skills include empathy, clear communication, excellent work ethic, and thick skin.

Here is a list of books about customer service .

11. Leadership

As a manager or a senior executive, developing strong leadership abilities is a worthwhile investment of time and money. People’s self-esteem and career prospects may improve and benefit from formal leadership education. Successful leaders in your company are likely to have the following characteristics:

Determination
Team Management
Strategy Development
Decision-making

If you want to hold a management position one day, you will benefit from participating in professional development training on management. This training will help you better understand leadership styles and expectations. Employers also do well to invest in leadership development to ensure future managers are confident and ready to lead.

Here is a list of leadership skills .

12. Hard and soft skills

Hard skills often correlate with the employee’s position. These skills are important for talent acquisition, payroll administration, and disseminating ideas from upper management to lower-level staff. Digital technology eventually pushes you to develop even the most competent people in these disciplines, regardless of their expertise. Short and in-depth seminars and courses are the greatest ways to learn. Staff members are more likely to embrace shorter and concise training, and the relevance lasts longer.

Soft skills deal with the way you go about your job. Communication, listening, and time management are a few examples of the many critical soft skills in today’s workplaces. Employers prioritize soft skills when looking to fill open positions because they contribute to an employee’s success at work.

13. Human resources software

HR departments benefit significantly from different people management tools. Individual employees benefit from this form of software, which helps disseminate and organize their personal and professional data. Corporations are increasingly relying on technology to arrange their workers’ personal information. Learning this skill will help HR personnel learn to integrate HR software in your department. You will have an advantage over your competition if you have some software experience. Also, managing paperwork and communicating with staff will be easier if you use specialized software.

Check out this list of HR software .

14. Legal and compliance

Legal and compliance training can be a valuable professional development idea for individuals and organizations. Legal and compliance refers to adhering to laws, regulations, and industry standards that cover various aspects of an organization’s operations. For instance, companies may need to follow employment laws, intellectual property regulations, contractual obligations, data privacy laws, and industry-specific regulations. Organizations must have systems in place to ensure that they meet these legal requirements and maintain ethical business practices. Failure to do so can result in legal consequences, fines, reputational damage, and other negative consequences.

It is important to stay updated on relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards. Professionals can minimize legal risks, ensure ethical business practices, and maintain their organization’s reputation. Training in legal and compliance matters can also lead to career advancement. This training equips individuals with the knowledge to navigate legal issues and make informed decisions that protect both their interests and their organization’s bottom line.

15. Talent management

To be an effective leader, you must be able to motivate and manage. An influential manager must encourage their employees to go above and beyond the call of duty, solve challenging issues, and establish a high-performance work environment. Impactful leadership may significantly influence productivity and staff morale, ethics, and company-worker relations. Managers can improve their people management skills by addressing their emotional quotient, ensuring team collaboration, promoting effective communication and transparency, and learning empathy.

The importance of professional development

Professional development is honing your abilities and collecting more knowledge. These skills can help you succeed in your current position and even help you get a promotion or a new role in the future. Therefore, it is critical to engage in ongoing professional development throughout your career to stay updated in your field. Professional development comprises degree programs, certifications, training courses, seminars, or finding a career mentor.

Regardless of their individual skillset, specialty, or emphasis, all personnel benefit from ongoing professional development ideas. As employees’ duties and responsibilities evolve, they must adapt and grow. Soft skills are just as vital as hard talents. Organizations gain as much, if not more, from ongoing learning as do their workers.

Learn more about the importance of professional development .

Professional abilities tend to interconnect, and when you work on one skill, you are sure to enhance the others as well. Even if your primary goal is to improve your general skills, you may still advance your career by upskilling.

If you want to succeed in your career, you need to like what you do. Without this commitment, motivating others to do better will be difficult. Therefore, it is crucial to discover the satisfaction of learning new things and improving your job skills. You will be able to recognize your strengths and limitations more easily. Implementing a professional development program will help you and your employees develop, learn, and become better people.

