AFTER AN INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER ON STAFF DEVELOPMENT, THE TEXT BRINGS ATTENTION TO PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR, HOW IT CHANGES, AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL APPROACH TO STAFF DEVELOPMENT. THEN IT REVIEWS THE ADMINISTRATIVE CONDITIONS NECESSARY TO FOSTER STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH FOR PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE, I.E., DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP, APPROPRIATE RESOURCES AND WORKING FACILITIES, INVOLVEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF MEMBERS IN INTELLECTUAL PURSUITS, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF EFFORT, COMPENSATION TO ALLOW FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT, REWARD SYSTEMS FOR ACCOMPLISHMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, AND CLIMATE BUILDING. ASSESSMENT OF STAFF NEEDS AND PLANNING STAFF DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES IS AN IMPORTANT PHASE OF STAFF DEVELOPMENT. NEEDS ASSESSMENT MAY BE A SELF-ASSESSMENT, A PEER ASSESSMENT, OR AN EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT, BUT ALL THREE GENERALLY FOCUS ON EXPECTATIONS, JOB BEHAVIORS BEING PERFORMED, JOB PROGRAM ACHIEVEMENTS, COMPILATION OF PERFORMANCE AND PROGRAM NEEDS, AND THE DETERMINATION OF STAFF DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES TO RESOLVE NEEDS. SAMPLE FORMS FOR RECORDING ASSESSMENT DATA ARE PRESENTED AS WELL AS SAMPLE NEEDS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE PLANNING PROCESS. FROM THIS POINT ON, THE TEXT TURNS TO ALTERNATIVE WAYS IN WHICH ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS, AS WELL AS OTHERS, MAY GAIN NEW EXPERIENCES TO ENHANCE THEIR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AND THUS BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE. THE FOLLOWING ALTERNATIVES ARE INCLUDED: LEARNING STRUCTURES FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING (BOTH INFORMAL AND FORMAL LEARNING AND EDUCATION FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT); PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT PROCESSES (PLANNING, GROUP WORK, PERSONAL AND GROUP THINKING, LITERATURE REVIEWS, SURVEYS, ACTION RESEARCH, AND CONSULTANT ASSISTANCE); COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY WORK; VISITATIONS, FIELD EXPERIENCES, AND FURLOUGHS; THE USE OF CONSULTANTS; AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT IN ADULT LEARNING. THE FINAL CHAPTER EXAMINES INDIVIDUAL SELF-IMPROVEMENT FOR PROFESSIONALS AND INCLUDES A DISCUSSION OF SPECIALIZATION, EXPERIMENTATION, PARTICIPATION IN ACTIVITIES, MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND IDENTIFICATION OF INCENTIVES. CHAPTERS ARE FOLLOWED BY SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES AND AN INDEX IS PROVIDED FOR THE TEST.