What is a Development Plan?

Development Plans encourage a focused approach to each individual's training and developmental needs. The action plan should focus on leveraging each employee's strengths and providing new skills that will increase the employee’s productivity in both their current and prospective positions. Supervisors who promote this practice send a clear message that they view each person's professional development as a priority. This tends to be a strong motivator.

How do you create a Development Plan?

(1) Employees develop the substance of their own Development Plan. Areas might include answers to questions such as: What direction is my organization going and what will the organization need from me in the future? What are my greatest strengths and how can I build on them more effectively? Do I have any serious weaknesses that may prevent me from reaching my goals?

(2) Employees then meet with their supervisor. The supervisor should provide feedback on the employee’s suggested plan and offer additional guidance, including input regarding available training resources. The final Development Plan should be realistic given the company's resources.

(3) Follow up is an ongoing phase. As the employee completes the action plan, it is important to follow up to ensure that the intervention is implemented quickly and effectively.