For more references, check out training and development books and career books .

We also have a list of the best corporate workshop ideas for employees .

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FAQ: Professional development ideas

Here are some frequently asked questions about professional development ideas.

What are professional development ideas?

Professional development ideas refer to specific training topics and activities for employees to improve their skills and advance their careers.

What are some good professional development ideas for work?

Good professional development ideas for work include management skills, communication, and performance management.

How do you hold professional development workshops for employees?

You can hold professional development workshops by performing a needs assessment to determine what areas require upskilling. You can then devise the training approach, perhaps through one-on-one or group sessions.

Author: Grace He

People & Culture Director at teambuilding.com. Grace is the Director of People & Culture at teambuilding.com. She studied Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, Information Science at East China Normal University and earned an MBA at Washington State University.

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15 Professional Development Activities For Any Workplace

Cultivating a culture of growth and development is now more critical than ever. The success of organizations hinges not just on the skills and expertise of individual team members but also on their collective ability to adapt, learn, and excel in an ever-changing landscape.

The numbers show how vital professional development truly is. Organizations that invest in their team members’ development enjoy 24% higher profit . Employee retention is also higher by at least 30%.

As leaders with the power to shape the professional growth of your team members, you play a pivotal role in driving your team members’ career advancement and enhancing their contributions. In this article, we’ll explore ideas that will help champion and implement professional development activities within your organization.

Professional development activities work best when your leaders are involved. Find out how to use CoffeePals’ Coffee Lottery feature to connect team members with your top leaders!

The Value of Professional Development Activities

Professional development activities are essential for both individual career growth and organizational success.

Here are some key areas that professional development activities impact:

Skill Enhancement : Professional development activities allow individuals to acquire and enhance specific skills and knowledge relevant to their roles. This continuous learning helps employees stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices.
Increased Productivity : Learning and skill development can increase productivity and efficiency . Well-trained and knowledgeable employees can complete tasks more effectively and with fewer errors.
Employee Engagement : Offering professional development opportunities signals to employees that the organization values their growth and well-being. This can lead to higher levels of job satisfaction and engagement.
Talent Retention : Employees are more likely to stay with an organization that invests in their growth and development. Reducing turnover and retaining top talent can save organizations time and money.
Enhanced Leadership : Professional development activities, such as leadership training and mentorship, can help employees develop leadership skills. This is crucial for succession planning and leadership development within an organization.
Employee Well-being : Professional development goes beyond just technical skills; it can also encompass personal development and well-being initiatives, improving employees' overall quality of life.

Professional development activities benefit both individuals and organizations by fostering growth, adaptability, and innovation. They contribute to a more skilled and engaged workforce, leading to increased productivity, job satisfaction, and a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Organizations that invest in their team members’ development enjoy 24% higher profit. Employee retention is also higher by at least 30%.

15 Activities for Professional Development

One thing’s for sure — when your team grows, your organization thrives. Professional development isn't just an option anymore; it's the secret sauce that gives your company the edge it needs.

Note that this isn't just about training; it's a roadmap to creating a workplace where learning and development are woven into the DNA.

Here are 15 ideas for professional development activities that you can try at your workplace:

1. Networking Coffee Chats

Building and nurturing professional relationships is key to career growth. Networking coffee chats offer a relaxed and informal setting for team members to connect, share ideas, and build camaraderie. These sessions can be particularly beneficial for remote and hybrid teams or large organizations where employees don’t have many opportunities to connect.

With a platform like CoffeePals , participants can effortlessly expand their network by being randomly paired with colleagues, either within their team or across different business units. These networking coffee chats offer opportunities to share insights on industry trends, discuss career goals, and build strong connections within the organization, fostering both collaboration and professional growth.

2. Visual Thinking Workshops

Not everyone can process wordy presentations and explanations. A lot of people are visual learners, making visual thinking a powerful tool to have if you want to lead a team, make better presentations, or just want valuable skills that could take your career to the next level.

