TAAENV501A Maintain and enhance professional practice

Personal development needs and career planning

Identifying, maintaining and enhancing professional practice is not an isolated activity within an organisation. Enhancing any professional practice suggests a concise expression of expected performance and a systematic approach to developing individual competence where capacity falls short of expected performance. As such the study of professional practice needs to firstly address methods of data collection and appraisal of performance expectations.

For many employees the main trigger for development of professional practice-or as we will more commonly call it professional development-comes from performance appraisal systems adopted by the organisation. Performance appraisals centre on:

The process of identifying, maintaining, enhancing and evaluating the performance capacity of employees in the organisation to deliver current and future organisational goals and objectives related to their job role. The process can also enhance communication with the employee in terms of recognition, feedback, isolation of personal development needs and target talent development relating to future career and learning pathways (Bowles, 1999, 2003).

Performance appraisal should be considered as part of the overall training and development system. Such a process would usually integrate individual development and overall strategic performance requirements; as depicted below.

 

Figure 1 The strategic appraisal cycle

Figure 2 Performance appraisal and interlocking processes

Shaded areas represent the operational people management activities a manager within the training and assessment (learning) field will usually hold responsibility.

Whether triggered by the performance appraisal process or other activities, assessment of professional practice should result in a development processes that isolates:

• Confirmation of current competencies and/or standards of professional practice;
• Immediate (priority) development needs where an individual's capacity to perform is below that expected in professional practice;
• Personal development choices or development needs for future career or work needs (low priority);
• Options to resolve personal development gaps;
• Confirmation by all parties of the commitments to implement professional development plan.

Reading 1

Junor, A (1997) ' Lecture 8-2 Issues in Performance Management: Formative Assessment and Individual Development Plans', Unit 3488/HRM2 Lecture 8-2, Performance Appraisal and Competency Based Assessment , Human Resource Management 2, University of Canberra: Canberra. Sourced November 2004 at http://www.canberra.edu.au/uc/lectures/mantech/manpol/sem972/unit3488/Unit3488+HRM2_Lecture8-2_Performance_Appraisal_and_Competency_Based_Assessment.txt .

Activity 1

Complete the following chart to assess how performance appraisal sessions and processes you may be involved in rank against the listed criteria. The chart lists attributes across two extremes, the planned and formal process (left column) and the les formal or more subjective approach (right column). Ranking occurs by placing a response (a tick) on each line across the spectrum from 1 to 7. For instance on the first line a ranking of 1 (closest to the left hand response) would suggest performance appraisals are very consistent or a ranking of 7 (closest to the left hand column), that the sessions are not at all similar. If you were unsure your ranking would be in the middle column scoring 4. If they were mostly consistent you may respond with a ranking of 2 or 3.

	1.	2.	3.	4.	5.	6.	7.
Consistent								Dissimilar
Known measures								Subjective
Planned								Random
Comprehensive (everyone)								Disconnected (Few staff on key issues)
Known procedures								Appraiser sets procedures
Records kept								Filed by appraiser
Linked to training								No external links
Management tool								Personal tool
Feedback sought								Instructions given
Improving self								Improving attainment of manager's objectives
Recognising achievements								Focussing on faults
Time consuming								Less time consuming
Subtotals

Tally the score for every response from the column head (e.g. 1 though 7) .
Total is NOW = _______

Scoring

62-84

Appraisal and feedback sessions are generally routinised, formal and cyclic. They focus on goal attainment and operational problems. Personal development needs coverage is most likely through indirect or accidental procedures, rather than a deliberate focus. The conduct of the process is also likely to reflect management control, rather than reinforce empowered and participative communication processes.

37-62

Performance and appraisal are more balanced. The processes are likely to balance the needs of the appraiser/manager attaining their goals, whilst, to a limited extent, also acknowledging the needs of the individual employee (appraisee). Achievements are acknowledged and feedback sought, but the means for doing this are often informal or ad hoc. Seeking causes for problems and fault may still be present in the process. The process is still triggered by the management team and controlled by timelines set outside the team or process level's control.

12-36

Appraisal and feedback sessions are targeting known measures and actively seek input from the appraisee/teams; including when sessions are held, feedback and procedures. Management takes a less controlling influence on the appraisal process and seeks feedback from multiple levels within the appraisal and management process. Processes are closely tied to individual improvement and identification of both operational and individual needs.

