Your personal development plan (PDP) is your roadmap for growth, but it’s also a reflection of your aspirations. Here are more things to consider:
Perhaps you are unclear what you want to do next, but you know what you enjoy doing and what you don’t. What roles are out there that fit your interests? Investigating this further through networking can be a lot of fun and make the path forward clearer.
Tip: Don’t do this too quickly. Broaden your search parameters. Call your friends with different specialties, even speak to your neighbors outside of pharma to see how they develop themselves. Look for what appears to be unique take on things. One of my neighbors when stressed says she does the opposite, thinks the opposite, looks for the opposite or different. She may or may not do anything, but she says it relieves her ‘either-or’ way of thinking under stress.
There are many tools available that will help you reflect on how you’d like to focus your development plan. It should start with a review of your recent performance evaluations, field ride-along feedback, your PDP from last year, and other sources of feedback you’ve received. Perhaps you completed a personality or behavioral self-assessment tools such as Inner Genius, DISC, Insights, or Myers-Briggs which has provided areas for development aligned with your personality style. While we may want to deny the accuracy of these tools, if we take an honest look at the results, there are a few things that may be valuable to address. Does your company offer the opportunity for 360° feedback? Perhaps you have competency models that outline the expectations of your role. As you review these tools, be honest with yourself about your strengths and areas for improvement. An honest, open discussion with your manager and/or a trusted colleague or mentor will provide additional insights that are valuable as you begin this process.
Tip: Don’t just ask for ‘feedback’…ask for what you really want. “During my last presentation what is one thing you really liked and one thing that I can do better next time?” Direct their thinking or you will get a Jack Nicholson dump!
Over the next few posts, we will dive deeper into these topics and give you many points to consider as you build your PDP around two or three goals for your personal development. Having a growth mindset as you embark on this journey will enhance your ability to become the artist you want to be and optimize your impact as an MSL.