Introducing optional Professional Development Plans: |
Beginning in January 2025, the Journey’s team is pleased to launch a new optional PEP feature: Professional Development Plans. Professional Development Plans (PDPs) allow employees and managers to set professional goals for the coming year. Plans can be created ad hoc, or with a template. An employee can have multiple PDPs, perhaps one for their current role and one that focuses on future aspirations. However, Managers can designate which plan is the employee’s primary plan.
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No, Professional Development Plans are completely optional. Moreover, they are intended as a tool for employee growth and career development and should not be used for progressive disciplinary action. |
Professional Development Plans can be created by the employee. PDPs can also be created by managers and assigned to their entire team, a portion of their team, or an individual subordinate. We encourage the manager and employee to co-create the employee’s primary plan, if possible so that it can align with both unit goals and the individual’s career aspirations. |
What PDP templates will be available in 2025? |
There will be 4 initial templates that correspond with the newly introduced evaluation categories: |
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Containing vetted content related to the 5 UGA Core Competency evaluation criteria: ‘Act with Integrity’, ‘Communicates Effectively’, ‘Learns and Shares’, ‘Makes Sound Decisions, ‘Serves Others’
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What content can be included in PDPs? |
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Managers and employees have the opportunity to specify employee goals when first creating a Professional Development Plan. Goals should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. SMART goal progress can be tracked as a development action, allowing the employee to self-track their pace toward a specific action goal. Professional Development Plans can also include any training content that is available to the employee through Learning and Development. These options could include live training events, online courses or material documents. Employees can launch online courses or materials and register for live events directly from the PDP. Templated plans come pre-filled with vetted content, assigned with a 12-month due date which can be changed if it is not relevant.
By selecting the specific content and development actions that are best suited for the employee’s role and career goals, the Professional Development Plan can be tailored to the individual or team, creating a customized year-long professional pathway. |
How can PDPs be monitored throughout the year? |
When a PDP is designated as a Primary Plan, a completion circle is viewable on the employee’s Snapshot in PEP to allow the manager to quickly ascertain the employee’s progress.
Additionally, managers and employees can access any of the employee’s PDPs from their PEP Snapshot. Within each plan, employees and managers can enter and track comments that are related to the overall plan or that are focused on specific headings. There is also a feature where attachments can be uploaded and linked to the PDP. Plans are also fully editable. As goals change, the PDP can be adjusted to better match updated objectives, projects or priorities. |
Will employees receive notices related to their PDPs? |
PEP will auto-generate email reminders when a plan is due soon or past due. Additionally, PEP will also send emails related to individual assignments within a PDP. |
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An online course, “Introduction to Professional Development Plans,” will be available soon in PEP.
TRAINING FOR STAFF
UGA Journeys: Understanding Your Connection to the Staff Competency
Sign up TODAY! This will be the last class offered for this training. TRAINING FOR SUPERVISORS
UGA Journeys: Performance Management Best Practices for Supervisors UGA Journeys: Get to Know the New Performance Tool for Supervisors You can find all training dates and register for a training here. |
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