The Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a tool that contributes to the development of an employee and improves his / her leadership.
These plans enable employers to effectively manage their employees’ progress and correct shooting if the need arises. It is also a way of establishing a concrete commitment between the superior and the employee.
- Have a goal. There must be a purpose behind your IDP because otherwise, it will serve no purpose. Examples of goals: the employee wants to improve, the employee wants to climb the ladder, the employee has a new job and wants to learn quickly, etc.
- Target what you want to learn. We need to identify the three skills we want to work toward. Some of these skills may have been mentioned in your annual evaluation … dig your memory!
- Identify actions that need to be taken. This could mean having a coach or mentor, undertake new projects, take classes, attend training, etc…
- Set deadlines, evaluate the costs and identify those are responsible. It is imperative that we meet the deadlines to demonstrate our commitment. Costs must be authorized by the superior. The employee is usually responsible for the plan, but the supervisor can also share responsibility (if the employee so wishes).
- Review the plan with the supervisor. Although it is possible to have an individual development plan without telling your supervisor, it is always better to have your opinion, support, and participation. If you are not comfortable with it, consult a coach or co-worker.
- Implement the plan.Once thePersonal Development Plan is in place, check it to see if you have followed it. Also ask yourself the following questions: Does the plan need to be modified? What did I learn? Do I need to develop a new IDP?
Do you have an individual development plan?