Professional development and goal alignment

Performance and goal alignment is not a static process. Personal competence and overall contribution to organisational outcomes require some sense of self-development and ability to anticipate future needs. Planning one's own career and the desire to plan for personal and work goals beyond those effected today strengthen a an employee's value to an organisation.

Activity 2

Complete the following activity as an introduction to assessing your career outlook.

Circle the answer that best describes your feelings about each statement. Choose from among the following responses:

1=Strongly Disagree 2=Disagree 3=Agree 4=Strongly Agree

No.	Question	1	2	3	4
•	I would leave for a new company rather than complete the same tasks and duties for years	•	•	•	•
•	It is important for me to become expert in specialised tasks or functional areas	•	•	•	•
•	Being free from organisation restrictions is important to me	•	•	•	•
•	I like a career where you can see how your work affects others	•	•	•	•
•	A career with a variety of assignments and work projects is important to me	•	•	•	•
•	I believe my competence will lead to a position in senior management	•	•	•	•
•	I like to be identified with a particular organisation and the accompanying prestige	•	•	•	•
•	I would prefer to remain in my present locality rather than move because of promotion	•	•	•	•
•	Developing my skills by addressing new or changed circumstances is important to me	•	•	•	•
•	I like to encounter new problems and solve them	•	•	•	•
•	I know my capabilities are such that I can never be committed to a specific area of expertise or company	•	•	•	•
•	I enjoy an endless variety of challenges	•	•	•	•
•	It is important to me to be identified with a powerful and prestigious employer	•	•	•	•
•	I am not motivated by the idea of participating in many areas of work	•	•	•	•
•	I am excited by the variety of means and ways to lead and manage people	•	•	•	•
•	I would gladly stabilise my life by sacrificing some autonomy	•	•	•	•
•	It is important that my job provides me with security, benefits and a good retirement	•	•	•	•
•	I want to be acknowledged for my skills and expertise	•	•	•	•
•	I am motivated by being involved in all aspects of the services and products we deliver	•	•	•	•
•	I want to be identified by my organisation and my job	•	•	•	•
•	Using my skills and talents for an important cause is important to me	•	•		•
•	Being recognised by my title is important to me	•	•	•	•
•	I prefer work that allows the freedom to set routines and procedures that enable me to produce quality outcomes	•	•	•	•
•	I prefer a career with certainty	•	•	•	•
•	Achieving a general management position is important to me	•	•	•	•
•	I like to be in an occupation with long-term employment prospects	•	•	•	•
•	I would accept a senior position only if it is in my area of expertise	•	•	•	•
•	Location of work is more important than a new job or promotion	•	•	•	•
•	Accumulating a personal fortune proves to myself and others that I am competent in my job	•	•	•	•
•	I want a position that uses my technical as well as my interpersonal competencies	•	•	•	•
•	I have been motivated throughout my work life by jobs that fully employ my knowledge and skills	•	•	•	•
•	Creating or delivering quality products and services is important to me	•	•	•	•
•	I prefer to remain in my area of competency rather than being promoted out of my area of expertise	•	•	•	•
•	I don't like being restricted by an organisation or the business world	•	•	•	•
•	Helping others change through my efforts is important to me	•	•	•	•
•	My main concern is to secure a stable future	•	•	•	•
•	I would not like to be recognised for poor quality work	•	•	•	•
•	My career should build on a firm base of my recognised expertise	•	•	•	•
•	Working with people participatively to make the right decisions for that situation is important to me	•	•	•	•
•	It is important to me that others look to me as a model for their own careers	•	•	•	•

Scoring

The above tool focusses on how you balance four personal drivers or desires:

Personal Recognition Certainty Challenge Nature of the wWork

Personal Recognition

Question	Score
3
7
11
13
20
22
25
29
34
40
TOTAL

Certainty

Question	Score
8
14
16
17
24
26
27
28
36
38
TOTAL

Challenge

Question	Score
1
5
6
9
10
12
15
19
35
39
TOTAL

Nature of the Work

Question	Score
2
4
18
21
23
30
31
32
33
37
TOTAL

 

These scores provide an indicative basis to view how factors under each category affect your personal decision on career choices and different motivators. In summary, your scores for each of the four categories indicate dominant influences and the overall balance:

Score of 10 to 17 = Low influence or reason for making certain choices

Score of 18 to 25 = Moderate influence on career and personal choices

Score of 26 to 33 = Strong influence and motivator for choices

Score of 34 to 40 = Dominant driver in career and personal choices

Remember there is no correct or incorrect answer. This exercise is only intended to provide personal insight.

