In the best of times, professional development activities are often overlooked. When times are tough, they are often cut completely. More often than not, this is a symptom of an enterprise culture that does not prioritize its employees, to its detriment. As a small enterprise, opportunity exists to modify this culture before it becomes ingrained.
The goal of this research note is to introduce the fundamental concepts of formalized professional development. Coverage includes:
- The benefits of professional development programs.
- The impact of training (or lack thereof) on the bottom line.
- Defining a professional development program.
- Developing individual professional development plans.
- Tools for aiding the development management process.
Neglected training carries costs to the enterprise. Understand these costs and formalize efforts to strategically invest in staff professional development.
