Tips for Discussing Professional Development

Last year at Goldman Sachs, I had the chance to run a session for new analysts on making the most of end year performance reviews. Thought of sharing some key points I covered here: > Schedule MONTHLY check-ins with your manager. Performance conversations should happen consistently throughout the year, not just during formal review cycles. > Discuss career trajectory openly. Use these sessions to align your professional goals with (a) team goals and (b) your manager's expectations. You must identify skills needed for your role and partner with your manager to upskill. > Document feedback and create action plans. Track what's discussed in these sessions and convert *areas of improvement* into SPECIFIC development goals for the following month. > Proactively request skill-building opportunities. You can use these regular touchpoints to ask for projects that align with your development areas and career objectives. > Follow up with written summaries. While you may have one or two managers, your manager likely oversees an entire team. Sending a brief recap of key discussion points and agreed-upon action items (within 24 hours) helps ensure alignment and demonstrates your commitment. The analysts who applied these pointers came back later telling me how helpful these were. Instead of going with the flow, they had productive conversations about their growth and next steps! 🙂 Perhaps a controversial tip💡: Whether you're an analyst or managing a team, these regular conversations matter more than any formal review process ever will. #CareerDevelopment #Leadership #PerformanceManagement #ProfessionalGrowth #GoldmanSachs

Stop asking for “feedback."    Unfortunately we’ve turned that word into something that has become quite loaded in corporate life – myself included. If your manager says, “I’ve got some feedback for you,” how do you feel? For many of us, it creates an ‘uh-oh’ moment like we’ve done something wrong.    🔹Managers hesitate to give it 🔹People brace to receive it 🔹Intent is good but impact is minimal (or sometimes negative)   Contrast this to other high-performance professions. As an example, highly ranked tennis players are incredibly demanding on their coaches for constant adjustments to improve – without it there is no chance of breaking into the Top 10 (or even the Top 100). In the corporate world, why can’t each of us benefit from this as well?    I’ve struggled with this for years and then I learned something which I found incredibly helpful. Here’s the shift: take control of the conversation and create a team of coaches around you.    Instead of asking for “feedback”, try this instead: “What are the biggest 1–2 things I could do differently to have an even bigger impact?” Why this works: 🔹It shifts the negative frame into a positive focus on future potential 🔹It invites specific, actionable input you can actually apply 🔹It puts you in the driver's seat to accelerate your growth   Ask your manager, peers, and key partners. Track what you hear repeatedly and then commit to the top two changes and make it happen.   What’s one piece of actionable advice that genuinely accelerated your performance? I’d love to learn from you. Drop it below.   #Leadership #CareerGrowth #Performance #ProfessionalDevelopment #GrowthMindset  

As Summer PD kicks off in many Northeast charters, I’ve been thinking about what it really takes to build a culture of feedback and learning—not just deliver professional development. One thing I learned based on my years as a principal and then supporting principals and leaders in designing professional development is this: A culture of feedback doesn’t start with a protocol. It starts with a habit. One of the most powerful: short, focused reflection surveys. And this isn’t just for summer onboarding. It works any time you're introducing a new initiative, tool, or workflow. But if the goal is learning—not just collecting data—how you use those surveys matters. Whether you're onboarding teachers or leading a change effort on your team, here are three lessons I’ve learned: ✅ Ask better questions. You get the data you ask for. Make sure you ask about both content and format. For content: • What’s one practice you’re excited to try? • What’s still unclear? • Where will you need more support? For format: a quick Keep–Start–Stop works wonders. ✅ Review the feedback as a team. Don’t just collect feedback—process it. Spot patterns, add context from your own observations, and adjust your plan. That might mean reshuffling sessions, re-grouping folks, or offering targeted support. ✅ Close the loop. If you want people to be honest, show them that their feedback matters. Share what you heard and how you’re responding—even if the answer is, “Not yet, and here’s why.” For individual concerns, follow up 1:1. This approach doesn’t just improve your rollout. It models the kind of learning culture we want in every classroom and team. And while I’ve seen this most in schools, these lessons apply anywhere—nonprofits, startups, corporate teams. If you’re leading any kind of team learning experience, these small moves build trust, responsiveness, and real feedback loops. You’ve heard me say it before: clarity is a process, and it’s bidirectional. This is one simple, powerful way to get there. What are your favorite moves or 1% solutions for building a culture of learning?