What career do you want?

Professional development plans need to confirm where you want to progress to in the medium (2 years) to long term (5 years) with your career. If you don't know, do a job or occupational search. Profile where you are now, and where you would like to be. Then you can determine the difference in both learning and experience required to attain the desired position.

Activity 3

Unsure of your career options? Talk with your HR manager or immediate supervisor. You can also use career advisory and occupational mapping tools available online at sites such as http://www.myfuture.edu.au/ .

What are we developing in our training and assessment leaders?

There is no one prescription for the development of leaders in education. How leadership development is shaped will be guided by how we answer the following question. What attributes are we trying to develop? This may seem a very basic question, but it is one that many fail to ask when planning and implementing development programs for professional or project leaders. As we examined in the early chapters leadership may vary not only in definition, but also in how we define leadership. What is it we intend to develop? Is it:

• Traits?
• Roles?
• Behaviours?
• Competencies-skills and knowledge ?
• Personal situational and contingency capacities?
• Or something else?

Quite simply, how we describe the leader of training or assessment will affect how we structure development programs.

Figure 3 The Dimensions of Leadership Development

© Working Futures 1998

The above dimensions impact not only the design of leadership development programs, but also how such programs will impact and should be configured for each individual, as with the old adage, 'one size does not fit all'. Even if we design a leadership development program with sensitivity to all variables affecting design, we still can ignore individual needs. Where the inspiration and capacity to lead comes from within the individual this can be a critical oversight in the development of leadership programs.

Figure 3 depicts three dimensions:

Dimensions 1-Human Functioning: The dimensions that impact the performance of leadership by humans.
Dimensions 2-Leadership Characteristic: The dimensions that impact how we describe leadership.
Dimensions 3-Variables Impacting the Individual Leader: The dimensions that detail how an individual leads within a given context.

Human functioning

It is argued that human functioning has three primary aspects-mental, emotional and physical. The personality of a leader and their performance in a given context can be identified and analysed against these dynamic aspects (Seagal & Horne, 1997:23). This is more fully covered in the reading below. Just as with our earlier study of leadership styles, Seagal and Horne (1997) argue that every individual balances what they do and what they prefer to do around these three aspects.

	Thinking Objectivity Vision Overview Structure Values
EMOTIONAL	Feeling Subjectivity Relationship Communication Organisation Creative imagination
	Making Doing Actualising Sensory Experience Practicality Systemic Experience

 

Assessing current competencies gaps and development needs

Professional practice can suffer greatly where individual performance is hindered by lack of specific competencies. Early identification of competency gaps is often a common part of the initial professional development needs analysis process.

Activity 4

Complete the Mapping Core Management Competencies activity. This focusses on management competencies. You may choose to do this exercise using the Training and Assessor Competency Standards (for instance from the RPL Kit) for this course). The following collection of competencies has been chosen as a 'neutral' set of competencies relating to a training manager who leads a team or project. Place a Tick ( ü ) next to those tasks that you currently undertake as part of your job. This is an indicative exercise and is not intended to be comprehensive.

Manage Program Services and Functions in the Department Operational Context

Identify and support the operations, objectives and culture of the department
Build and maintain relevant networks and relationships
Anticipate and identify the impact of the internal and external environment on department policies, program priorities, and business unit operations
Analyse, critically assess, interpret and apply relevant information to program operations

2. Identify, Decide on and Achieve Results

Use strategic and operational planning processes to set goals and business unit strategies
Develop plans with specific performance indicators which are measurable, achievable, relevant and timely
Plan and negotiate resource requirements
Identify risks and promote opportunities for enhancing future strategic results
Gain relevant support and acceptance for objectives and strategies
Manage financial and physical resources effectively according to strategic indicators
Use management information systems to monitor performance and results against objectives, review risks and adjust plans as necessary
Set goals and priorities and allocates own resources and time accordingly
Identify and support changes to procedures or work practices to achieve deadlines and agreed goals

