Growing Through the Stages: A New Look at Professional Growth

In rapidly changing environments, both organizations and the people who make up those organizations must engage in continual growth, or risk becoming obsolete. All too often, professional growth is a hit-or-miss process. Learning opportunities selected are often those that meet immediate needs rather than future needs. Most professional development programs do not acknowledge a learners' career stages in helping individuals make choices regarding professional development. In this article, the authors' introduce a model for professional development currently being used by the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, which recognizes that professional development needs vary according to an individual's career stage and long-term career goals.