Dr. Farid A. Muna
Chairman
Meirc Training & Consulting

July 2011

When we hear the term self development, two things come to mind. First, it is a process to enhance one's skills, knowledge, and competencies in order to improve work performance or to achieve future career aspirations. Second, it is the actions a person takes to enrich the quality of his or her life now and in the future-perhaps by balancing work, family, and personal life in order to achieve tranquility and happiness.

In both cases, the initiative must come from the person himself or herself. Yes, you, the reader, must take personal responsibility for planning and implementing a strategy to develop yourself. There is no reliance on an employer or any other organization. Help from others, yes-but no dependency. The late Peter Drucker said it well many years ago: "Development is self-development". For any self development to take place you must first and foremost be highly motivated to bring about the desired change; and you must also strive to know yourself very well.

If you are truly motivated to develop yourself or to improve the quality of your life, you will need to invest a few hours of your time to do the brief exercises described in this short article.

A self-development program

Know thyself: the key to success is to truthfully analyze your own strengths and areas for improvement. Human resources professionals use a technique called Training Needs Analysis when designing development programs for employees. A target job, or a career path, is analyzed in terms of the required competencies (skills, knowledge, and attitudes). These competencies are then compared with the current competencies and interests of the employee. This comparison reveals competency gaps, or training needs, in very specific fields of management, such as finance and budgeting, marketing and sales, logistics, technical skills, networking, working with teams, negotiation, leadership, and so on.

Develop a learning plan: the training and career development needs that have been identified become the objectives, or the "What". Next comes the "How", or the methods that are available for learning and acquiring the required competencies. These methods include, but are not restricted to: attending training programs, conferences, workshops, and talks by visiting speakers; reading relevant literature and journals (includes using the Internet); attending company meetings; volunteering to join task forces or teams; grabbing uncontested tasks or responsibilities; visiting similar industries with the aim of learning best practices; joining professional clubs; enrolling in higher education programs (even if part-time, e-learning, or distance learning); seeking advice from a mentor (from within or outside the organization); and many more depending on the desired competencies.

Of course, a learning plan has to be scheduled over time; this is the "When". Some of the learning activities will be ongoing, others will have to be planned for certain times or specific periods. Finally, periodic reviews of a learning plan are necessary to evaluate whether learning has indeed taken place. This is the "How Well", the process of measuring progress and success from time to time.

There you have it: the "What", "How", "When", and "How Well" that constitute the core of a learning plan. Once again, there must be an insatiable thirst, a burning desire, for more knowledge and continuous learning throughout life. Remember, if you are truly self-motivated, learning can take place from the cradle to the grave.

Balancing work, family, and personal life

No matter how young or old you are, it is never too late to re-evaluate and re-think your lifestyle. Take a few moments to ask yourself: "Do I find myself suffering from occasional stress, depression, frustration, or guilty feelings about how I spend my time? Am I happy with my accomplishments so far in my life? Are there any regrets? Are there any unfulfilled hopes and dreams?" Whatever your answers, now is the time to start planning for the future.

Know thyself: to change your future lifestyle and to balance work, family, and personal life, you should first analyze and appreciate the past and the present. Visit the past. Plot on a piece of blank paper the major high and low points since you were a child up to the present day. Think back about the most significant events (both happy and sad). This simple exercise will give you the perspective you need to start thinking about the future. Be careful, however-don't use the past as an excuse. As the writer Paulo Coelho said, "It is always important to know when something has reached its end...what matters is to leave in the past those moments in life that are over." The past is gone; so don't cry over spilt milk. Instead, use your analysis of the past to make a Wish List of things you intended to do earlier in life, or things you wish to do in the future.

Future planning: a SWOT analysis comes in handy at this stage. It allows you to analyze your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats not only today, but also in the future. This useful exercise allows people to build on their strengths, minimize or reduce their weaknesses, grab current or future opportunities, and avoid (or be prepared to face) current and future threats. Here are some examples of possible threats: to avoid poor health requires good diet and regular exercise; to avoid financial loss due to a catastrophe requires insurance or astute financial planning.

Next, write down the answers to the following questions: "What are my future goals?" "What do I want to accomplish during the rest of my life?" In short, what is your vision statement or statement of purpose? It is helpful at this point to draw four, five or more circles each representing the value you place on your work, family, personal growth (includes spiritual and intellectual), friends, community, and so on (see the hypothetical example below). Are your circles of the same size? How big is the overlap? Is there balance or imbalance? Are you overlooking any aspects of your life? Clearly, you have to continue looking after your finances (savings and investments) and your health (physical, mental, and spiritual).

It is time to decide on an agenda and on specific future action plans. For each circle, ask yourself, "How" and "How else", can I improve or introduce change. Draw up a To-Do list, and a wish list-one list for each circle. The To-Do lists should include daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual actions. Some of the plans or actions might be one-time occurrences, for example, a vacation in China or in Brazil. Others may happen once every two or three years, for example a reunion of friends or the extended family. Some actions will be monthly, such as visiting children or grandchildren, or engaging in community activities.

If this step is completed comprehensively, it is very likely that you will have at least ten To-Do items or action plans for each of the five circles (for a total of more than 50 action plans) spread over several years-not to mention those actions relating to your finance and health! People who have completed this future planning exercise reported a sense of relief, a renewed clarity of purpose, and a heightened motivation to change-very few felt overwhelmed.

Like all planning, it is essential to set time horizons, targets, and measurable goals. Finally, don't neglect to measure progress, and from time to time review your future plans in order to manage changing circumstances.

It is never too late to change! Start planning your future now.