If life is a journey rather than a destination, so is professional development, which can have as many different meanings as there are people.  Ideally, professional development continues from your first day on the job until retirement, and no single program suits everyone.  Activities that might be appropriate for a network engineer who has been out of school three years would be of little value to a senior training manager.  Professional development opportunities for people in small or midsize firms in small communities would vary significantly from those available to people in megafirms in large cities.  One firm culture might emphasize external visibility as the pinnacle of professional development (e.g., speaking and publishing work), and another firm might emphasize internal activities and pursuits (e.g., chairing internal committees or organizing the company newsletter) as the ideal contribution to the greater good.  In order to develop an individual's professional development strategy, one must take stock:

• Where are you in your career today (i.e., your job title/function, skills)?
  
• Where do you want to be in three or five years?
  
• What are your skills and strengths?
  
• What is valued by your current organization?
  
• What do other similar organizations value or emphasize?

For the analysis, it is helpful to organize the spectrum of professional development activities into broad categories in a pyramid, similar to the Maslow hierarchy.  Maslow's premise is that people are motivated by a hierarchy of needs.  Needs at the bottom of the hierarchy (air, water, food, safety) must be satisfied before higher needs (love, esteem and self actualization) can be pursued.  Lower needs are called deficits (D needs), i.e., if you don't have enough you feel it, but if the needs are met you don't feel anything special (e.g., food, water, air).  At the top of the pyramid are being needs (B needs).  Once engaged, B needs are felt and become stronger as we gain momentum.  For example, a lack of self-esteem won't cause death, but recognition of contributions can bring great joy to someone's life, and they will want to continue to contribute so that they retain the feeling of well-being.

The top of the Maslow hierarchy is where a person becomes his or her best self.  Under stressful conditions or during periods of great change, one may regress to a lower level on the pyramid and find it necessary to revisit and refill lower level needs.  For example, if someone has had a long and happy life and then faces a setback such as bankruptcy or loss of a loved one, higher level issues such as esteem and self-actualization will diminish as they focus on meeting needs further down the hierarchy.

When asked what professional development meant to them, responses from people both in and outside of the technology field were varied and included:

• Classes at colleges and universities
  
• Online classes and adult education programs
  
• Video and audio materials
  
• Workshops and seminars
  
• Reading relevant books and journals
  
• Writing articles
  
• Speaking at meetings
  
• Participation in professional associations
  
• Community activities
  
• Golf
  
• Dinner parties
  
• Teaching and mentoring

With all of these choices, how does one decide what to do first or where to start?  These and other professional development activities can be organized in a pyramid, similar to the Maslow hierarchy.  Let's start with a very general breakdown:

Individual skills:  The two lower levels in the professional development pyramid include individual skills and activities that demonstrate or expand a person's command of a subject or subjects, including formal education, seminars, workshops and so on.

Interpersonal and social skills:  The upper three levels of the pyramid reflect interpersonal and communication skills, i.e., skills that are dependent upon interaction with other people.

Level One - Basic Education
The bottom level of the pyramid would include basic certifications and degrees (2-year, 4-year, master's and other advanced formal education) which are typically position requirements determined by the industry and the firm's internal human resources group.  As with Maslow's D needs, a lack of the appropriate education and certification is typically felt by the individual, either because he or she will not be eligible to move into a particular position in the first place, or they will be required to complete the educational requirement as a condition of employment.  At this level, it is most likely that fulfillment of the requirement comes from an outside, recognized institution, rather than self-study or reading.

Level Two - Specialty Education
The next level on the pyramid includes specialty skills such as time management, financial management or project management.  Development at this level would include courses or seminars that introduce new topics unique to an individual's position or interests, or perhaps reading material that explores topics from Level One in greater depth.  For example, most business courses require a basic course in accounting and finance or general management, but most of us would benefit from more in-depth study of budgeting and forecasting or strategic planning.  There are many options for pursuing development at this level:  one day seminars, online courses, community colleges, discussion groups, libraries and bookstores.

Level Three - Communication
This level is possibly the biggest stumbling block for techies; we seem to have a reputation for less than adequate communication skills.  Writing, speaking and presenting are generally considered the basic communication skills and are generally developed in college.  At Level Three, the focus is on more specific types of communication:  client service skills are the foundation (listen, understand, explain, suggest),1 coaching (the art of giving and receiving positive and negative feedback constructively) and upward supervision (the art of keeping management informed about important issues).2  There are many options for learning the basic principles of communication.  Dale Carnegie courses should not be overlooked as the courses offer opportunities for both practice and coaching.  Practice is essential to developing good communication skills; coaching or mentoring ensures that your practice is properly focused.  Level Three is a time for people to identify professional associations that are relevant and attend meetings.

Level Four - Leadership
Level Four is about communication in the "gray area" and taking action.  Here, one might learn sales methods3 to promote ideas and projects, to take action without receiving clear directive, to take risks, handle conflicts and to get political.  Executive coaching may also be of value at this more ambiguous level,4 along with active (i.e., doing something rather than simply showing up at meetings) participation in professional and other outside associations.

Level Five - Giving Back
The top level of the pyramid is about sharing what you've learned and helping others on their journey through the first four levels.  This level is about teaching, mentoring and leading in your strongest areas.  Your contribution can be formal (e.g., teach a class, conduct a survey and publish the results), or informal (e.g., take someone to lunch and talk about their plans and strategy for moving along in their career).  Your contribution can be direct (work with someone in your own firm) or indirect (mentor a member of a professional association).  There are many creative ways to give back.

Don't think for a minute that after you reach the top of the pyramid you've "arrived."  On the contrary, like most mountain climbers, you will want to go back down to a lower level and climb up another route.  Perhaps after you finish your college degree, you decide that being great at technology finance and budgets will be your ticket to recognition and satisfaction.  You might attend a finance and budgeting seminar, read Finance for Dummies, communicate for several months or a year with people in other areas about budget issues, sell a few innovative budget plans for new technology to management, and later serve as the treasurer on a volunteer fundraising committee.

Later, you may decide that training methodology or time management are of interest to you or much needed by your firm, so you start the cycle all over, broadening your base of Level Two functional skills, while getting a chance to fine tune your Level Three and Level Four communication and action skills.  Each time you decide to embark on a new path to the top, you broaden your knowledge base and hone your communication and leadership skills.

Funding (or Who Picks Up the Check?)
When you take stock of your goals and start to develop a three- or five-year strategy, also prepare a budget of time and money to go along with your plan.  Most organizations have tuition reimbursement programs that cover tuition and related expenses, at least in part.  A bachelor's or master's degree is always a good investment, regardless of your firm's tuition reimbursement program.  Many employers are willing to negotiate flexible schedules for people enrolled in degree programs, and most are supportive of reasonable professional development activities.

Policies on seminars, workshops and conferences are usually more limited.  Once you have developed your wish list of workshops and conferences, review it with your supervisor to see what possibilities exist for firm reimbursement and support, and where you'll be self-funding.  These are important discussions as they allow people to "align" their performance objectives with management ideas and directions.  Remember that if something is turned down once, it doesn't mean that it can't be reviewed again in a year or any appropriate timeframe.

Find a Mentor
While you should discuss your program with your supervisor and make sure goals are properly aligned, your mentor (or mentors) should be outside of the chain of command.  This allows frank discussions about your career and performance with fewer emotional overtones (or risks if you have set your sights outside of your present organization).  You might find it useful to have more than one mentor or find a need to change mentors as your career path changes.  It is usually not hard to identify the best person to serve as a mentor; you must be proactive about asking and cultivating the relationship.

