4 steps to a successful personal development plan

4 steps to a successful personal development plan3KI was reminded this a couple of months ago when I broke my constant work cycle of 10 years. Suddenly, I had no current job and no idea what the next one would be. I was so tired of moving straight on to the next thing without rest. So I decided to take a month off, look around, and actually think hard about the next move. Lo and behold, my personal development plan was born.Why you need a personal development plan?Imagine if you asked a contractor to build your new house and they said we dont need a plan, well figure it out as we go. You wouldnt tolerate that for a second. So why do so many of us go through life that way?Most of the time we harbor aspirations and dream dreams, yet we rarely stop and think about our future in detail. A personal development plan helps you know where youre headed and how to get there, with specifics. First, this will bring clarity to your thinking and youll know exactly where you want to be. Whats mora, it will give you peace of mind that youre going in the right direction on a daily basis. Efforts will feel more deliberate and decisions will be easier, as you will have a clear benchmark.Personal development expert Jim Rohn said When you look at successful people, you will almost always discover a plan behind their success. It is the foundation for success. I couldnt agree more.How to build your personal development plan?The process of building your plan can take considerable time. This is completely normal and you shouldnt rush things. However, its a good idea to set a deadline in your mind. After all, tasks are a kind of fluid they take as much space as you give them.Step 1 Clear out your visionYou have to departure with the end in mind. To build your personal development plan, look at whats on the other side. Think about your future life. Choose a timeframe that makes sense for you if you are still in your 20s, a look at 3 or 5 years from now is enough. The older you get, the longer the planning period you can have.Now, imagine your life in, say, 3 years and go through your imaginary dayWhats the first thought that passes your mind in the morning?Whats the reason you get out of bed?Hows your day structured?Whats your workplace? What do you do there?How much time do you spend with friends and family?What makes you feel accomplished at the end of the day?What gives you energy moving forward and what drains your energy?In her book Pivot, author Jenny Blake even suggests you craft a full story heres her vorlage for an Ideal Day Mad Lib.Now take one step back and review. What are the areas that will make you feel successful? This will help you determine your values. Map them out you can use anything, from a note-taking app to a blank sheet of paper, from a simple bullet list to a fancy visual board. The best way this works for me is by using a mind map with several main nodes for each of the areas in your life.Some people prefer to keep that simple, with 2 -3 nodes for professional, personal and social fields. Others go in more details the framework blogger Michael Hyatt uses has 10 life domainsIntellectualEmotionalPhysicalSpiritualMaritalParentalSocialFinancialVocational (career-related and professional)Avocational (hobbies and interests)I believe the map works best with 5-6 categories and you can put there everything you want to if you feel like travel is a key field for your development, best to have it there.After you have the key areas as main nodes, complete your mind map by including several sub-nodes that will make the field a success. Heres an example of the end result using the free version of the tool Mind Meister.The end result will give you a broad sense of what areas you should focus on.Step 2 Outline your strengths and areas for improvementYouve put down a pin on where you want to go now lets see what are the means of going forward.First, think about what you already have going for you what are the strengths and the skills that are already relevant to your dream? Maybe you want to move into a new work field then your natural networking skills will help you get to know the industry quicker.Then, make a list of skills you need to develop and projects you can start working on to move you closer to your goals. Think about the people you can contact and who can help you along the way. At this point you dont have to be too specific think of it as a kind of brainstorming. Jenny Blake has a funktelefon template on this, as well.After youve created a long list, look at the different points and group them together to form clusters. You can use a format thats well known by most business students the SWOT chart. Although were used to thinking about it as a tool to assess organizations, its just as handy for assessing your personality. You just have to draw a four quadrant map and use each part for your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. If this sounds too abstract, check out the question s for building a personal SWOT chart here.Step 3 Build your personal development planAfter you have a clear direction, lets go into detail. The key here is to get down to specific actions for the future.You start by setting up specific projects. What do you need to get them done?What resources will you need? Books to read, courses to take, tools to subscribe toWhat people will help you do it? Friends, mentors and so on.What will success look like? Set specific criteria for measuring that.What is the timeframe? Either put in a general deadline or milestones for different parts of the project.Youll end up with a clear idea of what needs to get done and how to do it. Now get doing You can even tie your personal development plan to your annual goals. Read more about setting annual goals here.Step 4 Review and adaptPresident Eisenhower once said Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. The