Visual thinking is a cognitive process that uses visual elements, like images and diagrams, to help think, communicate, and problem-solve, often in place of or alongside text-based methods.

Holding visual thinking workshops for your team members can be a powerful way to expand their skills and prepare them for bigger roles. Places like #tagvenue have visual thinking workshops for teams of different sizes , but you can facilitate your own as well.

3. The Art of Storytelling

There’s a reason why people remember storybooks better than textbooks. Facts are good, but stories are more memorable . This makes storytelling an excellent skill to hone for team members who want to improve their influence and their ability to share information.

Storytelling allows you to add an emotional element to anything you share. Whether presenting a new system or convincing a new client to buy a product or service, storytelling amplifies your ability to connect with the people you’re talking to.

Organizations like teambuilding.com offer storytelling masterclasses , or you can look for other storytelling experts to facilitate a workshop.

4. Leadership Incubator

Often, the best way to train future leaders is to give them the full experience. That’s why leadership incubators have proven effective for many organizations.

A leadership incubator is a structured program or initiative designed to identify, nurture, and develop leadership potential in individuals within an organization.

Think of it as a form of on-the-job training for potential leaders. Aside from training sessions teaching them all the leadership skills needed, the program would include frequent one-on-one coaching sessions. They then practice everything they learn through actual immersion, where they’ll be given tasks that leaders typically take care of.

Leadership incubators normally last for a longer period of time, with some averaging six months for the entire program. Depending on how intensive you want the program to be, you can shorten or lengthen that time period.

5. Time Mastery Toolkit

No matter how skilled or experienced your team members are, they won’t get too far without proper time management.

Time management is crucial for career advancement because it enables individuals to maximize productivity, meet deadlines, and balance workloads effectively. It helps them focus on high-impact tasks, showcase their reliability, and consistently deliver results, all of which are highly valued qualities in the workplace and contribute to career growth and opportunities.

The good news is that so many time management tools and techniques can make anyone a master of their own time. By putting together a Time Mastery Toolkit, you can help team members try different approaches to time management and find the one that best suits them.

From training videos about managing time to 101s about time blocking , Pomodoro, Pareto principle, and more, a toolkit will make every possible resource available more accessible for your entire team.

6. Communication Workshops

Did you know that 24% of employees cause their entire team to fail just because they can’t work well with others? A lot of it is rooted in miscommunication.

Communication is everyone’s bread and butter. Clear and persuasive communication skills are key in leadership roles, teamwork, and demonstrating competence, which are vital for career progression.

From writing the right emails to giving the perfect elevator pitch, communication workshops can elevate how your team members connect and collaborate. There are also a lot of communication games and activities that your team could try.

7. Conflict Resolution Training

Anyone serious about stepping forward in their careers should master the art of conflict resolution .

Any team member who knows how to deal with challenges and navigate the tricky trail of opposite personalities has so much potential to improve team dynamics everywhere they go. This makes them valuable assets to their organizations

There are several conflict resolution activities like Rotate Debates or AITA that can help your team members understand how to work through conflict. You could create a workshop or a series of trainings around the topic, and in the process, help your team work more harmoniously despite differences in opinions or beliefs.

8. Feedback Workshop

Giving feedback is a tricky business. While positive feedback is a great way to motivate people to do even better, negative feedback could lower morale. The bad news is negative feedback is critical for improvement. That’s why it’s crucial to teach team members how to give it.

A series of workshops on the different feedback models can help your team members learn this skill. From the SBI model to the STAR feedback model , there are many ways to drive the right message across while taking care of team morale.

Looking for ways to provide effective feedback? Connect mentors and mentees through CoffeePals!

9. Emotional Intelligence Awareness

We’re in a new era where, finally, organizations understand that numbers don’t just drive performance. The truth is IQ can help you remember facts and solve concrete problems.

But EQ leaves a more lasting impact. It allows people to motivate and inspire others to do better. It helps people connect with others more effectively. It helps build better teams.

The good news is there are so many ways to improve team members' emotional intelligence—especially those interested in professional development. You can hold emotional intelligence awareness campaigns, invite experts who can help team members understand its importance, and hold workshops filled with emotional intelligence activities .

10. Self-Discovery Tests

Self-discovery is a critical part of development. You can’t find ways to grow if you cannot look into your strengths and weaknesses and find the opportunities that lie there.

Self-discovery tests have become valuable tools in helping people discover who they are and how their brains work. Among all the tests, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Enneagram system proved to be among the most helpful.

The MBTI has been around for much longer than the Enneagram. It assesses how you process information, make decisions, and approach the outside world. As for the Enneagram, it shows you your fears, motivations, and behaviors you might exhibit in certain situations depending on your mental and emotional state.

Both tests can give tremendous insights into how team members can improve and become better colleagues and leaders.

11. Negotiation Skills Training

Negotiation isn’t just a helpful skill in sales. They’re also critical in conflict resolution, decision-making, collaboration, and achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.

Professional development activities that focus on teaching negotiation skills are beneficial for team members who want to learn how to better compromise with their peers, clients, and superiors. You can have workshops and seminars about the topic, followed by role-playing activities where participants practice what they learned.

12. Public Speaking Workshops

People who have the potential to advance in their careers are often the ones who have the brightest, most innovative ideas. But what good are these ideas if they cannot be expressed?

Many of your team members with the right strategies in mind might be experiencing confidence issues. By conducting public speaking workshops, you can help them find their voice and learn how to express their thoughts in the open.

13. DEI Training

Admit it or not, everyone has biases. These biases cause people to unconsciously stereotype others that they work with . This is a huge problem, especially in today’s diverse workplace.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training helps current and future leaders recognize these biases and shift their perspectives. This creates a safe space for everyone, regardless of background.

DEI training will teach participants to understand cultural norms and practices, use respectful language, identify and mitigate unconscious biases, and more.

Find out how CoffeePals can help unite your team through inclusive connections.

14. Stress Management

Developing future leaders in the workplace means setting the right tone on what your organization’s future should look like. Stress management is one of the most critical skills they should learn, especially if work-life balance is one of the pillars of your workplace culture.

Aside from having training sessions about how to handle stress, it would also be good to have a health and wellness program where team members have a variety of classes and activities to attend that help them lead healthier lives. After all, stress management paves the way to optimal health.

15. Mentoring and Coaching Programs

Mentoring and coaching programs provide one-on-one support, tailoring the guidance given to an individual's specific needs, goals, and challenges. This means that each participant gets to grow based on their unique plans for their future.

Experienced mentors and coaches can also use these programs to share their wisdom and expertise, passing on valuable insights, best practices, and industry-specific knowledge that may not be readily available through formal training or education.

For these mentoring and coaching programs to work, you need the right communication tool. A virtual coffee chat platform like CoffeePals is the best tool for the job.

Through CoffeePals , you can have all participants join a single channel on Microsoft Teams, allowing them to share their unique challenges and experiences. The Coffee Maker feature drops thought-provoking questions in these channels regularly — an excellent chance for everyone to exchange thoughts.

The platform also comes with a Coffee Lottery feature where participants can have the chance to have a quick chat with the CEO and other leaders . This is a great opportunity to ask questions about leadership and other career-related topics.

Lastly, CoffeePals is a great avenue where future leaders can chat with mentors, coaches, and peers in a more relaxed setting. It’s a great way to get insights about their career paths and learn best practices to achieve their goals more efficiently.

Boost your professional development activities. Add CoffeePals to Microsoft Teams now and start paving the way for organizational success.

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7 Ways You Can Achieve Your Professional Development Goals

Business professional standing in front of three team members who are seated at a table and applauding

18 Apr 2023

Professional development is an essential—but often neglected—aspect of career growth. Burnout, mounting personal commitments, and shifting organizational needs are common reasons you might ignore your professional development goals.

