We’ve all watched as the current professional development model is failing to keep up with people’s needs, L&D is struggling to keep up with the business’ demands and organisations are lacking the capabilities they need for the future. In Deloitte’s 2017 Global Human Capital Trends, 42% of Millennials stated that the would likely leave their organisation because they were not learning fast enough.

Something needed to change!

We’ve been in the industry for over three decades and now, more than ever, professionals and organisations need quality professional development. People are continually needing to upskill, role changes are becoming more frequent, technology is changing, the workplace is changing… there’s a lot to contend with!

Yet, despite advances in technology and an estimated 64% of businesses having at least partially automated their business processes¹, growth in business productivity is at its lowest rate since the 1970’s².

During the hundreds of development sessions we run every year, we notice trends amongst leaders, professionals and organisations. None are more alarming than the level of pressure people are feeling today – resulting in a lack of productivity, ineffectiveness, stagnation, stress and even burn out. People are taking on more, trying to do it more effectively and faster than ever before.

Professional Development is designed to help people build awareness in themselves and acquire the skills they need to be successful in work and in life. But are we really?

We watched as the current model (our own included!) failed to deliver to the extent it could.

There is a lot of wasting each other’s time rather than giving people what they need and letting them get on with it.

There is a lack of immediacy that’s required to keep up with the pace today.

There is a lot of expense and lost time as organisations are continually required to bring in different subject matter experts to provide specialist help.

We all know that the development of the future needs greater flexibility and to be shorter, sharper and more immediate. It was on this basis that My Personal Tactician (MPT) was born.

MPT is a membership-based professional development methodology and community. Essentially, it gives people access to short, sharp guidance, right when they need it. Not only is it more immediate, one membership gives members access to a pool of Tacticians who bring a variety of expertise.

We’ve welcomed hundreds of members and get great feedback. We also know that we need to continually adapt along with the world around us.

At My Personal Tactician, we keep asking ourselves the following three questions, and encourage everyone working in the industry to do the same.

1. Are people struggling to get the guidance and development they need at work? What is in the way?
2. Are organisations struggling to find the solutions they need for your people? What is missing?
3. Where does professional development need to go?

You can find out more about My Personal Tactician here.

References:

1. APAC CIO Outlook Magazine, Top 25 HR Technology Solution Providers – 2017. Page 14, May 2017.
2. Angus Knowles-Cutler and Harvey Lewis, Talent for survival: Essential skills for humans working in the machine age, Deloitte, 2016, p. 1, https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/Growth/deloitte-uk-talentfor-survival-report.pdf, accessed December 13, 2016.