importance of a personal development plan is in getting the clarity that comes with answer ing questions about your future. But it is not set in stone. After all, life changes fast and we need to change with it. Thats why its important to review and adapt.Reviews can go on a quarterly basis. Make koranvers you keep your eye on the prize and remind yourself why youre doing what youre doing. Reread your vision, check out your values mind map. But after that focus just on what needs to be done over the next quarter otherwise, you might feel overwhelmed by the full picture and never get around to doing anything.If some project no longer makes sense, dont hesitate to remove it from your personal development plan. Dont hesitate to adapt the plan according to new interests or a change in circumstances. A good personal development strategy grows as you do. As Tony Robbins put it, Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.Hand-picked related contentTo share or not to share?You dont have to advertise your new journey to everyone, so dont rent that billbo ard in front of work just yet. However, its good to validate your personal development plan with several key people. These can be co-workers, family members, close friends. In a best case scenario, they will be diverse enough to cover all of your plans areas.This team of mentors will be able to support you throughout your personal development journey. They will point out ways to achieve your goals, introduce you to new people and resources, or just be there for you when going gets hard. They can also serve as an accountability group when youve shared your goals with others, you feel obliged to see them through.A conclusionTaking a look around and making sure you know what youre going after is very important and it can be quite refreshing. When I built my personal development plan, I felt energized and ready to conquer every challenge. I was sure I knew what I was doing and that gave me confidence in pursuing my vision.But if youd like some more inspiration regarding just where an a mazing plan can take you, check out our successful resumes page. There, you can see how more than a dozen real people found their own success.Good luck*note, the original version of this article was posted in March of 2017 Tags career, career advice, personal development

FMLA Forms, Eligibility, and Other Frequently Asked Questions

FMLA Forms, Eligibility, and Other Frequently Asked Questions The Family Medical Leave Act is one of the fruchtwein common laws under which new mothers and parents receive unpaid, job-protected time off after the birth of a new child, and yet determining your own FMLA eligibility can totenstill feel tricky.FMLA protects employees rights such that they may return to their former employer after a period of what is typically called maternity or paternity leave. The details of FMLA are important for all new parents planning on taking an unpaid leave in order to care for a new baby, and we try to answer some of the most commonly asked questions and provide links to resources (like FMLA forms) below.Note We are elend attorneys but have compiled the basic facts from publicly available resources available at theU.S. Department of Labors website on FMLA.What is FMLA?The Family and Medical Leave Act is a federal law, enacted in 1993, that may provide you with unpaid, job-protected time off fro m work for up to 12 weeks if youre unable to work because you or a close family member has a serious health condition (including having a new baby). It does not typically include bereavement leave, but one of the most common uses of family and medical leave law is for women who expect to or need to take maternity leave.Why is FMLA used to cover maternity leave?The vast majority of U.S. private employers do not offer paid parental leave for the birth and bonding period after having a baby. Currently, no job protections are offered by most private employers as well. The federal law FMLA covers maternity leave because a new baby is a member of your family that requires caretaking. Though it is not technically a serious health condition for you to give birth, in the case of most healthy normal deliveries, there is still a period of incapacity.Does FMLA cover paternity leave?Yes, FMLA is gender neutral and applies to new parents of either gender, including adoptive, foster care, and lega l guardians. In fact, there is a growing movement to change the way we refer to this leave to parental leave, or the yet-mora inclusive caregiver leave.Who is eligible for FMLA?An eligible employee is one whoWorks for a covered employeHas worked for the employer for at least 12 month (these do not need to be consecutive months)Has at least 1,250 hours of service for the employer during the 12 month period immediatelypreceding the leaveWorks at a drehort where the employer has at least 50 employees within 75 miles.Government employees, private employees who work at companies with at least 50 employeesIn order to qualify for time off covered under FMLA, you must work for a certain type of employer. If you work for the government (at the local, state or federal level), your employee eligibility is covered under FMLA. The law defines a covered employer asA private-sector company that had 50 or more employees in 20 or more workweeks this calendar year or the previous calendar yearPublic agencies, such as local, state, or federal government agencies, with one or more employeesPublic or private elementary or secondary schools with one or more employeesHowever, if you work for a private company, that company is exempt from having to provide FMLA-based leave if it employs fewer than 50 employees. If you work for a small employer or small business with less than 50 employees, then you are not going to be covered by FMLA unless that company voluntarily decides to allow you time off for