Showing posts with label Development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Development. Show all posts

Performance development plan



A performance development plan focuses on enhancing the performance levels of the employees. It provides additional motivation to exceed the targets assigned. It assists in setting goals and provides the direction to attain them.

A performance development plan focuses on enhancing the performance levels of the employees. It provides additional motivation to exceed the targets assigned. It assists in setting goals and provides the direction to attain them. A well-defined Performance Development Plan is important from an organization’s point of view as the growth of the company depends highly on how the employees perform.

Certain factors that should be considered while defining performance development are: What is a good job? How long will it take to achieve it? What is the acceptable degree of accuracy required? What are the budget considerations? What results would be considered satisfactory? How is good performance differentiated from a poor one?

Performance Management is definitely a vital component in the manager – employee relationship. Successful system ensures open, honest and productive work environment. The key features of performance management system are:

It is a constant process that starts during the hiring process and continues for a year.
It includes strategy formulation, task allocation, review and evaluation of work and determining the potential.
It encourages employees to achieve assigned targets, It offers them a chance to take part in the performance development plan formulation and assists them in their development.
It gives a chance to managers and employees to openly discuss issue of performance expectations and evolve a plan for meeting the organizational expectations.

A performance development plan highlights areas requiring improvement; assesses the current performance and analyzes its impact on the organization; shows the way to enhance the performance and identifies the potential of the employees. In determining performance standards one should take the following process into consideration:

Define the short term goal: This is as per the department. For e.g., in a production department it would imply enhancing the production targets. It also takes into consideration improvement of skills and knowledge.
Define long term goal: This involves quarterly or annual goal setting. The process of reviewing these goals should also be chalked out.
Find out the requirement of resources and the need for training: This also involves budgetary concerns. Start by finding out the areas that require improvement. This can be done either by in-house trainers or external agencies.
It imperative to clearly highlight the incentives for achieving the process. It rewards and recognizes the employees.
Documentation is an important element: Every plan made should be recorded for future reference.

Thus, a performance development plan should be clearly developed taking all the above mentioned pointers into consideration and should aim at performance improvement in the pre-determined period.
Apply Now - Resume or CV with Job Post Title
Email: jobs@aarenconsultants.in

4 simple personal development tips



Personal development is not just about attending trainings or going back to studies. It is about identifying the factors that can hamper growth and controlling them. It is also about developing your motivation and personality.

According to Oscar Wilde, “The aim of life is self-development. To realize one's nature perfectly - that is what each of us is here for.”

The same applies to your career also. You have to constantly try and upgrade yourself, your skill set, your motivation etc to keep going. People complain that with busy schedules, they find it difficult to work on self development. However, personal development is not only about attending trainings or going back to studies. We present a list of some easy tasks that can contribute a lot to your personal development.

Develop a healthy lifestyle and appearance: A healthy body and brain is the pre-requisite to personal development. So, eat, sleep and exercise well. Also, spend some time taking care of the way you look. Your appearance gives you confidence and motivation and helps develop your personality.

Eliminate time and energy wasters and clutter: All of us indulge in one or more activities at work that not only waste time but also drain energy, leaving us with less time and energy to do more meaningful things. These activities can include surfing the Internet aimlessly, gossiping etc. Take control of these activities before they become habits. Identify these time and energy wasters and avoid them as much as possible. You can start by clearing that clutter of papers and files on your desk and cleaning your computer and inbox.

De-stress your life: Work on removing strain and stress from your life. Resolve your conflicts, maintain a positive attitude, read motivational books and plan your work well. You may still find it difficult to avoid stress, given the current economic scenario. However, identify your stress factors and work towards rectifying them.

Enhance your skillset: Use whatever free time you have in hand to enhance your knowledge and skill set. Enroll for a distance learning course, study at home or when you get free time at work; and add extra degrees to your resume. You can also read books and surf the internet to keep yourself updated about the latest happenings in your field of work.

These simple tasks can go a long way in developing your personality. They not just help you control your work, your life and your surroundings but also pave way for your career growth and personal satisfaction.

Apply Now - Resume or CV with Job Post Title
Email: jobs@aarenconsultants.in

So You Wanna Be a Facebook App Development Star?

Your Ad Here
Fame, fortune and endless job offers. Such is the life of the Facebook developer.

Well, not quite. If you’re a software developer seeking to break into the business through Facebook development -- or an experienced codesmith out to make a bundle -- you should probably view any forays into the Facebook realm as a learning experience, not a sure thing. “Even if your app doesn’t make money, it does give you experience that’s priceless,” says Matthew Kraft, cofounder of Lonely CEO Media, a Facebook application development company.

