Professional development goals are the ones most people struggle to write specifically. "Develop my skills" is not a goal. "Earn a recognised project management qualification by November and use it to run the Q1 system upgrade" is. Below are examples you can adapt, grouped by type.
Certifications and qualifications
- Complete a recognised certification relevant to your role (for example, project management, HR, finance or data) by a set date.
- Pass the first module of a professional qualification this year and plan the next.
- Earn a short-course certificate in an area your team is weak in, then share key lessons in a team session.
Tie each to how you will apply it. A certificate on its own is input; using it is the goal. See development goals that aren't busywork.
Courses and training
- Complete a short course in budgeting and prepare your team's next budget draft.
- Take a leadership course and apply one technique in every one-to-one for three months.
- Attend two industry events and write a one-page summary of trends for your team.
For more ideas specific to training, see training goals examples.
Did you know? Hermann Ebbinghaus's memory experiments in the 1880s produced the "forgetting curve": without review or use, most newly learned material fades within days. It is the main reason development goals should include applying what you learn, not just completing a course.
Stretch assignments
- Lead a small cross-team project from start to finish.
- Represent your team in a steering group or client meeting.
- Cover part of your manager's role during their leave.
Knowledge and reading
- Read one book a quarter on your field and apply one idea from each.
- Subscribe to two sector newsletters and share useful insights monthly.
- Follow a podcast series on your field; see podcast learning goals.
Networking and visibility
- Build relationships with one senior person in another department through a monthly coffee.
- Join a professional body and attend four events this year.
- Present your team's work at an internal showcase.
Writing them properly
Whatever the type, a strong development goal has:
- A specific skill or credential.
- A deadline.
- An application, meaning where you will use it.
- Evidence, meaning what you will show at review.
The bottom line
The best professional development goals combine learning with doing. Choose a skill that matters for your next step, set a date and plan where you will use it. LSBUK's short courses, including Business Planning and Goal Setting and The Importance of Training and Development in the Workplace, are designed to be applied immediately at work.