Process phases of IDP

– Onboarding IDP Process meeting—supervisor fills in an employee into an IDP
– Planning—supervisor, and employee prepare independently for meeting
– – – Supervisor prepares the interview with an employee
– – – Employee populates an individual Career Goals form
– 1-on-1 meeting—discuss employee strengths, areas for improvement, interests, goals, and organizational requirements
– Prepare IDP—supervisor creates a plan for individual development
– Implement Plan—employee pursues training and development identified in the plan
– Evaluate Outcomes—each OKR should be reviewed by a supervisor in a review session

Key elements of IDP

– Employee profile—name, position title, office, grade/pay band
– Self-assessment—hard and soft-skills personal evaluation by an employee
– Career goals—short-term and long-term goals with estimated and actual completion dates
– Objectives (OKRs)—linked to employee’s development needs
– Performance Indicators (KPIs)—indicators for measuring employee’s objectives
– Training and development plan—a developed plan that helps employees to achieve their career goals
– Commitments—supervisor and employee commit and date the plan

Supervisors and employees work together to complete the employee's development plan, however, employees are ultimately responsible for taking the initiative for their professional development.

Ways to reach IDP

1. Educational activities
   – Teaching a skill or area of expertise
   – Join professional classes
   – Take part in a professional event
   – – – Courses
   – – – Workshops
   – – – Masterclasses
   – – – Certifications

2. People activities
   – Shadowing
   – Mentoring
   – Volunteer

3. Practical activities
   – Information interviews
   – Research a topic according to department needs and present it
   – Serve a case according to department needs and present it
   – Present or lead a meetings
   – Significant role, task, project, or activity

Useful frameworks

1. SMART—guide in the setting of objectives
   – Specific—target a specific area for improvement
   – Measurable—quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress
   – Assignable—specify who will do it
   – Realistic—state what results can realistically be achieved, given available resources
   – Time-related—specify when the result(s) can be achieved

2. RUMBA—guide in the setting of objectives
   – Realisable—ensure that it can be done or accomplished
   – Understandable – use simple sentence construction and down-to-earth verbiage
   – Measurable—in specific quantitative, not qualitative
   – Behavioural—the objective’s statement must influence the behavioral actions
   – Agreed upon—both the supervisor and the employee must agree to the assigned OKRs

3. 70-20-10—a model for learning and development
   – 70 percent of their knowledge from job-related experiences
   – 20 percent from interactions with others
   – 10 percent from formal educational events

4. 360 Degree Feedback—is used to assist in identifying strengths and developmental needs
   — Measures behaviors and competencies
   — Provides feedback on how others perceive an employee
   — Addresses soft skills such as listening, planning, and goal-setting
   — Focuses on subjective areas such as teamwork, leadership, effectiveness

Frequency and timing of review

How often?
– Annual
– Semi-annual
– Quarterly

When?
– Anniversary date
– Fiscal year
– Year-end
– Common window

Be prepared for the conversation

We have to give an employee a development plan questionnaire to identify the following:
– Professional goals and aspirations
– Things that inspire and motivate them
– Passions, skills, and talents
– Opportunities for development

Review employees’ answers and use performance reviews, self-assessments, and other materials to prepare for a discussion with them.

Meet with employee

Individual development plan meetings usually take an hour. Generally, let the employee lead the discussion when it comes to the discussion of goals, passions, and skills. Collaborate to form action steps that will help them achieve their goals. The session should be collaborative, enjoyable, and meaningful.

We should always have a plan

When determining the best ways to achieve goals, consider feasibility:
– What can the employee accomplish while carrying primary responsibilities?
– How much can your company afford in terms of budget and the employee’s time?
– Are action steps measurable?
– Which action steps will benefit both the employee and the company?

Start with performance evaluation form

The employee performance evaluation form, also known as the performance review form, is a document that highlights an individual’s strengths and weaknesses when it comes to workplace performance feedback. To stimulate positive change, employee feedback must be tailored to each person’s specific work. Performance evaluation form components:

– Employee’s information and review period
– Accountabilities objectives and standards
– Competencies and performance indications
– Major achievements and contributions
– Employee input comments
– Developmental achievements
– Developmental needs and goals
– Signature and dates

Proceed with Personal Development Plan

– Set one goal
– Decompose goal to OKRs 1-5
– Decompose each OKR to KPIs
– Identify the employee’s 2-3 greatest strengths and how they can be leveraged for development by the performance evaluation form
– Identify and offer guidance toward developmental opportunities that will help employees build on their strengths in such a way that they can impact the needs of the organization
– Agree on the contents of the IDP with the employee, then both of you should sign a copy of it
– Review and revise IDP to determine progress

Provide the area of experimental activities

– Keeping a journal and noting what’s working and not working and what they want to do differently
– Taking on stretch assignments that allow employees to practice skills and knowledge
– Shadowing experts
– Enlarging employee’s role to encompass more opportunities to practice new skills and behaviors and increase their knowledge
– Participating in teams and projects where they get to practice new skills and behaviors and increase their knowledge

Provide the area of people’s activities

– Partnering with a mentor
– Contracting with a colleague around playing the role of a peer coach and providing real-time feedback
– Setting up meetings with subject matter experts and asking them about best practices and best failures
– Asking colleagues regularly what they could be doing differently or better

Provide the area of educational activities

– Books, articles
– Broadcasts, podcasts
– Exploring interesting links
– Taking classes
– Attending conferences
– Joining associations

Potential challenges

Poorly developed IDP—when employees think their development plans are vague, unrealistic, or unsupported, they disengage and grow skeptical.

Lack of executive commitment—senior executives who openly commit to employee development foster growth and generate huge returns in employee engagement. Conversely, senior executives who ignore or fail to support individual plans generate apathy and disengagement.

Failure of supervisor follow-through—chronic failure to make time for agreed-upon learning opportunities breeds cynicism and reduces employee potential.