How to Communicate Personal Development Needs at Work

Closed mouths don’t get fed and closed minds don’t get ahead. �� As administrative professionals, we’re often praised for anticipating the needs of others, staying two steps ahead, and solving problems before anyone even knows they exist. But while we’re busy advocating for everyone else, we sometimes forget to advocate for ourselves. Let me say it loud and clear: it’s okay to ask for what you want in your career. Whether it’s requesting a seat at the table during key meetings, asking for more professional development opportunities, pushing for a well-deserved raise, or even redefining your role to reflect the full scope of what you bring to the team—it all starts with you. No one is going to read your mind. It’s up to you to articulate your goals, your needs, and your worth. Asking doesn’t make you demanding or “too much.” It makes you clear, confident, and in control of your career. Here’s how you can start asking: 1️⃣ Know Your Value: Reflect on your contributions. Are you saving time, improving processes, or enhancing communication across teams? Highlight the tangible and intangible ways you add value. 2️⃣ Be Specific: Don’t just say, “I want to grow.” Say, “I’d like to take on more project management responsibilities” or “I want to attend a leadership workshop to strengthen my skills." 3️⃣ Own Your Accomplishments: Speak proudly about your wins. If you don’t celebrate your success, who will? 4️⃣ Start the Conversation: Schedule time with your manager to discuss your career goals. Approach it as a collaborative conversation about how you can align your growth with the organization’s needs. 5️⃣ Follow Through: Asking is the first step; action is the next. Show how you’re continuously learning, growing, and ready to step into that next level. So, what’s one thing you’re ready to ask for in your career? A bigger role? A certification? More flexibility? Let’s hear it in the comments—and then go ask for it. Because the only thing standing between you and the next level is the courage to speak up. 💬

📌 When you have a manager who gives you little to no feedback. We all want to grow in our careers. To do that, we need to know what our growth areas are and receive regular feedback on our progress. Having a #manager that gives little to no feedback (or at least anything constructive) can be both frustrating and confusing, with many of my clients stating they feel lost and directionless at times. What can you do when you’re not getting proper guidance on your performance and development from your manager? 🟢 1 - Assess your own growth areas Reflect on your job description, company goals and performance. Identify specific areas you think you could improve upon or where you feel insecure. Insecurities often highlight development areas g e.g. presenting. Online assessments can also help identify soft skills and EQ gaps. 🟢 2 - Seek feedback from peers and other sources Ask colleagues, clients, customers and other stakeholders you work with for feedback. Ask open-ended questions that invite feedback e.g. "What do you think I do well and what areas do you think I could improve in?" 🟢 3 - Set your own development goals Without managerial guidance, you must set development goals for yourself otherwise you won’t grow. This will not only affect how fulfilled you feel in your career but also your career advancement. Based on any feedback received and your assessments, what do you want to improve, by when and how will you measure your progress? 🟢 4 - Develop yourself Don’t wait for your employer to grow you. Take ownership of your growth and upskill by attending workshops, taking online courses, or certifications related to your field. 🟢 5 - Send weekly updates to your manager About your projects, achievements (with specific data and metrics), and challenges. This shows initiative and may encourage feedback. Showcase and communicate your value to other key stakeholders so others are aware of your progress - maximising your #careeradvancement potential. 🟢 6 - Keep requesting meetings with your boss to discuss performance and growth Frame it as a desire to improve and contribute more effectively. Record your attempts to seek feedback and areas where you've improved. 🟢 7 - Seek support from HR If you’ve exhausted all avenues to get frequent feedback from your boss, seek support and guidance from HR. State your eagerness for feedback so that you can maximise your performance and contribution to the company. Ask for their advice in the absence of such feedback. 🟢 8 - Evaluate your career and long-term aspirations If the situation doesn't improve and you feel your growth is stalling, explore opportunities in other organisations where feedback and growth are valued. Thoughts? #careers #growth #advancement #leadership  