your maternity leave, sick leave (or a generalized caregiver leave for a family member who has those needs).That said, certain state laws may provide you time off, job protections, or even partial wage coverage. For more information about various state laws that may apply in addition to (or instead of) FMLA, you can view our overview of state laws here.You must have worked at your company / employer for at least 12 months and 1,250 hoursIf you are a new employeeor were hired while you were pregnant, you do not technically qualify for family and medical leave. There is a minimum tenure requirement of both having worked for at least one year prior to taking family leave, as well as having worked at least an average of 24 hours per week during that past year.Your employer (if private) must have at least 50 employees within 75 miles of your workplaceIf you meet the above requirements, be sure to think about whether your employer has at least 50 employees within a 75 mile radius of where you physically work. If it does not, and the employees are spread thin over a larger distance, that employer is not required to offer you FMLA leave or a guarantee of the continuation of your employment status post-leave.What happens to my benefits while Im on FMLA leave?FMLA requires that group health benefits be maintained while you are on leave. This is generally a very important leave entitlement for employees since newborn children and parents often are undergoing some major healthca re expenses related to childbirthWhen can I take FMLA leave?If you are eligible for FMLA leave and job-protected time off, then your employee rights include the ability to take up to 12 weeks of leave in any 12-month period for a wide range of reasons.You may have a serious health issue, or your spouse, parent, or child may have a serious health issue such as something that renders them incapable of attending work or school themselves for at least three consecutive days and requires ongoing medical attention. Some examplesA health condition that requires an overnight stay in a medical facility or hospitalA chronic health condition that renders you or your family members unable to attend work and that also requires regular treatment by an employee health care providerPregnancy and post-birth/natal medical condition that renders you unable to work (e.g. severe morning sickness or medically prescribed bed rest)When a child is placed with you for foster care or adoptionWhen your child, spouse, or parent is a military member on active dutyCaring for a servicemember who is your spouse, child, parent, or next of kin that has a serious injury or illnessHow do I request FMLA time off / leave?FMLA law requires that you provide your employer with a designation notice if you are in a situation where you can (i.e. obviously if you get into a serious car accident, you would not have been able to anticipate this and provide advance notice). For example, if you are pregnant or know you are due to receive medical treatment or surgery that will incapacitate you for several weeks, you must tell your employer at least 30 days in advance of when you need to take your short-term disability leave.You dont technically need to frame your request for time off as FMLA based, but it cant hurt. Even if you dont request FMLA leave specifically, you still need to give your employer enough information that she would understand that this time off should be counted as such (e.g. that you canno t work because of either your physical condition or that of a family member).What is the process after I request FMLA time off / FMLA leave?FMLA leave is not automatically granted and a process must be followed, so do not assume that just because you meet the employment eligibility requirements for FMLA that you will automatically be allowed to take job-protected leave under this policy. With that in mind, the process after requesting FMLA will unfold as suchAfter you request time off under FMLA, your employer must tell you within five business days whether you are eligible.If you are eligible, they must provide you with information about your FMLA rights and responsibilities, as well as request any certification they need from you.Among the things they must provide you is when the 12-month period for your FMLA period begins and ends (e.g. is it the calendar year, or is it from the beginning of the 12-month period from when you can no longer work?).They must also provide you with in formation about whether you have any employee rights or benefits regarding payment during your leave, whether you are required to provide a medical certification from your doctor or healthcare provider, whether you are required to first use your paid leave allotment, and whether you will be able to keep your healthcare and other benefits.They must also affirm that you will be able to return to your job at the end of their intermittent leave.If you are not eligible for FMLA time off, employers must provide at least one reason stating why you are not eligible (e.g. you have only worked 1,000 hours in the past six months for them).What else do I need to do while Im out on FMLA leave?If during FMLA leave (or before it begins, if you are in a situation where you have had time to provide advance notice), and your employer requests a medical certification from you, and you must return that certification form to your employer within 15 calendar days.You must stay in nichts von with your emp loyer, and they must also stay in touch with you while you are out on FMLA-protected leave. For example, if your medical doctor or healthcare provider tells you that you may return to work earlier than expected, you must inform your employer. Your employer can also request that you provide periodic updates on whether you plan to return to work and your medical condition.What is required in the medical certification I may have to provide