The individual development plan: Benefits, best practices, and examples
An individual development plan isn’t just a way to facilitate a single employee’s growth. In today’s competitive talent market, IDPs are advantageous for the entire organization.
Opportunities to learn new skills and advance within a company rank among the top five things job seekers are looking for this year. Employers that take note are likely to gain an advantage in terms of both talent retention and engagement.
How to implement individual development plans
Individual development plans have been used for decades in performance evaluations and succession planning. They’re often regarded as a one-time activity for new hires, or a tool for remediating performance problems. But when created collaboratively with an employee’s career goals in mind, an individual development plan can be a valuable tool for supporting their ongoing growth.
IDPs identify development experiences that help employees succeed in their position and prepare them for increased responsibility in positions aligned with their career goals. However, they’re not a substitute for performance appraisals or a promise of promotion.
The IDP process requires managers to create a climate of trust and psychological safety.
An individual development plan identifies specific actions an employee will take to expand their skills and gain relevant experience. L&D or HR staff can support employees by suggesting development opportunities and connecting them with any necessary resources.
Supervisors can then meet with their direct reports periodically, perhaps quarterly, to check on progress and provide constructive feedback. This requires managers to establish a climate of trust and psychological safety in which employees feel comfortable discussing their aspirations and performance.
The necessary components of an individual development plan
Many organizations start by defining a set of guidelines for creating an individual development plan, and then provide training to both employees and managers. The process often begins with an employee’s self-assessment and identification of their career goals.
The most effective IDPs are developed collaboratively by employees and their supervisors. Yale University’s guide for creating an individual development plan describes the process as a partnership led by the employee and supported by the manager.
The steps in Yale’s process include:
- Identify professional goals and motivations
- Determine strengths and development opportunities
- Plan objectives and action steps
- Discuss and refine the plan with management
- Act on the plan
Employees document their responses to a series of prompts for steps one through three using a conversation tool that serves as the basis for meeting with their manager. While the terminology and tools used may differ, most organizations follow a similar process.
Individual development plan example for employees
There is no universal standard for what should be included in an individual development plan, but most templates share a few common elements.
One model lays out five key components to include: strengths, development opportunities, long-term career vision, short-term career plan, and immediate growth areas. The long-term career vision serves as a north star that keeps employees focused, providing a sense of meaning and purpose.
Yale’s individual development plan template includes: professional goals, talents and strengths to build upon, knowledge and skills development opportunities, focused objectives, and action steps to achieve those goals (such as learning from a mentor or earning a professional certification).
The following example uses elements from both of the above templates. Organizations can use this example, or adapt any one of the templates available online. Here is what the individual development plan looks like, once filled out by an employee.
Employee Name: John Doe
Date Completed: January 1
Long-Term Career Vision:
- What do you want your career to look like five or more years from now?
- What would you find professionally fulfilling?
I would like to be leading my own B2C marketing team within five years.
Short-Term Career Objectives:
- What are your short-term goals over the next one to five years?
- Include any promotion goals or desired role changes.
Within the next year I would like to transition from the B2B marketing team to the B2C team.
Talents/Strengths:
- What skills and knowledge can you leverage to meet your goals?
- What should you continue doing, and perhaps do more of?
I’ve been told I’m empathetic and a natural leader. I’m a fast learner but need to free up more time to learn the ropes of B2C marketing.
Development Opportunities:
- What skills and knowledge should you work on developing further?
- How will developing in these areas help you achieve your career goals?
I have no formal training or experience in a B2C role. I want to learn more about B2C marketing strategies and technologies. I would also like to gain an understanding of the sort of metrics a team leader keeps an eye on regularly.
Action Plan:
- What steps will you take to support your career objectives?
- For each action step, provide a target completion date and identify any support you will need from your manager.
Action Step 1: Shadow a B2C team leader once a month during the first half of the year.
Anticipated Completion: June 30
Management Support Needed: Help identify a leader for me to shadow.
Action Step 2: Successfully complete the online “Mastering B2C Marketing” course.
Anticipated Completion: End of Q3
Management Support Needed: Allow time off for training.
Individual development plan example for leadership, supervisors, and managers
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to creating an individual development plan for the leadership team. However, these will look slightly different once filled out, as the action steps are often more in-depth. Here is an example, using the same template, completed by a supervisor for her own development.
Employee Name: Jane Doe
Date Completed: January 1
Long-Term Career Vision:
- What do you want your career to look like five or more years from now?
- What would you find professionally fulfilling?
I would like to become the director of a department within seven years.
Short-Term Career Objectives:
- What are your short-term goals over the next one to five years?
- Include any promotion goals or desired role changes.
Within the next three to five years I hope to be promoted to a senior management role.
Talents/Strengths:
- What skills and knowledge can you leverage to meet your goals?
- What should you continue doing, and perhaps do more of?
I have strong time management skills and am good at keeping projects on schedule. My technical skills are strong, and I make it a point to keep them up to date as technologies evolve.
Development Opportunities:
- What skills and knowledge should you work on developing further?
- How will developing in these areas help you achieve your career goals?
My communication skills aren’t as strong as I’d like them to be in one-on-one and group settings. I also feel that in particular, my public speaking and presentation skills could be improved.
Action Plan:
- What steps will you take to support your career objectives?
- For each action step, provide a target completion date and identify any support you will need from your manager.
Action Step 1: Successfully complete the online course, “Communication Skills for Leaders.”
Anticipated Completion: March 31
Management Support Needed: I will need three hours of training time during business hours.
Action Step 2: Request feedback on my communication skills from each of my team members.
Anticipated Completion: Ongoing, beginning April 1
Management Support Needed: None
Action Step 3: Join the local chapter of Toastmasters International and attend meetings monthly.
Anticipated Completion: Ongoing, beginning April 1
Management Support Needed: Toastmasters’ membership fee.
Final thoughts
According to McKinsey, more than 80% of employees moving into new roles do so by changing employers. Organizations are in danger of losing their top talent, but a number of studies have shown a connection between professional development opportunities and increased retention. Implementing an individual development plan process and offering employees support along the way, is a smart move in the right direction.
