Summary
Developing an Individual Development Plan is crucial for both employees and organizations aiming for growth and success. An individual development plan serves as a personalized roadmap, outlining an individual’s career goals, skills development, and the steps needed to achieve those objectives. Research indicates that employees who actively engage in IDPs are 20% more likely to feel satisfied in their roles and committed to their organizations.
Having a structured plan (use our template!) encourages self-reflection and proactive career management, allowing employees to identify their strengths and areas for improvement. It also facilitates meaningful conversations between employees and managers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development. By prioritizing individual development plans, organizations not only enhance employee engagement but also cultivate a skilled workforce that is aligned with the company’s strategic goals. Investing in individual development ultimately leads to higher retention rates and a more motivated team, driving overall organizational success.
This template can be used to map out next steps when it comes to the career aspirations of your direct report.
Feel free to adjust to your personal use cases.
Click here to make a copy of the template | Word version
📍Individual Development Plan Pro tips
- Schedule time to discuss your direct report’s development plans once every 6 months at a minimum. Plenty can change both personally and professionally in 6 months and even if their goals and plans don’t change in that time, it will serve as a good reminder for you both to invest in their progress against the original plan.
- Book time to make and/or review the plan. Book these in advance as a gift to your future self (ie you won’t have to remember to do it later!) Time – 60 min extend when necessary, Subject line – [NAME] – Career Plan.
- Set the expectation of what you and what your direct should prepare before this discussion. Send them a copy of this document and ask them to fill in their answers to the questions listed in the template below prior to the conversation.
- Make sure you give them enough time to properly reflect on these questions. Ask them if they need your help in creating space for reflection. It can be quite hard to come up with this stuff on the spot. Do not show up unprepared or allow the other person to do so except in a rare circumstance (we’re all human and may need a break every once in a while).
- Sometimes, it can be helpful to show your direct report your own individual development plan to help them see how you complete the same exercise.
Suggest that your direct report reflects on their motivation map as they answer the questions in their development plan. This can help you both have an honest discussion about how their motivations align with their aspirations.
- Set the expectation that your direct report’s career should be driven by them. You are there to support (not the other way around!). After all, it would be weird for someone else to care about our career more than one’s own self, right?
Individual Development Plan Template
Career Development Goals
Use this space to agree on and write down career development goals for the direct report. Agree on how often you will check in on these goals and progress. We recommend a cadence of every 6 months.
What are your career goals for the next 3 months?
- Insert career goals for the next 3 months
What are your career goals for the next 6 months?
- Insert career for the next 6 months
What are your career goals for the next year?
- Insert career goals for the next year
What skills already exist for you to get to these goals?
- Insert skills that already are demonstrated by the direct report
What skills need to be developed for you to get to these goals?
- Insert skills to be developed
What support do you need to get to these goals?
Education – What formal or information education could help you acquire the skills needed? Think – online courses, mentorship etc
Exposure – What experiences or exposures could help you acquire the skills needed? Think – attending meetings, watching planning sessions etc
Experience – What experiences could help you acquire the skills needed? Think – working on a special project, partnering on a problem etc
What cadence do we agree on to check in on progress towards these goals?
Let’s book the time now!
