We’re half-way through the year so what better time to reflect on your development and think about where you’d like to be by the end of the year. Finding dedicated time for development can be a challenge but it’s still possible, even with competing priorities and commitments. Tilly Mitchell shares her top tips on how she makes time to develop.
Tilly Mitchell – Senior Advisor, Training Compliance
How I started
I started in the business in October 2021 as a Training Advisor within the Training and Compliance Team in Fleet People Operations. As well as new role to learn, we were dealing with Return to Service as well as an everchanging COVID environment. I learned a lot about the business!
This was my first role out of university, so I had a lot to learn about working in a corporate space. I’d also come from a retail background, so had to adapt to a hybrid way of working.
Where I am now
After nine months, I was promoted to Senior Training Advisor. Having to learn a new role and learn new business areas, I started to dedicate more time to my development.
I booked meetings with colleagues from my team to identify their ways of working. From that, I took elements from each person to develop my own working style.
I also have an active development plan to make sure that any learning and development opportunities I take align with my future goals and my career aspirations.
In my plan, I clearly outline my goals, my opportunities, how and what will I do to achieve them and what success looks like. I have an active SWOT analysis which I complete every quarter to identify my Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. I also keep a working action log, where I identify key achievements, projects, and tasks that align to my goals.
My learning and development
When Power Hours became available, I made dedicated time to reflect on what I do well and where I would like to improve or gain skills and knowledge. I read through The Cove and I booked onto sessions that aligned with my development plan as well as topics I was interested in. I try to do at least one a month.
I like that the sessions are an hour long and I can put myself in ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode so I can focus. Being interactive, they’ve also been a great opportunity to network across the business.
I feel accomplished when I dedicate time to my development and investing in myself feels great. There is so much on offer.
My favourite session so far has been Personal Productivity where I learned ‘Covey’s 4 Quadrants’, often referred to as the ‘Urgent/Important’ Quadrant. I use this technique every Monday to help me plan my week ahead and I set a recurring calendar reminder so I don’t forget! Another technique I took away from this session is time blocking. I use this technique most days where it helps me I dedicate a couple of hours to a specific area.
Thanks for sharing, Tilly!
As Tilly mentions, having an up to date development plan can help you focus on the future and the activities you need to get there. You’ll find our helpful guide here.
Why not sign up to a Power Hour session? You’ll build on your knowledge and skills as well as grow your network with others from around the business, You’ll be sure to come away with lots of hacks and takeaways! You can sign up to all upcoming sessions via The Cove.