Why is it Important for Analysts to Have a Career Development Plan?

Excellence in analytics generally requires a willingness to learn new analytics platforms and techniques. This requires analysts to be engaged at work, and, without a career development plan that is actually working and being followed to progress the analyst’s career forward over time, it is very likely that analysts aren’t as engaged as they could be. We recommend that managers schedule a meeting each quarter to talk with employees about how they’re doing against their career development goals; if an analyst is off-track, the manager should use coaching/questions to determine why and work with the analyst to come up with a plan to hold the analyst accountable. Be sure to set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals. Who knows if an underperforming analyst is simply underperforming due to a lack of motivation? Perhaps being held accountable to a robust career development plan will be just what they need to get motivated to do what’s required to get to the next level in their career. Watch the video above to learn how to be the kind of people-focused manager that drives engagement among team members by focusing on their development.