Despite those barriers, many have taken measures to obtain the support they need to advance their careers. According to a report by Tandym Group , 86 percent of employees would change jobs if it meant more opportunities for professional development. A 2022 LinkedIn Global Talent Trends report found that most employees believe professional development is the best way to improve company culture.

If you want to advance your career, here’s a primer on what professional development goals are, why they’re important to your career growth, and how you can achieve them.

Access your free e-book today.

What Are Professional Development Goals?

Professional development goals are short- and long-term benchmarks that encourage career growth, increase productivity, and support your personal and professional interests. Identifying your goals provides a career roadmap and outlines metrics you can use to measure your progress.

While your goals should revolve around workplace development, consider your personal interests when drafting them. Doing so can ensure you’ll be motivated and stick to them long term.

Examples of Professional Development Goals

You can set numerous professional development goals, including:

Developing new skills
Improving communication
Becoming a specialist
Taking on a leadership role
Earning a raise or promotion

Don’t be afraid to go too big or small with your goals. While many can lead to career advancement, setting smaller, more attainable benchmarks—like developing a new skill—can also benefit your career.

Why Professional Development Goals Are Important

Outlining your professional development goals is an essential step that can provide clarity and direction in your career. Understanding what you want and the benchmarks you need to reach is vital.

For example, if you want to become a specialist in your field, explore what certifications and skills you need to achieve that. Communicating your professional development plan to your manager and team can potentially help you access resources such as:

Tuition reimbursement programs
Certification opportunities
Mentoring options

In addition to garnering support, setting professional development goals can motivate you to better yourself, giving you more purpose and increasing your job satisfaction.

According to Lorman Education Services , 41 percent of employees consider their organization’s career advancement opportunities very important to their job satisfaction. If you’re feeling unmotivated or overwhelmed in your career, professional development goals could be the missing link.

To achieve your professional development goals, do the following seven things to ensure you’re on the right track.

7 Ways to Achieve Your Professional Development Goals

1. take initiative.

Taking initiative in your professional development is crucial to advancing your career. Achieving your goals requires self-motivation.

Initiative comes in many forms, such as:

Volunteering for leadership roles
Requesting additional responsibilities
Creating proposals for organizational change

According to an article in the Harvard Business Review , proactive people are more likely to be better performers, contributors, and innovators in the workplace. The article suggests taking initiative at work once you complete the following:

Manage what you can take on: No matter how difficult your initiative (for example, adopting a different software system or creating documentation around a new process), determine whether it’s worth pursuing.
Consider others’ roles: Since your initiative will likely impact others within your organization, seek their perspectives before acting on it.
Align your actions with organizational goals: Not all change is good. Ensure your initiative won’t just benefit your professional development goals but the organization’s as well.

Taking initiative at work is fundamental to developing professionally. Try to capitalize on any opportunities that come your way and step outside your comfort zone.

2. Build a Strong Professional Network

Building a strong professional network is essential to furthering your career. Networking’s benefits include:

Identifying new career opportunities
Better understanding your organization or industry
Fostering collaboration

Yet, there are several barriers you may encounter. One of the most common is understanding who holds the most value within your organization. Creating a power map —a visualization of who has more or less power to help navigate your work environment’s politics and gain influence —is one way to overcome this.

According to the Harvard Business School Online course Power and Influence for Positive Impact , those with the most power in your organization are called “central individuals.” They’re often the primary sources of information, resources, and industry advice.

Through power mapping, you can identify those individuals and what resources they control to ensure your network serves your professional development needs.

3. Ask for Feedback

Feedback can be controversial in the workplace. Research shows that 44 percent of managers are stressed about delivering negative feedback, and 21 percent admit they try to avoid it altogether.

Although many managers fear feedback’s effects on employees and team morale, it’s vital to professional development. According to Zippia , 65 percent of employees desire more feedback at work. Therefore, it’s important to take an active role in receiving feedback.

