Revealing the secret of a development plan
Introduction
As a leader, I must admit, I have always dreamed of having a clear development plan throughout my professional career. When I joined The Stepstone Group last year, I was thrilled to discover that this company not only values personal and professional growth but actively supports its employees in this journey. Drawing from my previous experience and the inspiration of this environment, I decided to further explore the topic of development plan while implementing it within my team. In this article, I will share my experience from The Stepstone Group, hoping that you can apply some of these concepts to your work, regardless of your role or seniority.
Definition of a Development Plan
A development plan is a valuable tool for career growth, focusing on creating career strategy by both short-term and long-term objectives and the steps required to achieve them.
It comprises three main pillars: skills assessment, goal setting, and an action plan. My preference is to keep that order during the process. It provides comprehensive overview of personal evaluation, enabling both the leader and the employee collaboratively discuss and strategize career development.
Through my experience, I’ve observed that many employees are uncertain about the specific direction their careers should take, particularly when there is a high level of seniority within a team. Usually, it means that there are limited or no further options for promotion within the same team or department for them.
By conducting assessment first, we can ensure that goal setting is based on a solid understanding of the employee’s current capabilities, which can be compared with the employee’s future aspirations and the broader organizational needs, leading to more focused and effective career development.
Self-assessment
Skills assessment is fundamental to the process as it provides a complete picture of an individual’s strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots. As a leader, your first task is to clearly explain the goals of this assessment, followed by creating a safe space where team members feel comfortable sharing their fears and flaws. Trust, respect, and kindness between a leader and team member are crucial for an honest and open self-evaluation.
To increase self-awareness, the person for whom the development plan is created should fill out a skill gap analysis by themselves. This becomes a valuable starting point for further discussions, especially if there are differences between the employee’s self-assessment and the leader’s evaluation. To assist employees in this process, you can use additional questions (‘What are your weaknesses?’, ‘What are your strengths?’, ‘What do you want to accomplish?’, ‘Which competencies do you still need to develop?’ etc.) or a prepared evaluation form with relevant prompts (see example below).
Goals
Once areas for improvement are identified, the next step is to set goals. These objectives should outline a clear path for personal growth, whether it’s enhancing performance in the current role or transitioning to another position. Goals must adhere to the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) and be inspiring. Collaborating with the employee while setting these goals fosters mutual understanding and aligns expectations.
Action plan
The final step in building a development plan is creating an action plan. This plan consists of specific tasks to be completed within an agreed timeline, typically a quarter, though the timeframe may vary based on different factors. It’s important that employee can define those key results by themselves. It will increase a sense of ownership and the likelihood of success.
Implementing the Development Plan
With the development plan in place, personal growth can begin. It’s crucial to provide regular feedback and review progress on tasks and key results to track advancement, identify obstacles, and offer support when needed. To make it structured and facilitated toward tracking, I encourage you to follow those questions:
This journey requires full dedication and commitment from both the leader and the employee.
Benefits of Development Plans
Based on my team’s experience, having a development plan supported by a regular process yields several advantages. Setting quarterly objectives and reviewing progress monthly allows ample space for feedback and discussions regarding both process and personal development.
Additionally, having a clear direction for growth fosters motivation within the team. Utilizing an HR tool to log daily updates, changes, and support for tasks enhances focus, leading to increased achievements and satisfaction when goals are accomplished.
Continuing the Development Journey
A development plan should have a finite timeline but, from a process perspective, it is infinite. There will always be opportunities for further development and improvement. If a development plan is successful, take the time to celebrate the achievements. On the other hand, if the plan falls short of expectations, identify the reasons behind it and adjust for the next development planning phase.
Tailoring the Plan
There is no one-size-fits-all development plan; it should be highly individualized and tailored to each person’s needs and aspirations. When properly implemented, a development plan becomes a powerful tool for increasing motivation and retention among team members. Embrace the process and enjoy the journey of growth!
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