I think most managers don’t know how to run career development conversations with their team members. And that’s the real problem no one talks about. Yes - you have the manager title. Yes - you lead a large team. Yes - you own a big scope. Because you figured out how to level up your career. But do you know how to do the same for others? Did you get any meaningful training? Do you have a system? If the answer to any of those is NO, I got you covered. Here’s my simple system that transforms careers: 1) Schedule Growth Conversations Block 60 minutes every quarter with each individual dedicated for career development conversations. This is not a business review. This is their future. 2) Pre-Meeting Preparation Framework Prior to the meeting ask your team member to: - reflect on their past performance (wins, challenges) - write down their career aspirations (dream big) - draft a career development plan (take action) You can use my framework and share it with your team member: https://lnkd.in/dPSdfJ5U 3) Manager Homework Take quality time and prepare for the meeting. - get clarity on what feedback you want to provide - collect data, specific situations, feedback form others - note down growth ideas (scope, trainings, mentors) Avoid sugar-coated and vague feedback. Inspire through different growth opportunities. 4) The 80/20 Conversation Rule Hold the career conversation with intention. Let your team member speak and explain everything they’ve prepared (80%). Lean back, listen carefully, show recognition, share your feedback (20%). Look for sweet spots where their career aspirations match growth opportunities you thought of. 5) Action Planning & Momentum Break down career goals into smaller manageable actions per quarter. Team member updates the career development plan. Check-in on career goals during regular 1:1s. 6) Repeat Next Quarter Finally, here’s a little people-first leadership secret: If your team grows, you grow (and the business). It’s a win-win-win. Don’t you think? --- I'm Michael. Follow me for my real-life experience and systems leading a 50+ strong engineering team at Amazon.

The worst development conversation I ever had? My boss smiled, nodded, and said: “Keep up the good work.” That was it. No insight. No direction. No connection to bigger objectives. Nowhere to grow. And unfortunately, too many high-performing employees with leadership-potential are still getting that same empty conversation today. Years later, I learned a better way to have the conversation, and it's the framework I now teach executives who want to retain and grow their rising talent. Here are the 6 questions that shift the entire conversation: ↳ On a scale of 1–10, how satisfied are you in your role? What's the rationale? ↳ Where is your job exceeding your expectations? ↳ Where is it meeting expectations? ↳ Where is it falling short? ↳ What support or resources would help you grow over the next 6 months? ↳ What accomplishments can I celebrate with you? Notice what these questions can do: ✔️ Uncover insights you'll never get from engagement surveys ✔️ Build trust and psychological safety with your top performers ✔️ Show, not tell employees their leader is an ally in their career The leader's role isn’t to solve everything in the moment. It's not even to solve everything over time.  Employees own their career story. The leader's role is to listen, calibrate, and commit to being a partner in growth. And if you're afraid to ask these questions? What you're running from is pointing you towards your own growth edge. 👉🏾 What would change in your org if every people leader ran development conversations this way? Which of these questions do you wish your boss would ask you?

“If my people want to grow, they’ll speak up.” “If I keep my head down and work hard, my boss will notice.” Both are common assumptions — and both can lead to missed opportunities, unmet expectations, and frustrated teams. The truth? Most people aren't taught how to advocate for themselves at work. They don’t always know what they can ask for, and they may be worried about being seen as too ambitious, too demanding, or not loyal to their current role. So they keep their heads down, hoping someone will notice their potential. At the same time, many leaders are juggling too much. They’re not intentionally ignoring career development — but without clear signals from their team, it can easily fall off their radar. 💣 Growth and development don’t just happen. And it’s not something a leader or company can own alone. It’s a shared responsibility — and it starts with the employee. But leaders play a critical role. We have to create the space for real conversations — not just during performance reviews or when someone's struggling. * Ask your people what they’re interested in and where they want to grow. * Invite them to take on stretch opportunities. * Don’t assume you know what they want — co-create a growth and development plan with them. That's how you grow talent, build trust, and create teams that thrive — not just perform. And as employees, we need to take the lead on our own career development: * Get clear on what lights you up. * Don't wait to be tapped on the shoulder. * If you’re curious about a skill, a path, or a project — speak up. Your manager isn’t a mind-reader, and you don’t want to be passed over just because someone else raised their hand first. ✳️ Great leaders don’t build careers for people. They build them with people. ✳️ And great employees don’t expect growth to be handed to them. They take ownership — and invite others to help them get there. Who do you think owns growth and development — the employee, the leader, or the organization?

