How to write a great individual development plan (IDP)

An individual development plan (IDP) is a tool that helps facilitate employee development. This is a two-way engagement between an employee and their manager on what they are going to do to grow.

The displaced are often used as a way to guide the development of leadership. Organizations like them because they are visible, tangible proof that leadership development is taking place. Can be monitored and tracked as a measure of progress, used as a way to steer the responsibility for development and, especially, if they are well written and taken seriously, actually work.

I'll draw on my experience of having helped hundreds of leaders write IDPs, using them for my own employees, as well as my personal experience with my own IDPs (rule number 1: If you are going to help someone else write an IDP , it is better to have current one yourself).

How to write a great individual development plan (IDP)

1. Start with a goal to have a reason to develop

There must be some kind of reason to develop. If there is no reason to improve - or no reason, then there is no reason to have an IDP.

Here are the most typical reasons for an IDP:
* Are you new to a job, and wants to get up to speed as quickly as possible
* Are you struggling in your job, and want to improve
* Would you like to switch to a new role, and want to prepare for this new role
* You are good at what you do, and have no immediate aspirations to move, but just want to become even more

2. Identify what you want to learn, or better

Identify the three most important skills, such as skills, knowledge, attributes) that you want to work in order to achieve your goal. If you are new to a role, these will most likely unknown functional areas that have had little previous experience with. Or you can get to know your new organization or team. If you're struggling in a role, these can be identified in your performance appraisal, an assessment of leadership 360, or feedback from your manager or a coach. In order to prepare for a new role, you must identify the competencies required for this new role that does not yet have.

For leadership development, have access to a model of leadership skills can help you identify the leadership skills your company has identified as essential for a leader. You can judge for yourself, ask your manager for feedback, or ask for an assessment 360.

When I work with a leader, I ask questions to get to the what and why. That helps me to identify the skills, reason and the relative importance. People sometimes struggle to put a "label" on the need to have that competency model helps us to do so ("OK, so it sounds like you want to work on your leadership presence, or strategic thinking, or have need to improve your financial acumen - is the right one ")?.

You might also want to identify your strengths. Strengths can often be improved and also be exploited in order to respond to development needs.

3. Identify "development actions" to address the needs

Here are the most common development actions, listed in order of impact on development:
1. Move to a new job
2. Take a challenging position within your current job
3. Learn from someone else (manager, coach, expert or role model)
4. Get educated on the subject: a course, read on

Sometimes, if you aspire to a greater role, the most important step in your development plan is to identify the role or roles to take in order to get you ready, often a lateral movement. However, given that job changes are significant, and not often a challenging task is usually the best way to develop a skill or expertise. It's those "tasks" section that force us to perform, learn, and have the greatest impact. The other advantage of a development task is to balance work with the actual development. Otherwise, IDP can become something "extra" to do when you have time, and, of course, is not done.

Then, once the project has been identified, identify people who can help you learn new skills necessary to succeed with that project (the same skills identified in Step 2). For example, if this new project is needed to drive change, to find 2-3 people who are really good at changing the door and go talk to them. An internal or external coach may be able to help with the attributes difficult to learn, like building relationships. A mentor can often help to develop political acumen, and organizational agility.

Finally, identify any courses, books or websites on the topics you want to learn.

4. Give dates, costs, and who is responsible for what

The date helps you get specific and keep your commitment. All expenses must be approved by the manager. While you will be responsible for most of the plan, the operator can have things that s / he agrees to do to help.

5. Discuss the plan with your manager

Although you can have your own plan and do not involve the managers, who usually helps to get feedback of managers, involvement and support. If for some reason you prefer not to do so (for example, you work for one unit, for example), find a coach or trusted peer to talk to. For both the signature of the plan, is a kind of symbolic two-way commitment.

6. Implement the plan, the follow-up often, and think about what you have learned

Keep your plan in front of you at all times. Check the items you complete, you will feel a sense of accomplishment. Think about what you did, what you see, what you have learned. What were the lessons? What should be included as part of your repertoire? What should you refuse? What have you learned about yourself? It is often useful to have a manager, coach or trusted mentor to help you discover those moments "V8" ....