3. Lead and Manage People

Identify and support appropriate direction and purposes for all within the work group
Design and modify work participatively to meet job and individual requirements
Identify and provide appropriate training and development opportunities
Give accurate and timely feedback on individual performance
Motivate staff and foster innovation, creativity and excellence
Develop and maintain teams
Promote adherence to all relevant Department policy and practices on anti-discrimination and OH&S

4. Implement and Manage Change

Examine and communicate a shared message on the rationale and mechanisms for change
Create an environment conducive to change
Adopt and foster a positive view of change
Advise and support individuals on change processes in the work group
Identify and respond to the industrial context by establishing the impact of workplace reforms and changing work practices
Manage flexibly to meet program and strategic changes

5. Develop and Manage Personal Effectiveness

Identify and reconcile own strengths and weaknesses
Openly receive and respond to feedback
Pro-actively seek and respond to problem identification
Seek and support problem resolution within the work group
Demonstrate personal integrity and adhere to ethical practices
Act according to relevant EEO and other legislative and legal obligations impacting Department management practices
Represent Program and the work place unit
Demonstrate self-organisation and a sense of responsibility

6. Communicate with Others

Communicate direction and purpose to inspire the commitment of others
Use open, two-way communication and involve others in decision making and problem solving
Communicate in a manner that enhances the meaning and reason for staff to be committed to particular actions
Give feedback and counsel staff
Display interpersonal sensitivity to the values, beliefs and worldview of others in communications
Communicate in mediums clearly and concisely
Prepare and present communication in an appropriate manner (including being innovative and creative) to gain receiver acceptance

7. Implement Quality Management Systems

Develop and communicate to staff in the immediate work area all aspects of the overall program commitment to quality improvement
Establish and promote quality management systems
Calculate and evaluate the costs associated with all quality elements and objectives (such as reliability, timeliness, safety, performance etc)
Define and communicate quality outcomes for each position within the work group consistent with program quality objectives
Devise workplace quality systems cognisant of the Program structure, processes and resources
Develop and make available workplace procedures and guidelines (manual)
Identify and audit quality factors influencing client satisfaction
Identify customers both internally and externally
Promote communication style and patterns that will enhance the identification and satisfaction of customer needs

8. Manage Resources

Allocate and record usage of all resources
Monitor, evaluate and report on performance and results against objectives
Design and organise work participatively to meet job and people requirements
Delegate responsibilities and authority
Manage resources in accordance with Department & Service regulatory requirements
Deliver the product or service

9. Anticipate and Respond to the Operational Context

Manage operational improvement
Determine impediments to corporate efficiency
Identify competitive advantages
Anticipate competitive factors
Mange information and forecasting systems

10. Control and Coordinate Functions

Contribute to corporate planning processes
Plan strategically
Strengthen accountability
Monitor adherence to all business and corporate strategic objectives
Achieve best practices
Evaluate competitiveness of current performance

11. Service Customer Needs

Determine customer expectations and perceptions
Evaluate current service capacity
Assess current service culture and values
Implement a service quality strategy
Establish measurement and monitoring systems for service quality
Evaluate and revise customer service strategies

• Now consider how these competencies could be used to profile existing work tasks, profile jobs and add value to discussions on profiling a job.
• Now consider how the competencies where you have current gaps may be developed. Use the development planning tools in the following sections to establish priorities and development needs.

Benchmarking or measuring professional development against organisational goals

The purpose of goal alignment is simply to integrate the targets or what may be called Key Result Areas (KRAs) for the enterprise at corporate level with process-level (team) and individual responsibilities, in this case the training and assessment professional.

The corporate and perhaps process-level goals would be reconfigured every calendar year (or nominated planning cycle) and communicated down to the process and the individual level. It should be noted that the process level may cover a variety of bodies from a division or a section in a smaller organisation; a work team that could have a myriad of different configurations; or a strategic business unit.

Each business unit or process-level team would meet to configure operational/business goals that aligned with the broad parameters of the corporate-level goals.

