Multicultural NSW – It’s WDP time! – June 2019 (PDF version)

Following on from discussions at our member meeting on 29 May, we have put together a list of helpful things to consider in your upcoming Work Development Plans (WDPs).

WDPs are intended as part of an ongoing developmental process for employees and are seen as a structured conversation between staff member and manager. When done well they can be extremely beneficial.

Here are five things to keep in mind when completing your WDP:

1. Make sure you have a thorough understanding of the duties you do that are included in your role description. Don’t forget to include the additional duties you are performing as part of absorption of another role, or as you have been directed by your manager.
2. Be specific about your training and professional development needs. Research what you need before sitting down with your manager and include it in your WDP.
3. Ask lots of questions, especially around what your manager’s expectations are. Ensure those expectations line up with your role description.
4. Think creatively. If you and your manager can’t agree on something, try to think of other ways to get to a mutual agreement between the two of you. For example, are you after a type of training that can be done in house instead?
5. Take notes. While WDP discussions can be quite lengthy, your final document will not include as much detail as what was discussed. Therefore, it’s good to keep your own record of the meeting as well for your own reference.

Remember this process is meant to benefit both you and your employer. WDP development is also a different process to performance management and should not be included in the same conversation.

If there’s something you’re not sure of, make sure you speak to your delegates or call the Member Support Centre on 1300 772 679.

Work with someone who’s not a member yet? Make sure you spread the love and pass on this bulletin. They can join online at psa.asn.au or through your workplace delegates.