Many adults think of structured education as something that ends with a degree hanging on their office wall but that is not always the case. Maybe we Google stray questions or occasionally look up a how-to video on YouTube, but very few of us have a structured learning plan for our development.
McKenney’s prioritizes and invests in learning: so much so that it is woven into our company as one of our 28 Fundamental Behaviors, a list of behaviors that define our company culture.
Here are 5 ways to own your career development by building a structured learning plan:
- Identify the skills you are looking to develop.
This can be a daunting task and if you are not sure where to begin, try thinking about them in categories:
- Core skills are required for all jobs, such as commitment to excellence or punctuality.
- Soft skills are intangible personal attributes like customer service and communication.
- Technical skills are hard skills based on the ability and knowledge required to perform a job like engineering or project management.
- Reflect regularly.
Want to take your development seriously? Then you must be self-aware of how you can improve.
- What are your likes and dislikes on the job?
- What do you want to strengthen?
- Have you gotten feedback in the past that you would like to improve on?
- Each year at McKenney’s, we encourage everyone to review the Fundamental Behaviors and pick 1-3 behaviors that you would like to personally improve: pick up to three to work on and focus on getting better.
- What are some core, soft, or technical skills that could help you advance in your career?
- Leverage the tools at your fingertips.
- McKenney’s employees have access to Uconnect, where we have over 385 courses available.
- Search Opensesame.com for additional learning resources. If you are a McKenney’s employee and you see something you like, contact
- Be intentional and commit to learning!
The key to getting things done, that matter most in life, is to write it down. Be intentional and set very detailed and specific learning goals. Be sure to indicate the from “x to y” and by when statement.
- Make learning stick.
Learning does not end when you check off the block and receive a certificate of completion. Share what you have learned with others. Why? You will have about a 90% increased likelihood of retaining what you have learned by teaching others.
If any of this piques your interest, head over to our Careers page for our current openings. And if you’re already part of a McKenney’s team, you can always contact Learning.Development@mckenneys.com for more directions and resources.
