The dynamic and unpredictable business environment is a harbinger of change necessitating a paradigm shift in the workings of an organisation. These changes have demanded employees to upskill to discharge their newfound responsibilities, entailing productive interactions with not just their team members and managers but also cross-functional teams, as was witnessed recently during the pandemic. Teamwork is an expression of coming together, and for its fruition, an individual’s personal development is immensely significant as it relates to business teams and leaders.
As the thin line between their personal and professional lives gets blurred, employees must look to bridge this divide by exploring more learning avenues. It will enable them to meet the challenges posed by this flux head-on, aiding their professional development. Research has confirmed that life-wide learning through executive education provides both professional and personal benefits, with its benefits felt by the extensive organisation and colleagues (Response Source, 2023). It should prompt the seamless integration of personal development in the organisation’s learning set-up and the steps it can take to ingrain its significance in its employees.
Personal Development
Personal development is a major time-saver. The better you become, the less time it takes you to achieve your goals.
– Brian Tracy, Canadian-American motivational public speaker and self-development author
Personal development pervades all facets of an individual’s personality and encompasses cultivating awareness, enhancing talents, developing emotional intelligence and building one’s appreciation of oneself and all of one’s qualities.
Its importance is amply clear from the fact that many companies have forayed into this space to explore it more to the extent that this industry is projected to reach $8 billion by 2028 (Open PR, 2023).
Role of the Employees
A conscious and concerted effort is required from employees to make personal development a part of their career advancement. The benefits of this are many, and the following points could assist in its fruition-
- Design a growth plan.
- Allocate growth time.
- Timebound learning goals.
- Provide innovative learning experiences.
- Make development easily accessible.
- Managers to help facilitate development (Forbes, 2017).
Potential career advancement opportunities get unlocked when the employees realise the importance of personal and professional development. The organisations have also taken initiatives underscoring its need (Yahoo, 2023).
Role of the Management
A shift in the mindset of organisations means employees are viewed as human capital today, as opposed to things. This approach has further advanced the cause of a learning culture in organisations giving further impetus to employees’ personal development. Personal development plans must get driven by individuals and their interests. It is significant as it-
- Increases compassion.
- Decreases knee-jerk reactions.
- Gives greater clarity, direction and a sense of values.
- Results in organisational leadership (Forbes, 2021).
The benefits of personal development should not be lost on organisations and employees alike, as various articles in the public domain discuss why it is significant to success in business (OCNJ Daily, 2023).
Advantages of Integrating ESG
It augurs well for organisations to foster a learning culture as the workforce has different aspirations than it did two years ago. The case for it could have never been stronger as people move out in droves to find more fulfilling career opportunities. A survey conducted by Better Buys disclosed that professional development can increase retention by up to 34% (Forbes, 2022), giving food for thought to organisations to prioritise it.
Organisations should encourage their employees to enrol for and undertake personal-development programmes. Coupled with an employee’s professional development, organisations gain immensely from their personal development as it leads to organisational leadership. The employees’ fervent embrace of personal development assists them in finding more success, greater fulfilment and a profound sense of purpose in their careers and lives.
Bibliography
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