| Course | PSYC 642 Human Resource Training and Development (PSYC642) |
|---|---|
| Module/Week | 7 |
| Assignment | Personal Development Plan |
| Paper type | Personal development plan (worksheet-based) |
| Length | about 874 words, 3 double-spaced pages plus title page and references. Course guide: per the course guide, a substantive Personal Development Plan completed from the worksheet provided in the Noe textbook |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| Points | 100 |
| School | Liberty University Online |
| Program | MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology |
| Where it sits | Module/Week 7 in Liberty's published PSYC 642 course guide; current sections can differ |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PSYC 642 Week 7
Personal Development Plan: An HR Generalist's Path to Training and Development Manager, From Self-Assessment to Action
[Student Name]
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
PSYC 642: Human Resource Training and Development
Personal Development Plan
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The writer, the feedback and the goals are composites standing in for a student's own plan; the textbook, Scripture and the journal article are real and described from their published sources; the public course guide says the plan is completed from the worksheet in Noe's text, so this sample follows the four steps of the development planning process the text describes.
Personal Development Plan: An HR Generalist's Path to Training and Development Manager, From Self-Assessment to Action
Current Role and Career Aim
For four years I have worked as a human resources generalist for a mid-sized maker of industrial pumps in Ohio. My role covers recruiting, benefits questions and new-hire orientation. Orientation is the part of my job I enjoy most, and my career aim is to become a training and development manager within five years, responsible for onboarding, supervisor training and technical skills programs across our two plants.
Self-Assessment
Noe (2017) describes self-assessment as the use of information to determine one's interests, values, aptitudes and behavioral tendencies. I completed an interest inventory through my graduate program, which showed strongest interests in social and enterprising activities, consistent with work that involves teaching and leading others. A values card sort placed helping others grow, mastery and stability at the top. My strengths are presenting to groups, building rapport with new employees and organizing programs. My development needs are designing training based on needs assessment rather than habit, evaluating training beyond satisfaction surveys and leading projects that require influencing managers above my level. I also tend to say yes to every request, which leaves little time for the deeper design work that training roles require. Looking back on my four years, the projects I am proudest of, a rebuilt orientation agenda and a buddy program for second-shift hires, both involved designing something new for people at the start of their jobs, which reinforces the direction this plan takes.
Reality Check
For the reality check, I requested 360-degree feedback from my manager, three peers and five employees I have onboarded. The ratings confirmed my presentation and rapport skills but rated me lower on follow-through with managers after orientation and on using data to make decisions. My manager added that I would need experience leading a training project from start to finish before I could be considered for a manager role. Two employees commented that orientation was welcoming but that they forgot much of it by their second week, a pointed reminder that my programs have not been evaluated beyond the first day.
Feedback alone does not guarantee growth. Smither et al. (2005) meta-analyzed studies of performance after multisource feedback and found that improvement was generally small. Improvement was more likely when recipients believed change was needed, reacted positively to the feedback, set goals and took action, which is why each piece of feedback in this plan is tied to a goal and an activity.
Goal Setting
Goal 1. By June of next year, design and pilot a needs-based onboarding program for new production employees at one plant, using a needs assessment and evaluating results at the learning and behavior levels.
Goal 2. Within eighteen months, complete my MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and earn a recognized talent development credential.
Goal 3. Within two years, lead a supervisor training initiative across both plants, presenting results, including first-year retention, to the plant managers.
Each goal answers a specific finding from the reality check. The onboarding pilot addresses my manager's point that I need to lead a project from start to finish and the employees' comment that orientation fades quickly. The degree and credential build the design and evaluation knowledge my self-assessment identified as weak. The supervisor initiative tests the skill my peers rated lowest, influencing managers and following through with them, on a scale large enough to matter for a future manager role.
Action Planning
Noe (2017) sorts development into four approaches, which this plan uses in combination: classes and programs, assessment, experiences on the job and developmental relationships. My action plan uses all four.
| Goal | Development activities | Support needed | Measure and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Onboarding pilot | Job experience: stretch assignment leading the pilot; formal education: needs assessment and evaluation coursework | Plant manager sponsorship; two production supervisors as subject matter experts | Pilot launched by March; 90-day retention and supervisor ratings reported by June |
| 2. Degree and credential | Formal education: remaining MS courses; credential exam preparation | Tuition assistance; manager approval for study time | MS completed within 18 months; credential within 24 months |
| 3. Supervisor initiative | Job experience: cross-plant project; interpersonal relationships: mentoring from our operations director; assessment: repeat 360-degree feedback | Mentor meetings monthly; budget approval from the plant managers | Repeat feedback in 18 months shows higher ratings on follow-through and data use; results presented within 24 months |
For Goal 1, I will use the needs assessment methods from this course, interviewing supervisors and reviewing early turnover data before designing anything. For Goal 3, the operations director has agreed to meet monthly, helping me learn how to present proposals to senior managers, the weakness my feedback identified. Between meetings, I will keep a brief log of conversations with managers about training, noting what persuaded them and what did not, so that my mentor and I can review patterns rather than isolated moments. I will also ask to sit in on the quarterly operations review, an experience Noe (2017) would classify as a job experience that exposes me to how senior leaders weigh competing priorities.
