Step 3: Partnership
To ensure your success, a vital component of your PDP is to establish good input, support and accountability. This is where your Barnabas comes in.
Think about who you would like to fill this role for you. You’ll want this person to be someone who you relate well to and who will be willing to ask you challenging questions to keep you on track. You also need to be able to talk with them regularly.
The Role of a ‘Barnabas’:
Input
- In your meetings with your Barnabas, be sure to talk with them about your aims and progress and invite their feedback – they will be someone to bounce ideas off and chat things through with.
- Remember, you are the one to make plans or decisions for yourself as the learner.
Support
- The role of the Barnabas should largely be that of an encourager who helps you make the progress you desire, but you retain the sole responsibility for directing your development plan.
Accountability
- Your Barnabas may help you clarify where focus is needed and challenge you to make progress toward your goals.
- It will be helpful to share any of the documents you’ve completed for this PDP with them.
If you have not already done so, why not choose someone now to fill this role?
Once you’ve chosen someone, please let them have this Barnabas Guidelines document – which lays out a few further guidelines for them.
As you make progress through the PDP, make sure you celebrate even the small successes.