The mad rush to develop Facebook applications is leading techies to wonder if a Facebook application is in their future. After all, the applications independent developers create with Facebook’s application programming interface (API) are part of the social networking site’s attraction. With established companies looking to gain a Facebook presence, experience in the platform is an asset.

So, should you dive into Facebook application development? Those who develop Facebook apps say the effort is worthwhile to:

  • Develop and demonstrate programming skills.
  • Add an accomplishment to your resume.
  • Earn money, though you should regard Facebook’s money-making potential with some degree of caution.
Specifically, creating a Facebook app can help you learn and show your experience working with an API, scaling a Web site to significant traffic and crafting a user-friendly interface. You can also demonstrate how you marshal your technical skills to implement your idea.

In the Web 2.0 world, building a Facebook application is a way to exhibit social-media savvy. Because Facebook applications must be attuned to the Facebook community’s needs, experience in Facebook development can show an employer you understand the importance of tailoring an application to a particular group of users. “If you’ve created a successful Facebook application, you’ll have a demonstrable ability to understand users and different Web services,” Kraft says. “That’s invaluable to employers who are looking to connect with new customers by enhancing their brand and by reaching out through the new Web.”

Just Another API?

But others don’t see Facebook development as a must-have skill. “I personally view the technology as just an API [that] any programmer should be able to work with,” says Elliott C. Bäck, who created Facebook’s Simple Stock Quotes application. “I didn’t learn anything new doing it, so I haven’t acquired personal value. There’s value in what I built and for my resume in showing I can accomplish this kind of Web development, but for a career, it’s more important to focus on fundamentals.”

And if you’re thinking there’s a fortune in cranking out an app, think again. “Facebook application development is not the lucrative gold mine that a lot of developers make it out to be, because earning money through them is just not as simple as building a toy application, spamming your friends with invitations and hoping for a good click-through rate,” says Aaron Stannard, a blogger and Vanderbilt University senior who has already received “a plateful of offers for small jobs” related to his Facebook work. “I personally have not made any money off of my apps yet, but that’s primarily because I'm still fine-tuning them,” he says.

Face Up to the Task

If you do have your sights set on developing a Facebook app, where should you begin? Matt Huggins, a programmer who created the Facebook Developer Web site, recommends starting small. “As you create your first application, you will slowly learn that there are much easier ways to do whatever it is you just accomplished,” he says.

Kraft advises focusing on what users want, not what you want. “See if there’s a place in the market that satisfies something users already want but don’t yet have,” he says. “You can’t teach users to want your product, but if you hit on something they respond to, you’ll not only have a successful application -- you’ll have a resume with an impressive new line to show to employers.”

Your Ad Here

The Discovery Cycle - A Model for Career Development/Change

To a large extent, moving forward in your career and life is about learning from your experiences and overcoming the obstacles so you can strive to create the future you want.

The good news is you can learn these skills. One model you can use is called the Discovery Cycle, an assessment tool created by Dreamsheet. It is based on the premise that human beings must go through a personal learning or discovery process to create the future they want.

There are four distinct steps in this process of discovery:

Step 1: Projecting a Vision

It is often best to start this process with a description of the future you want to create -- something you can picture, like a movie projected on a screen. It should be very meaningful to you and become a source of energy and commitment. Even if you aren't sure what you really want, making your best guess enables you to begin exploring it more. Refining that vision over time is how you can create the future you really want. Without a stake in the ground, you will never get closer to your vision.

Step 2: Taking Action

Executing a plan is how you can move closer to turning your vision into reality. Like an actor in a movie, it is turning a good script into a great performance. Executing a plan is all about taking specific, concrete steps toward your vision. Good plans are realistic, specific and always focused on moving forward. Since visions are usually longer term and can seem almost too big to achieve, executing a plan lets you break a long journey into shorter trips.

Step 3: Experiencing Results

Evaluating results is how you get feedback from the world around you, so you know how close you are to achieving your vision. It's the feeling actors get when the audience applauds or the critics pan their performance. Evaluating results is sifting through this sea of sensory input to find evidence that your actions are working. Being as objective as possible is important, since even bad news can offer tremendous learning and insight.

Step 4: Reflecting on Lessons

This is sometimes the most difficult and essential part of the Discovery Cycle. It can turn bad news into great insights -- about the world and about yourself. The truth is, as long as you are willing to learn, you can create the future you want. The more clearly you see yourself and the world around you, the sooner you will realize your vision. In fact, the lessons you learn will help you clarify your vision and make it stronger.

You may already do these things to some extent, but most of us are hardwired on one side or another. Ideally, your Discovery Cycle should be balanced. Like the tires on your car, the more balanced and fully inflated your cycle, the smoother the ride and the more likely you'll get to where you really want to go.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
 

Subscribe to us