You must also understand how to process feedback in a way that benefits your career growth.

According to the Harvard Business Review , processing feedback is more than just implementation; it requires continuous reflection, conversation, and practice. Feedback can help you identify your strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement and directly influence your professional goals.

Related: How to Give Feedback Effectively

4. Reassess Your Time Commitments

Continually assess your time commitments to ensure you can realistically achieve your professional development goals.

For example, while learning a new technical skill can reap several professional benefits, it can also take up a lot of personal time. Maintaining work-life balance can help you better understand how your goals fit into your schedule.

By practicing effective time management skills , you can work toward your goals without impeding other commitments.

5. Learn from Other Departments

Beyond building a strong professional network, reach out to members of other departments or teams to learn different skills, processes, and organizational dynamics.

There are several benefits to learning from your colleagues. For one, it can help keep open lines of communication. This is particularly important when working remotely .

You can also gain a holistic view of your company. By connecting with people who have different priorities, challenges, and resources, you can understand the bigger picture when it comes to organizational needs. This is particularly valuable if you want to become an effective leader .

6. Further Your Education

Furthering your education is another way to achieve your professional development goals. Earning a master’s degree—such as an MBA —or a professional certificate are just a couple of options.

If, at first glance, it doesn’t seem like pursuing additional education will fit into your schedule, online options can provide the flexibility you need as a working professional.

Specialized online courses—like HBS Online’s offerings —can take only a few weeks and help you learn new business skills and strategies that enable you to achieve your professional development goals.

Related: What Is the Value of a Certificate from HBS Online?

7. Regularly Review Your Progress

Reviewing your progress toward your professional development goals is often referred to as self-assessment , which is closely related to self-awareness in the workplace.

“Self-awareness is about developing your capacity to sense how you’re coming across,” says HBS Professor Joshua Margolis in the online course Leadership Principles . “To have undistorted visibility into your own strengths and weaknesses—and to be able to gauge the emotions you’re personally experiencing.”

Create a document that tracks your weekly or monthly progress to help gauge how long it will take to achieve your goals. You can also use it to record achievements that help you advocate for yourself during performance reviews.

A Guide to Advancing Your Career with Essentials Business Skills | Access Your Free E-Book | Download Now

Work Toward Your Professional Development Goals

Advancing your education is one of the most effective ways to develop professionally.

For instance, HBS Online’s certificate courses can help you gain applicable business skills, build your confidence, and jumpstart your career advancement —no matter your goals.

Do you want to start working toward your professional development goals? Explore our online course catalog —featuring programs ranging from leadership training to financial accounting—and download our free guide on how to advance your career with essential business skills .

About the Author

21 Professional Development Examples

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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professional development examples and definition, explained below

Professional development refers to the continuous process of improving upon your professional knowledge and skills throughout your career.

It can include any activities that might improve your productivity and ability to do your job, or soft skills like leadership and communication in the workplace.

Professional development activities can include both formal learning (e.g. gaining certifications) and informal learning (e.g. reading industry books).

Professional development is seen as important because we need to continuously adapt to the evolving demands of our jobs, particularly in the context of new research or technologies.

Definition of Professional Development

Professional development encompasses a wide range of activities designed to enhance an individual’s skills, knowledge, and effectiveness in their chosen profession.

The concept is succinctly defined by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as:

“…actions that (1) improve an individual’s knowledge, skills, and/or competencies, (2) are acquired by such individuals – teachers, principals or other education personnel – to support better professional practice, and (3) are expected to have an impact on positive educational outcomes.” ( OECD, 2019 ).

We generally engage in professional development in order to adapt to technological advancements, achieve career progression, and enhance our job performance.

