This document outlines a framework for developing a professional development plan for information professionals. It discusses the different paths and pillars of professional development, including structured learning, unstructured learning, coaching/mentoring, and on-the-job training. It also identifies five types of competencies - sector/industry, information management process-oriented, information management technology-oriented, professional, and organizational - that a professional development plan should address. The document provides a template for a professional development plan matrix to map learning activities to competency domains.

1. Professional Development
for the
Records and Information
Professional
Jesse Wilkins
President and Principal Consultant
July 19, 2023

2. Once you stop
learning,
you start dying.
- Albert Einstein

3. What Information Professionals Need
to Know
Different Paths to Professional Development
Your Professional Development Plan

4. What Information
Professionals Need
to Know
Image Source: Microsoft Stock Images

5. THE AIIM ECM BOK C. 2002
Image Source: AIIM ECM BoK C. 2002

6. ARMA’s InfoBOK and IGBOK

7. THE EXPERTISE
DILEMMA
Bodies of knowledge about a thing…
 Are built by those who have done it
for a long time…
 Who are probably more senior,
meaning they aren’t “in the
trenches” anymore…
 And who may not be up to speed on
the newest developments.
Image Source: Microsoft Stock Images

8. SO WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
It depends…
̶ Where are you in your career?
̶ Where do you want to go in your career?
̶ What do you want to do for the next X years?

9. Different Paths to
Professional Development
Image Source: Microsoft Stock Images

10. 10
Success begins with
figuring out what
you want, then
making the choices
that will get you
there.
Shellye Archambeau
Former CEO, MetricStream
AIIM21 Keynote

11. Position Yourself for
Success
It’s your professional development plan.
Image Source: Microsoft Stock Images

12. IT’S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
 You know what you want to be when you
grow up.
 Determine your goals
 Assess your current state
 Assess what you need to do to achieve
your goals
Image Source: Microsoft Stock Images

13. IT’S YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY
You’re probably paying
for it.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Image Source: Microsoft Stock Images

14. A FRAMEWORK
FOR
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT

15. THE FOUR
PILLARS OF
PROFESSIONA
L
DEVELOPMEN
T
Structured Learning
Unstructured Learning
Coaching and Mentoring
On-the-job Training

16. Structured Learning
Formal academic degrees
Certifications
Training courses
Image Source: Microsoft Stock Images

17. UNSTRUCTURED LEARNING
Books & publications
Conferences
Standards & templates
Blogs & social media
MOOCs
Volunteering & networking

18. THE FIVE TYPES
OF
COMPETENCIES
Sector/industry competencies
Information management process-
oriented competencies
Information management technology-
oriented competencies
Professional competencies
Organizational competencies

19. SECTOR /
INDUSTRY
COMPETENCIES
 What industry do you operate in?
̶ Example: Federal or provincial
government
 What unique IM-related competencies are
required in that industry?
̶ Example: Responding to Freedom of
Information Act (FOI) requests
 Where can you acquire those
competencies?
Image Source: Microsoft Stock Images

20. IM PROCESS-BASED COMPETENCIES
What is your role – what
processes do you work
on?
• Records management
• Business analyst
• SharePoint user
What process-type
competencies do you
need to be effective?
• Reading a retention
schedule
• Leading a requirements
gathering workshop
• Create and save
documents in
SharePoint
Where can you acquire
those competencies?
• ARMA?
• IIBA?
• Microsoft or a
SharePoint training
company?

21. IM TECHNOLOGY-ORIENTED COMPETENCIES
What is your role – what
processes do you work on?
Records management
Process owner
SharePoint administrator
What tools do you use?
A content repository
An office productivity suite
A specialized application
What technical
competencies do you need
to be effective?
Use analytics tools in support
of a file share cleanup
Create a flowchart
Create sites and site templates
in SharePoint
Where can you acquire
those competencies?

22. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES
Every information
professional needs these!
Project management
Communication / public
speaking
Change management
Budgeting and making the
business case
Etc.
Where can you acquire
those competencies?

23. ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCIES
 How do you do your job at your organization?
̶ Organizational culture
̶ Risk tolerance
̶ Terminology and acronyms
̶ How a specific tool is implemented and configured
̶ Specific workflows and processes
 Changing organizations – or departments – may require you to relearn these
 How can you acquire those competencies?

24. The PD Plan Matrix
Domain Structured
Learning
Unstructured Learning Coaching/ Mentoring OJT / Experiential
Degree programs
Training programs
Certifications
Certificates
Conferences
Books & publications
Standards
Social media
MOOCs
Lunch & learns
Volunteering & networking
Formal or informal
(More effective with more
structure)
OJT: As directed,
with/instead of coaching
or mentoring
Experiential:
Just Do It! ™
Sector/Industry
competencies (e.g. energy,
legal, government)
IM process competencies
(e.g. RM, BA)
IM tech competencies (e.g.
metadata, flowcharts)
Professional/soft skills
competencies (proj mgmt.,
change mgmt., budgeting,
business case, etc. )
The Professional Development Plan Template

25. My Plan for 2021
Domain Structured
Learning
Unstructured Learning Coaching / Mentoring OJT / Experiential
Sector/Industry
competencies – for me this
is associations and
government
Complete 1 ATD
certificate course
Attend Non-Dues-a-
Palooza 2023 (assn)
Review
Volunteer as ARMA
MHD president-elect
Provide coaching to SMEs
working on current/new
certification projects
Develop new modes for
delivering RM training
IM process competencies
– for me this is privacy and
general IM process
developments
Get CIPP/C and
maintain CIPP/US
and CIPM
Attend ARMA InfoCon
2023
Review ISO standards
Work with privacy coach Client work in each of
these areas
IM tech competencies –
for me this is AI and
privacy tech
Complete
certificate program
on AI
Start studying for
CIPT
Complete MOOCs on AI
and ML
Read 2 books on AI
N/A Use generative AI tools
every day to
understand limitations
and concerns
Professional/soft skills
competencies – for me this
is change management
Attend Prosci CM
course
Read 2 books on change
management
N/A Build a CM plan
template with examples

26. QUESTIONS?

27. Image Source: Microsoft Stock Images

28. FOR MORE
INFORMATION
Jesse Wilkins, CIPP/US, CRM/CIGO, IGP, ICE-CCP
President and Principal Consultant
Athro Consulting
https://www.athroconsulting.com
jesse.wilkins@athroconsulting.com
Twitter: @jessewilkins
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessewilkins