Step by step instruction and personal development plan instructions, template in an easy to follow guide.

1. This document is intended to explain the concept of Personal Development Planning and Personal
Development Plans (PDPs).
PDP - Personal Development Planning and Personal Development Plan
PDP is defined as 'a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect
upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal,
educational and career development'.
PDP embraces a range of approaches to learning that connect planning (an individual's
goals and intentions for learning or achievement), doing (aligning actions to intentions),
recording (thoughts, ideas, experiences, in order to understand and evidence the process
and results of learning) and reflection (reviewing and evaluating experiences and the results
of learning).
The tables below will help you to go through three steps to arrive at such a plan:
Step 1 - The requirements of your current and/or future role
Step 2 - Identify your strengths and development areas
Step 3 - Build up a SMART action plan to bring about change and development
Step 1 - The requirements of my role
Start by thinking about your role and the elements of your job that require you to work. Depending
on your situation, you may wish to concentrate on your current role or perhaps on a future
anticipated role.
For example:
- What are the key relationships that will be important for success in this role?
- What will be the key tasks that you will be performing?
- What additional knowledge and understanding will you need?
- With whom, and how will you mostly be communicating?
- How clearly will your goals be defined?
- What personal pressures will this role impose on you?
In the light of your answers to these questions complete the table below:
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2. To fulfil the requirements of my role I need to:
Step 2: Identify your strengths and development areas
Area of Strength Ways to use it more extensively
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3. Address the issues as discussed by your supervisor or trainer in class:
Issues/ Area of Development Ways to address the Issues/ Areas
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4. Step 3: Build up a SMART action plan to bring about change and development
Working with the areas you have selected in Step 2, identify the specific actions you are going to
take to bring about change and development for yourself. The plan you make should be a SMART
plan, i.e.
Specific ………………. not ‘wish lists’ or vague statements
Measurable ………… how do you know you are doing it & is it effective
Affordable ………….. do you have the’ resources’ to do it
Realistic …………….. is it feasible, can you deliver this
Timely ……………….. when is it going to be done exactly
 Specific
Is your goal well-defined? Avoid setting unclear or vague objectives; instead be as
precise as possible. Instead of: To do well in my exams
Make it specific: To increase study time to 30hrs per week and attend all scheduled
revision sessions or instead of: “I will use my diary better” make it for specific: “Every
Friday afternoon I will plan my diary for the next week to maximise the use of my
time.”
 Measurable
Be clear how will you know when you have achieved your goal. Using numbers,
dates and times is one way to represent clear objectives.
Instead of: To get better grades
Make it measurable: achieve a 1 grade improvement in next 2 assignments.
Instead of “I will ask my colleagues for feedback” make it measurable: “I will diarise
feedback sessions every month, arrange for a colleague to check every 3 months
that these are working, and review results every 6 months.”
 Attainable
Setting yourself impossible goals will only end in disappointment. Make your goals
challenging, but realistic.
Instead of : Catch up on this year's backlog of reading during holiday period
Make it attainable: Allocate 4 hours a week in holidays to do academic reading.
 Relevant
Try and step back and get an overview of all the different areas of your life:
Academic, Personal and Career. Consider how relevant each objective is to the
overall picture.
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5.  Time-bound
Set a time scale for completion of each goal. Even if you have to review this as you
progress, it will help to keep you motivated.
Instead of: Find out about work abroad for holiday
Make it time-bound: By end of Easter holidays compile CV and identify 4 possible
holiday opportunities using resources at the careers centre or on the web.
Use test questions – for example:
 will the actions help you improve
 are you addressing the correct areas & are you asking for the right level of improvement
 will your measures help you to check progress against your plan
 have you thought of any help or support you may need to deliver
Now use the table on the following page to finalise an action plan in three areas.
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6. Personal Development Plan
Development Objective Specific actions Blockers and how Support required How I will know
they will be removed when I have achieved
the objective
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