Potential Obstacles
Three obstacles could slow the plan. Production demands may delay the onboarding pilot during peak season, so I will propose the pilot for the first quarter, when hiring is highest and output is lowest. Graduate coursework competes with family time, so I will limit myself to a single course each term during the pilot. My tendency to accept every request could crowd out development work; my manager has agreed to help me decline lower-priority tasks during the pilot months.
Reflection and Review
Proverbs 15:22 contrasts plans that collapse for lack of advice with plans that stand because many people were consulted (English Standard Version Bible, 2001/2016). This plan depends on counsel from my manager, my mentor and the employees whose feedback shaped it. I will review progress with my manager each quarter, update the plan after the repeat 360-degree feedback and adjust goals if business needs or my own interests change. Counsel also requires humility: the plan is likely to change as I learn, and treating it as a living document rather than a contract is part of using it well.
References
English Standard Version Bible. (2016). Crossway. (Original work published 2001)
Noe, R. A. (2017). Employee training and development (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Smither, J. W., London, M., & Reilly, R. R. (2005). Does performance improve following multisource feedback? A theoretical model, meta-analysis, and review of empirical findings. Personnel Psychology, 58(1), 33-66. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2005.514_1.x
What the PSYC 642 Week 7 instructions ask
The Personal Development Plan carries 100 points in Module/Week 7 of PSYC 642, written after Noe's ninth chapter, on developing employees and managing careers, three presentations and a website. The guide's instruction is brief: complete a substantive plan from the worksheet provided in the textbook. Students should use the worksheet's own headings as given in their edition. The chapter frames development planning as a sequence in which employees assess themselves, check their view against feedback from others, set goals and plan actions, with the company supporting each step. A substantive plan therefore goes beyond listing ambitions to show evidence about strengths and gaps, specific goals and concrete activities with dates.
How this PSYC 642 Week 7 example is built
First comes the writer's present job and goal, a move from generalist work into learning and development within five years. The self-assessment reports results from an interest inventory and a values exercise and names strengths and weaknesses. The reality check summarizes 360-degree feedback from a manager, peers and employees, with Smither and colleagues' meta-analysis explaining why feedback must lead to goals. Three goals follow in specific terms. The action plan assigns development activities from Noe's four approaches to each goal, and a table sets dates, support and measures. A short reflection on Proverbs 15:22 and a review schedule close the plan, with margin notes explaining its choices.
PSYC 642 Week 7 grading rubric: where the points go
The Personal Development Plan is graded on completeness and depth across the worksheet's sections, on the quality of self-assessment, on the specificity of goals and on the realism of the action plan. Depth shows when strengths and development needs rest on evidence, such as assessments or feedback, rather than impressions. Goals should be specific and time-bound, and each should connect to a development activity, a source of support and a way to measure progress. Use of Noe's concepts, including the approaches to development, shows course integration. Clear organization and professional writing matter, since a development plan is a document an employee would share with a manager.
PSYC 642 Week 7 help: mistakes that cost points
The most common weakness is vagueness, such as "improve leadership skills" with no evidence or action. Ground the self-assessment in something concrete: a feedback report, an assessment result or comments from a supervisor. Write goals that someone else could verify, with dates. For each goal, choose development activities from more than one of the four approaches Noe names (coursework, assessment, assignments on the job and relationships such as mentoring), since growth usually needs both learning and practice. Name who will support you and how you will measure progress, and set a date to review the plan with your manager. Keep the plan honest; admitting real weaknesses makes it more useful and more believable to the manager who will read it.
Related PSYC 642 sample papers
Other PSYC 642 weeks
- PSYC 642 Week 1: Forum 1: Training as an Investment
- PSYC 642 Week 3: Essay: Supervisor Competency Model
- PSYC 642 Week 4: Learning Strategy: Speaking Up
- PSYC 642 Week 5: Forum 3: Making Training Transfer
- PSYC 642 Week 6: Presentation: Four Training Methods
- PSYC 642 Week 8: Article Review: Training Evidence
PSYC 642 Week 7 questions, answered
What is the PSYC 642 Personal Development Plan?
This 100-point Module/Week 7 task asks each student to fill out the development planning worksheet in Noe's text in substantive detail after the chapter on development and careers.
Where can I find a free PSYC 642 Week 7 sample paper?
The full PSYC 642 Week 7 personal development plan, tracing an HR generalist's path to training and development manager from self-assessment to dated action steps, is on this page.
What are the steps of the development planning process?
Noe describes self-assessment, a reality check using feedback from others, goal setting and action planning, with responsibilities for both the employee and the company at each step.
What are the four approaches to employee development?
Coursework, assessment, stretch experiences on the job and developmental relationships such as mentoring and coaching, which Noe presents as complementary ways to build skills for future roles.
Does 360-degree feedback improve performance?
A meta-analysis by Smither and colleagues found small average improvements after multisource feedback, with larger gains when people set goals and took action on the feedback.
Use it as a model, or ask for your own
This paper is an original model written by our desk for study. It is not a submitted student paper and not an official Liberty University document. Read it for structure and reasoning, then write your own to the instructions in your Canvas course. If you want a version built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
Ask for a custom PSYC 642 Week 7 sample · All PSYC 642 weeks · All courses