Time and Task Management:  When Everything Is Top Priority
Having a reliable system for time and task management is essential, and if you already have a system, question whether it is doing the job or if you need an overhaul (or some tuning).  David Allen's website (www.davidco.com) offers an excellent newsletter (and phone coaching) on setting up time and task management systems that integrate with Outlook.  His books, Getting Things Done and Ready for Anything, tackle issues of organization and filing clearly and succinctly.  There is an emphasis in his approach on the need to adapt to chaos and shifting priorities which is typically not addressed in other time management systems more suitable for more cyclical disciplines like finance and accounting.

Non-Verbal Communication:  Acting Classes Anyone?
Coaching, client service and upward supervision are all verbal communication skills; they involve saying or writing words in your interaction with other people.  If you haven't already read Malcom Gladwell's best seller, Blink, you should stop whatever you are doing right this minute and get a copy at the library or bookstore.  Your words may rival those of Winston Churchill, but if your body language, tone of voice and facial expression impart anything even slightly inconsistent with your words, you will derail in almost every communication.  Gladwell's examples include fascinating stories from his studies; the research is scientific and well-documented.  When you consider that lawyers are masters at reading non-verbal language, and techies are probably the least mindful of these signals, it is no wonder that there is so much polarization between IT and end users in law firms.  Once you read this book, you will see IT/end user conflicts in an entirely new light and develop more insight into bringing about resolution.

On a related note, body language has to do with physical presence which is usually developed through physical activity.  Golf is the de facto sport for many business people, and if you don't have other preferences, it is an excellent choice for your professional development program.  However, if you prefer tennis or riding to hounds or yoga or rock climbing, or just walking around the neighborhood every night, fine.  You will miss some prime opportunities to pal around with and impress the hot shots.  However, you will feel better and look better and perform your job better if you do something you enjoy on a regular (three times a week) basis.  If you want to really have fun, for three months get a personal trainer, a personal dresser, a vocal coach and a makeover, learn table manners, cooking, read Entertaining for Dummies and you'll be on your way to stardom!

What Has Your Business Development Director Done for You Lately?
How many people have business development directors at their firms?  How many people use business development techniques to network or build relationships internally with users?  If you thought all the marketing director did was manage mailing lists and send out brochures, think again.  These people spend their careers cultivating relationships.  They don't even go to a neighborhood potluck without a strategy.  Have you ever noticed that no matter what comes up, the business development people always have a number to call?  It's not good luck, they work at it.  So should you.  If you don't have a BDD, read Personal Village by Marvin Thomas or You and Your Network by Fred Smith, and implement their recommendations.  Set up an hour a week or month for internal and external networking.  It is essential.

Be a Mentor
Once you've reached a summit, be sure to thank your mentor or mentors, and then cast an eye toward the bottom of the pyramid.  Surely there is someone who would benefit from your insight and encouragement.  Use what you have learned about scaling the professional development pyramid and reach out to help someone else along the way.

Endnotes
1  The Ritz Carlton is said to have an outstanding customer service training program that is available to anyone.  Zingerman's also has a nationally recognized program along with a book that is available in the business section of most large retail stores.

2  If you haven't read Throwing the Elephant by Stanley Bing, go out and get a copy right now.  It's witty, acerbic and completely on-target regarding the necessity of skillfully learning to manage your own boss.  Buy it for key people on your own staff for holidays and birthdays.  It's about time they learn to manage you.

3  A Google search on sales training gives an idea of skills and methods that vendors use when working with us.  Not only will a command of these skills help in our own selling efforts to management and users, it will help us stay a step ahead of the people selling to us!

4  The Gallup organization (www.gallup.com) has a consulting division for coaching, as does Nightingale Conant (www.nightingale.com).  These may be more economical approaches to coaching than hiring a private coach.

 About our author . . .

Tracey Baetzel is the IT Director at Honigman, a 215 lawyer firm with four offices in Michigan.  She has taught courses in systems management at Wayne State University, published several papers on IS staffing and law firm systems and spoken at ILTA and ALA conferences.  Tracey is a past president, past conference co-chair and past RVP of ILTA.  She can be reached at tab@honigman.com.