15 Facts About Professional Development

Projects, mentoring, coaching, reading, teaching, experimentation, and challenging assignments can all contribute.

Learning only what is comfortable may leave professionals unprepared for emerging responsibilities.

Professionals need to understand what they currently do well and where capability gaps exist.

Someone can repeat the same responsibilities for years without significantly increasing capability.

New responsibilities create opportunities to develop judgment and adaptability.

Professional development requires understanding how one's work affects others.

Experienced professionals can provide perspective that would otherwise take years to acquire.

Professional relationships can expose people to ideas, opportunities, and alternative approaches.

Not every available course is equally valuable.

Capabilities that remain useful across roles can protect career flexibility.

Learning something new can expose a person to previously unknown roles.

When learning opportunities disappear and responsibilities remain static, stagnation may occur.

People should regularly ask what they have learned and how it changes their next move.

Organizations can provide opportunities, but individuals also need ownership.

A useful development activity should eventually improve capability, judgement, performance, or contribution.