Staff Leadership at Northwestern
2012
Professional Development Plan
[Your Name]
If you’re interested in improving your leadership effectiveness and efficiency, this
professional development planning template and process will help you move forward and
track progress. Just type in your information below, save it, and update it regularly. For
guidance please call Paul Corona, NU Director of Learning & Organization Development,
at 1-8570.
Section 1: Assessment (“Where I Am”)
Most important leadership accountabilities and indicators:
You and the person you report to need to agree on the most important things you’re accountable
for and how you’ll recognize success when you see it.
Examples:
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Build a customer-focused team; indicator = 4.5 / 5.0 rating on annual student
satisfaction survey
Balance our unit budget annually; indicator = year-end budget statements
Greatest strengths to leverage:
Identify your greatest strengths by finding patterns in your “leadership ideas” survey and annual
performance reviews.
Examples:
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Managing important projects to successful completion
Making compelling group presentations
Influencing those who are “customers, above me, or next to me” in the University
hierarchy
Improvement opportunities worth investing in:
Identify one or two improvement opportunities to focus on by finding patterns in your
“leadership ideas” survey and annual performance reviews.
Examples:

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
Listen more actively
Share knowledge more efficiently and whenever possible
More successfully influence those who are “under me” in the University hierarchy
Section 2: Goals (“Where I’m Going”)
One or two development goals:
Translate your strengths and improvement opportunities into one or two development goals that will help
you succeed with your most important leadership accountabilities.
Examples:

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Listen more actively – as indicated by feedback in my next “leadership ideas” survey and FY12
performance review
Share knowledge more efficiently and whenever possible – as indicated by feedback in my next
“leadership ideas” survey and FY12 performance review
More successfully influence others who are “under me” in the University hierarchy – as indicated
by feedback in my next “leadership ideas” survey and FY12 performance review
Section 3: Actions (“How I’ll Get There” )
Utilize coaching:
Talk regularly with Paul Corona about how to create, update and implement this development plan.
Actively participate in the “Staff Leadership at Northwestern” workshop series:
After each workshop, summarize 1) key takeaways, 2) what you try on the job, and 3) the results.
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Part 1, The Leadership Foundation
Part 2, Strategic Planning and Implementation
Part 3, Budget Planning and Policy Enforcement
Part 4, Engaging Stakeholders
Example: Applied leadership communication and networking concepts, which helped me understand
and leverage my team’s recommendations and get our 10% budget increase approved for FY14.
Seek challenging assignments:
We grow the most by pushing ourselves. Do challenging things in your work (e.g., lead a major
initiative, solve a difficult people-management problem, chair an important committee).
Reflect on performance feedback and suggestions:
Think and talk about patterns in your “leadership ideas” surveys and annual performance reviews.
Update your professional development goals and actions accordingly. Track your progress.
Meet with a mentor:
Build a strong relationship with an insightful leader who’s interested in offering you guidance, whenever
it’s needed, about leadership challenges and your career.