Professional Development Examples

Leadership Training Course : This refers to engaging in activities that enhance your ability to manage, guide, motivate, and support your team. Leadership training typically involves training in positive communication skills , inclusivity, and mentorship. A leadership training course might be useful for someone in management roles or those aspiring to move into such positions.
Project Management Training : One example of this is getting your Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. These sorts of certifications help people to learn to manage large and complex projects – with multiple people along the workflow – from inception to completion. Skills that you could develop in this sort of training include planning abilities, risk management skills, quality control (especially important as you scale the project), and team coordination.
Certification Courses : Certifications are often embraced by workplaces because there’s a recognized accreditation at the end of the PD. It will involve a structured learning program, potentially offered by a local university or community college, that results in an additional formal qualification that will be useful for your job role. Certifications are especially valuable in highly-regulated fields and unionized fields, where your additional certifications may also be tied to pay rises.
Advanced Degree Pursuit : Perhaps the most ambitious version of professional development is to go back to college (perhaps online or at night school) in order to get an advanced degree such as a Masters or PhD. This may also a research-based component where you can engage in action research that seeks to break new ground on research directly related to your job role, making you a world expert in your topic.
Mentorship Programs : Seeking out mentorship can be one of the best ways to advance in your skills and abilities. A mentorship program allows for learning from experienced and senior professionals within your career area. It can provide you with the tacit knowledge and skills that are hard to obtain from a formal course. Additionally, mentors can provide valuable wisdom , guidance (often helping you to avoid mistakes they made), and networking possibilities.
Conferences and Seminars : Conferences can be very expensive, but they’re also often the spaces where you learn the tips, insights, and tricks of the most cutting-edge people in your field, that can dramatically improve your skills and abilities. In my experience, it’s the conversations in the hallways that are most valuable about conferences more than anything else. Moreover, you could put your hand up to present at these events, which opens up even more networking opportunities .
Workshops : Workshops provide hands-on learning experiences and are more focused on practical skills than conferences and webinars. The benefit of a workshop is often that it has a very clear goal or skillset that’s being worked on, and they often facilitate active learning opportunities (where you ‘learn through doing’).
Webinars: Webinars are online seminars that have become increasingly popular since the move to online work and learning. Their great benefit is anyone can access this PD no matter where they are in the world. This makes them great for people who work in rural and remote areas. Attending webinars can showcase a proactive approach to learning and staying updated with industry trends.
Professional Networking: Networking involves intentionally reaching out to other professionals in the field to start sharing ideas and knowledge. I’ve been surprised in my time at the number of colleagues in other institutions who reach out via email to me and simply ask to chat, hoping that it would lead to collaborations, partnerships, and mutually beneficial opportunities. The more you do this, the more doors will open for you in the future.
Mastermind Groups: Mastermind groups are usually small, trusting groups of professionals who want to share ideas and brainstorm on a regular basis in non-judgemental spaces. It involves meeting with like-minded professionals to discuss challenges, successes, and strategies. They offer a collaborative environment for problem-solving and creative thinking .
Reading Industry Publications : Keeping up with the latest news, trends, and research in your field can be extremely beneficial. This is a simple, low-risk PD idea, that you can implement right away – get a subscription to an industry magazine (it’s a good one if you need last-minute evidence that you’re interested in PD before your performance review!).
Shadowing : Shadowing involves observing another professional in your field in order to obtain new insights into how to go about your job. It can be surprising the amount of small tips and tricks you can obtain by simply following someone through a process that you do regularly, to see how they have different shortcuts and methods that you hadn’t thought about.
Conducting Research : Spending time to conduct research on open databases like Google Scholar can lead to a deeper understanding of topics in your field, reveal flaws on your own practices, and open your eyes to differing approaches.
Learning New Software : With the constant development of new technologies, and especially with the rapid rise of AI tech, employees need time to sit down and work with (dare I say, play with) new software that could be implemented into our workflows to improve quality or speed up processes.
Joining Professional Organizations : Professional organizations – ideally ones that are ‘official’ and recognized as the peak bodies – can provide you with access to resources, networking events, and advancement opportunities that are exclusive to members.
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills Training : Sometimes, putting your hand up to participate in a public speaking event or to give a presentation may help you to achieve professional development. In these contexts, you’ll want to select something to research or focus on, then develop the depth of knowledge that you’ll be able to present interesting facts, data, and insights to others. This can also help to position you as a thought leader.
Volunteering in Your Field : Volunteering opportunities can give you new experiences and new insights that help you develop soft skills like empathy, while developing a deeper understanding of other people’s lived experiences. For example, a CEO who volunteers to help low-level staff in need can suddenly get insights into the day-to-day struggles his staff experience.
Cross-Training: Working in a different department or roles within your organization can broaden your understanding and give you new skills, while also benefitting the organization because cross-collaboration often leads to better understanding and eventually smoother interactions during cross-departmental projects.
Internships: If you are early in your career or changing fields, internships can provide valuable on-the-job training. I often encourage my students to participate in internships because this gives them a huge leg-up when going for new jobs – not only can you develop practical skills, but you can demonstrate your initiative beyond other students who don’t bother to do internships during college.
Cultural Competency Training : This is becoming increasingly important in global businesses and diverse work environments. In fact, most large workplaces now mandate this sort of training, which many of us will know by another name – diversity and inclusion training .
Career Coaching: Getting a career coach was something that was really useful for me. Mine was specifically a business coach, who helped me through not only the regular bottlenecks in business, but also the mindset issues faced in my role as a business owner.
Podcasts: I had to include this one because I do this every single day, and it’s my own informal PD that has kept me abreast of the latest trends in my industry. I go for a 45-minute walk, put on a podcast, and listen to what the movers and shakers are doing in the industry. Case studies, insights, and tips-and-tricks work to inspire me and keep me motivated, all while I’m getting some exercise!