Finally, each department or business unit/process work team unit manager would ensure that KRAs are communicated to individuals participating in setting their own and the work group's goals for the same planning period.

The proposed three levels of involvement would normally be a minimum. Most organisations would, generally, be expected to have planning that span corporate, process/team level and individual levels.

It is important to note that the process of setting individual and team KRAs would also involve setting performance outcome measures. These individual and team outcomes would then reconfigure or augment the successive levels' final definition of performance indicators or outcome descriptions as they were communicated back into the final setting of critical strategic, process and individual performance outcomes.

Activity 5

Goal alignment form

Instructions: Examine your organisation or one you are familiar with. Can you identify a set of goals that 'cascade' down from corporate level, through team or process level to an individual job or personal level?

Hints

Setting Standards of Performance should:

• Define the job in relation to work area and strategic objectives (KRAs);
• Differentiate the job from others in the section/team/work area;
• Integrate the job's performance with the whole section/team/work area;
• Be job related and realistic;
• Be worded in clear and concise language and terms;
• Be framed consistent with organisational culture, procedures and practices;
• Reflect the performance context (location and environment).

Figure 4 Integrating corporate strategic goals with individual performance

Setting and integrating job performance outcomes

Competency standards are not necessarily the same as the KRA or other types of performance outcomes set by a company to meet their specific needs. Often national competencies set a standard of performance required at a level of employment, while companies set standards that include specific benchmarks for task completion.

Activity 6

Differentiating competencies from performance indicators

Establish which of the following are either a competency standard likely to apply to many individuals and companies (mark with a 'C'), or a measurable, more specific performance indicator likely to be internal to one company (mark with a 'P').

1. Process 12 A3001 forms per day
2. Process forms correctly to time requirements
3. Manage self
4. Achieve an overall decrease in customer complaints
5. Determine the cause and record trainees' complaints
6. Course enrolments are processed within 24 hours of receipt
7. Maintain learning equipment to manufacturers' instructions
8. Source data on the number of course enrolments
9. Monitor all A3001 work place injury file system entries and lending accurately
10. Establish and maintain training files

Answers:

Competency standards are those listed at 3, 5, 7 and 10. The remaining could be performance benchmarks with more detailed measures and explanations.

The next section moves on to examine how a professional development plan can encompass future as well as current practice.

Personal development questionnaire anticipating your future skill needs

Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Position : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Date: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

Rank the Responses ( 1 is low & 5 is high)

List the major changes that will impact your work roles ê	What are the major skills you will need to have?	Do you have these skills to the level required?		Importance						Difficulty to Acquire
			1	2	3	4	5		1	2	3	4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

 

If you were in a workplace team, forms such as this can assist with the framing of meaningful outcomes/goals.

The form would also be part of an overall package to identify strategic, personal and work group targets and measures for a planning period.

© Original copyright the Huon Institute 1994. Actual form would be on A3 or larger folio paper, or available electronically.

Personal improvement plan-Personal and work context

Interviewee's Name: _____________________________ Position: ________________________________

Interviewer/Mentor's Name: _____________________________ Role: ________________________________

Date: ___/____/________

 

					Rank the challenge and/or reward for achieving this outcome (1 is low & 5 is high )
CATEGORY	What has been the greatest success in this category?	What has been the cause of greatest concern?	What outcome do you want to achieve in the next 12 months?		1	2	3	4	5
Your personal growth
Your job
Your manager
Your leadership style
Your direct customers

The form would also be part of an overall package to identify strategic, personal and work group targets and measures for a planning period.

© Original copyright the Huon Institute 1994. Actual form would be on A3 or larger folio paper, or available electronically.

Professional Development Plan

Interviewee's Name: _____________________________ Position: ________________________________

Interviewer/Mentor's Name: _____________________________ Team/Work Area: ________________________________

Time in Present Position: _____________________________ Last Development Appraisal: __/__ /_____

Competency development targets - required (Title/Code)

1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3. _______________________________
4. _______________________________
5. _______________________________

Competency Development Achieved (Title/Code)

1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3. _______________________________
4. _______________________________
5. _______________________________

Strategies to Achieve Development

1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
4. ______________________________
5. ______________________________

Personal Career Development Options

Transfer to: Promotion to: Relocation to: Project on:

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________