Developing Self and Others Examples, Scored

As an HEO data analyst, I noticed that our team of six relied on me for every query involving our new reporting tool, which slowed the team down and left gaps when I was away.

I set myself a development goal to build my own skills first: I completed the department's advanced data visualisation course and asked my manager for monthly feedback on my dashboards. Her feedback showed that my reports were accurate but too complex for senior readers, so I asked a colleague in communications to review two of them and changed my approach.

I then asked each team member what they wanted to learn and built a six-week programme of short lunchtime sessions, pairing less confident colleagues with those who had picked things up quickly. I recorded each session for two part-time colleagues and an apprentice who could not attend live, and I created a guide that anyone could update.

I also encouraged one colleague who was nervous about presenting to lead the final session, and I gave her feedback beforehand.

By the end of the programme, five of the six team members were producing their own reports, and the queue of requests waiting for me fell from about 25 to 5 a month. The colleague who presented later applied successfully for an HEO analyst role. The guide is now used by two other teams. I learned that sharing skills widely makes the whole team more resilient.

As an Executive Officer, I identified in my annual review that I needed to improve my knowledge of the new employment law guidance, because I often had to ask colleagues before answering customer queries.

I agreed a development plan with my manager. I completed two online modules on the learning platform, attended a half-day workshop and asked to shadow a senior caseworker for a week. I kept a short log of what I learned and the questions I still had, and I discussed these at my monthly one-to-ones.

After the workshop, I wrote a one-page summary of the main changes and shared it with my team at our weekly meeting, so that others could benefit as well. Two colleagues told me it helped them with their own cases.

Within three months I was answering most customer queries on the new guidance myself, and my manager noted in my mid-year review that my case quality had improved. I learned that keeping a log helps me see my progress and spot what I still need to learn.

I am committed to continuous learning and development for myself and others, and I have done a lot of training throughout my career.

In the last two years I have completed a project management qualification, a course on leadership, and several e-learning modules on topics such as data protection and unconscious bias. I also attended a conference on digital transformation, which I found very interesting.

I support the development of others in my team. For example, I have helped a new colleague to learn our processes, I have encouraged team members to attend training, and I mentioned in a team meeting that people should use the learning platform more. I also give feedback to colleagues when they ask for it.

In addition, I am a member of the department's learning network and I sometimes share articles with my team that I think they might find useful.

I think that learning is very important for the organisation as a whole and I would continue to focus on developing myself and others in the SEO role.