Professional Development Goals Examples

In your workplace self-performance review , you’ll often be required to state what your goals are for professional development. Here are some “I will…” statements that you can use for inspiration:

“I will obtain a project management professional (PMP) certification to improve project execution skills.”
“I will attend a leadership development seminar to enhance team management capabilities.”
“I will enroll in a public speaking course to boost presentation and communication skills.”
“I will complete a master’s degree in my specialized field to deepen my professional expertise.”
“I will participate in a mentorship program to learn from industry veterans and develop my professional network.”
“I will attend at least three industry conferences or seminars this year to stay updated with the latest trends and innovations.”
“I will enroll in a workshop on the latest software relevant to my profession to increase my efficiency at work.”
“I will join a professional organization related to my field to access additional resources and networking opportunities.”
“I will participate in a mastermind group to improve my problem-solving skills and gain different perspectives on industry challenges.”
“I will learn a new language to enhance my communication skills in our increasingly global business environment.”

What is the Importance of Professional Development?

Professional Development plays a pivotal role in both personal career growth and the overall success of an organization.

First and foremost for you, the employee, professional development will help you to be more productive, become more of an expert in the field, and therefore hopefully command a higher wage and better job positions long-term.

But, for your employer, it is also the engine that drives the evolution of industries by keeping the workforce updated, innovative, and effective.

One of the primary benefits of professional development is the enhancement of skills and knowledge that leads to improved job performance and improved employee retention. For example, Lorman argues that employee retention improves 30%-50% when an organization has successful professional learning programs.

Moreover, professional development opportunities can boost employee satisfaction and retention.

According to LinkedIn’s 2018 Workforce Learning Report, 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development (LinkedIn, 2018).

Professional development is therefore a win-win for individuals and organizations alike. It empowers employees to reach their full potential while simultaneously enhancing the productivity and profitability of the organization.

The above ideas for professional development and learning can hopefully give you an insight into ways you can develop your professional skills, freshen up your skills on your resume , and put you in a great position for a raise or internal promotion. Ideally, select PD opportunities that will give you some tangible workforce skills that you can apply immediately, and, a recognized accreditation that you can carry with you for the rest of your career.

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