Learning how to manage up is a key to success. Here's one template I wish I had earlier in my career to help people manage up (and down) better. Ideally you have an experienced manager who knows how to create clear goals, provide specific detailed feedback and helps you remove blockers. Unfortunately I chat with tons of operators who don't feel like they get clear enough direction. Instead of waiting for things to change, take things into your own hands and drive a clear 1:1 or regular communication with your manager. How? Fill out this document, update it weekly and go over it with your manager. The Keys: 1. Goals this quarter, your current results and projected results - this will help you get alignment on the goals and force your manager to be clear about what success looks like 2. Wins - What went particularly well this week. It's important for both of you to celebrate your successes and to reflect on why certain things worked (this make it a lot easier to get critical feedback when they need to give it) 3. Updates - Last week I completed X -This upcoming week will be successful if: (write out 2-3 priorities) - Throughout my career I've found people throwing more and more things at me. The reality is that we only have so much time and everything has an opportunity cost. Therefore, by writing out your 2-3 priorities, you are explicitly getting alignment on what other things you are putting on the back burner. If your manager doesn't agree with your priorities then at least you can discuss that and get aligned on what should be rearranged. 4. Roadblocks, concerns & items needing input - This is the section or the conversations throughout the week where your manager can help you problem solve based on their previous experiences or knowledge, they can help you think through different solutions to the problem and pressure test your thinking or they can just sign off on whatever it is that you are trying to get across the line. 5. Personal Development (PD) - This is the section where you're going to both reflect and push for specific and clear feedback from your manager. It'll force both of you to reflect regularly and figure out what to focus on to improve. -PD skill I am working on: -PD update from last week: -PD idea for next week:   -Feedback from this week: -What I think I did well: -What I think I could have done better: -What manager thinks I did well or could improve: (Ask!) -What I think my manager did well or could improve: 6. Stretch Question (Your manager will ask you a question. No need to fill anything in.) Now I understand that many companies are opting not to do 1:1s. Each company should do what they believe is right, but even if you don't have 1:1s I do believe you should be having each of these conversations regularly Huge thank you to my partner Rebecca Price for creating this template that has helped me as a manager immensely and put structure around many of the things I did naturally earlier in my career.

"But, what do I say?" 🤷♀️ If you're like 90% of the LinkedIn world, you're focusing your energy in January on goals and manifesting all the good stuff in 2026. 🧘♀️ Harsh truth: your vision board can't create success on its own. Yesterday I led a Personal Development session for our Blend Women's ERG and we used what I named the P.R.O.P.E.L. framework. 🚀 Why P.R.O.P.E.L.? Most of us can identify our goals and we know what we want to achieve by 12/31, but it's not always easy (especially as a sales rep) to share with your manager. If this sounds like you, here's a quick guide to propel that convo & your career. 1️⃣ Priority State your high-level goal clearly: "My goal for 2026 is to improve partnerships." 2️⃣ Reason Connect the goal to your personal "why" or strengths: "I feel amazing when I work with others...so strategizing is fun for me." 3️⃣ Objectives Identify specific people, projects, or skills involved: "Improving my partnership with my SDR...and learning more about coaching." 4️⃣ Plan Share the concrete steps you are already taking: "I found a course online that I'd like to take." 5️⃣ Enlistment Make a specific "ask" for your manager's support or resources: "I could use your help by letting me practice my new coaching skills on you first." 6️⃣ Limits Set a clear timeline or deadline for the results you want: "There's a class in March, which fits perfectly with my goal to finish the training and be confident with what I learned by the end of May." 🔖 Save this post for your development planning sesh What personal development strategies have you found beneficial? --------------------------------------------- 👋 Hi, I'm Ashley. I build high-impact Sales Enablement programs and love talking about strategies that actually work. Follow if you're looking for insights on coaching best practices, sales performance, or great wine! 🫶 #salesenablement #personaldevelopment #coaching

Here’s a simple but powerful idea that’s made all the difference in my journey. It’s about communicating - specifically, telling people about your plans and the path you want to take. I’ve learned never to be afraid or ashamed to express my ambitions openly. When you talk about your career goals to your employer, you invite them to join you on your professional journey, and in turn, they can become active participants in helping you get to where you want to be. Remember that this should always be a collaborative effort, keeping teamwork at the forefront instead of just making demands. Consider doing the following: Share Your Future Goals: Let them know where you want to be. Be transparent and set the bar. This will get you going on your way with a clear direction. Seek Guidance And Feedback: Ask what needs to happen and what milestones must be reached to achieve your goal. This shows that you’re eager and excited to grow and helps align your plan with the company’s vision. Pursue Continuous Improvement: If you ever find that you’re not yet ready for your goal, ask how to improve. Expressing this demonstrates your commitment and opens the door to honest feedback that challenges you to grow. It's about creating a roadmap together, so don't hesitate to communicate your aspirations openly. After all, growth is a collaborative effort, and by working together, you can easily bring your dreams to life.