my employer?Though not all employers must require it, if your employer requests a medical certification from you, you have 15 calendar days to receive one from an employee health care provider. You are responsible for obtaining and paying for this certification, and if you do not provide it, you may be denied FMLA eligibility.Your medical certification must includeContact information for your medical care providerAn estimate or actual date for when the condition beganHow long your provider expects the condition to lastWhether you are unable to work o r your family member is unable to work and requires careWhether you will need the leave period to be continuous or intermittentOther appropriate medical facts (e.g. symptoms, hospitalizations, referrals, medications, etc.)If your employer believes your certification does not cover all the information they require, they must notify you in writing about what additional information is needed, and you will have seven calendar days to comply with their request and provide the missing information.Your employer has the right to ask for a second opinion if they are concerned about the validity of your request, but they must bear the cost of this second opinion. They may even request a third opinion in the case of a conflicting first and second opinion (again, at their expense). Certain employers may also want to receive an updated certification andrequest that you provide one.When I come back to work after FMLA leave, what are my rights?FMLA requires that when you return to work, your emplo yer must return you to the saatkorn or very nearly identical job. If you return to a new job, the definition for a nearly identical job includes the fact that the new position mustInvolve the same or substantially similar duties, responsibilities, and statusInclude the same general level of skill, effort, responsibility, and authorityOffer identical pay, including equivalent premium pay, overtime and bonus opportunitiesOffer identical benefits (such as life insurance, health insurance, disability insurance, sick leave, vacation, educational benefits, pensions, etc.) andOffer the same general work schedule and be at the same (or nearby) location.What do I do if I believe my employer has violated FMLA laws and rules?You may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labors Wage and Hour Division who is responsible for enforcing FMLA. Their contact number is 1-866-487-9243 and they will assist you in filing a complaint which will require you to anthroponym you and your employer and t he details of your complaint and employers response.It is best to have all your documentation regarding notification to your employer (and vice-versa) documented on paper or email to the extent possible. The following information will be useful in filing your complaintYour nameYour address and phone number (how you can be contactedThe name of the company where you work or workedLocation of the company (this may be different than the actual job site where you worked)Phone number of the companyManager or owners nameThe circumstances of your FMLA request and your employersresponseOther common questions about FMLAWho counts as a family member under FMLA?Parents, children, spouses, and in loco parentis count as family members under FMLA. They are defined quite clearlyParents biological, adoptive, step or foster care father or mothers or any individual who stood in loco parentis to the employee when the employee was a child. This term explicitly does not include in-laws.Children son or da ughter who is biological, adopted, foster, step or a legal ward, or child of a rolle in loco parentis who is under the age of 18 or at least 18 and who is incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability at the time FMLA leave would start.In Loco Parentis a person that provides day-to-day care or financial support for a child. Employees who are not in a legal or biological relationship with a child are entitled to FMLA unpaid leave if they are effectively the guardians of that person and responsible for their day-to-day care. This includes same-sex marriage and partnerships, guardians, or caretakers (even if not legally established).Are there any exceptions or special rules for people in certain kinds of jobs?Yes, certain types of employees have different eligibility rules for FMLA. For exampleMilitary members and airline employees Both have slightly different versions of the FMLA rules that apply to them. For military caregivers, leave entitlements are categorized into two sections Military Caregiver Leave and Qualifying Exigency Leave. To be an eligible employee for the first category, you must have an active duty family member be deployed to a foreign country. Military Caregiver Leave, on the other hand, impacts those who need to provide care to an ill or injured family member who is in the military. To learn more about this area of FMLA coverage, click here.Certain key employees A key employee is definedas a salaried, FMLA-eligible employee who is among the highestpaid 10 percent of all the employees working for the employerwithin 75 miles of the employees worksite. These employees may not be guaranteed reinstatement to their positions following FMLA leave.Teachers Special rules apply to employees of local education agencies.Generally, these rules apply when you need intermittent leaveor when you need leave near the end of a school term.What if I need longer than 12 weeks within a 12 month period?FMLA only protects eligible employees job on an unpaid basis for 12 weeks for a 12-month, calendar-year period. If you do not return to your job within these time constraints, you will no longer have access to your same job when you return and your employment status may not be protected (meaning you could be laid off or fired).Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.Join us by reviewing your employer