Professional development is for everyone. Yes, everyone! So why aren’t more people asking for it?
Continuing to grow as a professional and overall human requires us to be immersed in experiences that are directly and indirectly related to who we’re aspiring to become. This could be a certification course, a leadership or self help book, a workshop series, Ted Talks, and even retreats. Anything that ultimately inspires you, helps you grow in areas critical for your evolution, heightens your consciousness, gives you much needed skills and knowledge, helps you balance life and work, and more, are forms of professional development.
Not every company has resources dedicated to professional development, but many do. Even those who do, invest in the few senior leaders who have been given specific professional development benefits or those bold enough to ask for it. Even if you know for sure your company doesn’t have a professional development budget, it’s worth your time to ask to be invested in. You can make a case anytime for what an experience is going to afford you and how your company will benefit. The key is to help your employer see what the company will get out of you participating in professional development, regardless of how much you know it will benefit you. Most companies care about their bottom line, regardless of how socially conscious, or how much they do to support their staff. If it doesn’t make dollars, it doesn’t make sense. If you can articulate clearly how the professional development will benefit them, they will more than likely help you pay for it and provide you with time off.
So what if you are your employer? Then you will have to see the value for yourself. Prioritizing professional development has been one of the biggest gifts I have given myself as an entrepreneur. Many of the things I’ve invested in have given me an immense rate of return on investment. On average, I spend about 5% of my earned income on professional development and these are the top six things that have happened as a result:
- Started a podcast which was named by Black Enterprise as one of the top for black women
- Established a 1,500+ e-list
- Was inspired to start a YouTube Channel
- Met top influencers who can help grow the Be Well Beautiful Woman brand
- Earned income from certifications, such as coaching and training
- Paid speaking opportunities
Bottom line: professional development is good for you, in ways you can anticipate and ways you’ll never know until you have the experience. If you work for someone, you have a good chance at making the case for them to cover the cost of your professional development. If you work for yourself, then it’s simply about being intentional about investing in it. Of course, we know that professional development doesn’t always have a price tag. In our recent e-news, we’ve shared some no cost ways for you to get your professional development on. To subscribe, please click here.
Additionally, you may have heard that we have two upcoming professional development opportunities. I Lead With Purpose starts on 9/26 and is a leadership development program that explores the top ten skillsets of the most successful social entrepreneurs in the world. The Be Well Beautiful Woman Retreat is an opportunity for you to unwind and explore in all-inclusive luxurious accommodations overlooking Gull Lake October 25-27. We’d love to have you!
Cheers to growth,
Demarra