🚩 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Managers are important, but you miss out on so much learning if you don't talk about your career with a wider range of people. Conversations lead to learning and unlock opportunities. Having them with a diverse range of people makes a big difference to your development. We're all time poor, so I recommend prioritising 4 conversations: ✨ 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿 – Someone who has done what you want to do and can share their experience with you 🤝 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗿 – Someone who is going through what you’re going through and can offer support and encouragement 🚀 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿 – Someone who has access and influence in areas you’re interested in and can advocate for you. ❓ 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 – Someone who asks questions that unlock your thinking (this can be someone with a coaching approach rather than just a professional coach) I've created a Career Conversation Generator to highlight topics to talk about and specific questions to ask to get the conversation started. 👍 If this is helpful (so other people can see and use) ✅ Follow Helen Tupper if you're passionate about people and development (I share lots of tools to support squiggly careers 🌀 and learning at work)

𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Many employees assume (wrongly) that their hard work and results will be enough when managers make decisions about their future growth and promotion opportunities. Make no mistake, performance is critical for advancing your career, but it is far from the only reason employees get promoted. Leaders are human. They’re influenced by limited visibility, cognitive bias, and the challenge of measuring individual contributions in team-based environments—leaving employees feeling frustrated when leaders make decisions about advancement and promotions. Here are three key practices to help ensure your performance gets the recognition it deserves: 𝟭. 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 - When opportunities arise, share your accomplishments with your manager—especially how your work contributed to team or organizational goals. • Do this with humility and balance by also highlighting your teammates’ contributions. 𝟮. 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 - If your manager isn’t initiating career discussions, you must. • Propose quarterly meetings focused on performance, development, and aspirations. Come prepared with draft goals and a clear agenda. Show your commitment to growing within the organization. 𝟯. 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 - When a colleague or client praises your work, ask if they’d be willing to share that feedback with your manager—or CC them in an email. • Don’t assume your impact is obvious. Help your manager see the full picture of your value. Performance matters, but perception, visibility, and communication matter just as much. • - - - How have you seen this play out in your own career or with your team? Share your COMMENTS below. ⤵️ Repost if you know others could benefit from this. ♻️ #CareerDevelopment #SelfLeadership #ProfessionalGrowth

Most professional development is a waste of time. Teachers know it. Leaders feel it. And worst of all, students don’t benefit from it. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If you want PD that actually moves the needle, start with this checklist: - Did I tell teachers why the content matters? - Have I stamped the norms for engagement and participation? - Do I have opportunities to celebrate past success? - Have I named the objective / skill clearly? - Do I have a strong model (if the skill is brand new)? - Do I have a strong questioning sequence to elicit criteria for the skill (if my teachers have already been working on the skill)? - Is the ratio of facilitator voice to teacher voice appropriate? - Do I create the conditions for equity of voice? - Are there opportunities to apply the skill in increasing rigor? - Do those opportunities meet teachers at their zone of proximal development? - Do I help improve teacher skill through peer-to-peer feedback or facilitator-to-teacher feedback? - Are there opportunities for reflection on progress? - Are teachers clear on how I'll follow up on their progress? - Do I ask for feedback about how the PD and my facilitation could improve? Because here’s the truth: If PD isn’t driving student outcomes, it’s just taking up space on the calendar. I probably missed some things, too. What else would you add or double-click on?

Did your year-end review miss the mark? Often, we try to include career conversations during our year-end reviews, but with the rush to check the box, things don't go as planned. There is hope. Schedule a separate role career aspiration conversation this January or February. Here's how to make them truly effective and meaningful. Role and career discussions need a structured approach to align individual goals with organizational objectives effectively. The problem? Ineffective career conversations: • Lack clear structure. • Miss key topics. • Fail to connect personal and company goals. This leads to misaligned expectations and stunted professional growth. Many organizations conduct annual reviews, but these often: • Focus solely on past performance. • Neglect future aspirations. • Provide limited actionable feedback. This approach falls short in fostering long-term career development. Implement a structured conversation guide: → Cover current role, aspirations, and alignment. → Use specific prompts for each area. → Create action plans with measurable steps. This method promotes meaningful dialogue and tangible outcomes. With a structured approach, career talks become powerful tools for growth and alignment. — P.S. Unlock 20 years' worth of leadership lessons sent straight to your inbox. Every Wednesday, I share exclusive insights and actionable tips on my newsletter. (Link in my bio to sign up). Remember, leaders succeed together.