What you need to know:
At Canada Post, we recognize that personal growth and development is a crucial aspect of professional success. Taking a proactive approach to learning and embracing new challenges are not only steps toward career enhancement, but also ensures we are continually striving to do right by our people, customers and communities.
Learning is a never-ending process. To achieve personal growth and development, it is essential to continually seek out opportunities to further our knowledge and skills. This can include attending industry conferences and workshops, networking with other professionals, and taking on new responsibilities or projects within your current role. By expanding your knowledge and skillset in this way, you can stay up to date with the latest trends and best practices and be positioned to achieve our aim of delivering a stronger tomorrow.
Click to learn more about the National Standard – Growth and development
What you can do:
1.1 Take proactive steps toward achieving personal growth and development
- Look for opportunities to attend workshops, seminars or conferences related to your field. This will help you learn new skills and stay up to date with industry trends.
- Volunteer for new projects or take on additional responsibilities to expand your knowledge.
- Connect with professionals in your industry, both inside and outside your organization. This will help you learn from their experiences and expand your knowledge.
- Watch these short videos provided by Canada post to help you learn how to assume accountability and take ownership of your personal growth. These videos in the following link serve as a valuable resource, enabling you to progress confidently in your own growth journey: Drive Your Growth – Overview | Rise 360 (articulate.com)
1.2 Develop interpersonal and emotional competencies in the workplace
- Improve your job-related knowledge and skills through skill enhancement opportunities.
- Check out the University Affairs article, “A guide for running a job shadow program,” which offers valuable insights to promote growth and development.
- Job aids serve as valuable resources to facilitate training and empower personal development. To better underscore the significance of growth conversations and development plans within the workplace, we recommend you watch the following videos:
The following video provides an example of different ways to handle growth-oriented discussions. It highlights the importance of creating a supportive and empowering environment where both parties can openly exchange ideas and perspectives: “Demo of a Growth Conversation between Employee and Team Leader”
1.3 Take these steps to ensure you receive the training and development opportunities you need:
1.3.a Use the 5A Practice model
Reflect on your personal needs and capabilities, and how those can be aligned to Canada Post’s goals. The 5A practice model includes questions that help uncover, clarify and/or validate your aspirations and development goals going forward.
- Appreciate uniqueness (know yourself)
- What differentiates you from others?
- What inspires/energizes you?
- Assess capabilities (Brand/reputation perspective)
- What would you say are the most critical skills needed in your current position?
- How do others see you?
- Anticipate the future (communicate workplace changes)
- What will be the major skills required for your profession in the future?
- Align aspirations (set SMART goals)
- What are some of the career goals that you are considering now?
- How do your goals/aspirations benefit the team/organization?
- Accelerate learning (support development plans)
- How do you learn best?
- What projects/assignments would you like to be involved in to broaden your skills?
1.3.b Determine the type of training needed:
Work with your supervisor or HRBP to determine the type of training you need, whether it’s theoretical, informational, experiential, or certification/regulatory.
1.3.c Identify the impact of training:
Consider how the training will impact workplace behavior, strategy, approach, and training methods. Establish the desired outcome of the training and the method for measuring success
1.3.d Seek out opportunities:
Many employees are eager to improve their skills, and research shows that Canadian employers are investing more in employee learning and development. Take advantage of online webinars and leader-led process reviews, as they can be beneficial and may not require financial resources.
1.3.e Provide feedback on future training needs:
Offer input on any additional training that you think would be beneficial, including interpersonal and emotional growth and development training.
1.3.f Address any work-related issues:
Resolve any past, present, or future work-related issues that may impact your development, such as performance, return-to-work planning, conflict resolution, and accommodations.
Additional actions and resources
Putting growth and development on the agenda provides you with materials to support a team discussion on approaches to growth and development as well as materials to support policy review and development.