Sample.Professional-Development-Toolkit

Professional Development Toolkit

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents...................................................................................................................2
The 70:20:10 Learning Framework........................................................................................3
70:20:10 Defined...............................................................................................................3
70:20:10 in Practice...........................................................................................................3
In practical terms what does this look like?..................................................................3
Advice to Individuals on 70:20:10 Learning.......................................................................5
Example of 70:20:10 in Practice: Giving and Receiving Feedback.....................................9
Performing Individual Needs Assessments..........................................................................11
Individual Needs Assessment Defined.............................................................................11
Individual Needs Assessment Process.............................................................................11
What kinds of needs are there?..................................................................................12
Self-Assessment...........................................................................................................12
Gathering Data on Individual Development Needs.....................................................12
Skills, Knowledge and Competencies Analysis.............................................................15
High-Potential Employees............................................................................................16
Conclusions..................................................................................................................16
Individual Development Plan...............................................................................................17
Individual Development Plan Defined.............................................................................17
Individual Development Planning Responsibilities..........................................................17
Individual Development Planning Process......................................................................18
Key Elements Of An Individual Development Plan..........................................................19
Providers of Management Skills Training.............................................................................22

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The 70:20:10 Learning Framework
70:20:10 Defined
The 70:20:10 Model is a learning and development model based on research by Michael M.
Lombardo and Robert W. Eichinger for the Center for Creative Leadership. The concept states
that a blend of different learning approaches can provide powerful learning.
The 70:20:10 Learning Framework posits that 70 percent of learning happens through on-thejob-experience, 20 percent happens through discussions with and feedback from others, and 10
percent through structured courses, trainings, and formal programs. The below slide deck and
video by Charles Jennings, a leading thinker and practitioner in human capital management,
describe the principles behind the 70:20:10 framework in more detail.



/> />
70:20:10 in Practice
From Jennings, Charles. Social and Workplace Learning through the 70:20:10 Lens. 4 August
2011.
At its heart, 70:20:10 is all about re-thinking and re-aligning learning and development focus
and effort. It involves stepping outside the classes/courses/curriculum mind-set and
letting outputs drive the cart – thinking about performance improvement and helping people do
their jobs better rather than spending the majority of time and effort on inputs – learning
content, instructional design etc. Of course the inputs are important at times, but we need to
keep our perspective. Content and design are not the most important inputs to the learning and

capability development process.
It doesn’t matter if the job is simple or complex, whether it’s repetitive or highly varied, or if it’s
driven by defined processes or requires extensive innovative and creative thinking. The
principles are the same – the most effective and generally fastest way to improve and gain
mastery will be through workplace and social learning.

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IN PRACTICAL TERMS WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE?
It may mean using any of these ‘70’ approaches:
 Identifying opportunities to apply new learning and skills in real situations
 Allocating new work within an existing role
 Increasing range of responsibilities or span of control
 Identifying opportunities to reflect and learn from projects
 Allocating assignments focused on new initiatives
 Providing the chance to work as a member of a small team
 Providing increased decision-making authority
 Providing stretch assignments
 Enhancing leadership activities, e.g.; lead a team, committee membership, executive
directorships
 Setting up coordinated swaps and secondments
 Arranging assignments to provide cross-divisional or cross-regional experience
 Providing opportunities to carry out day-to-day research
 Providing opportunities to develop a specific expertise niche
 Allocating assignments to provide new product experience

Or any of these ‘20’ approaches:
 Encourage the use of colleague feedback to try a new approach to an old problem
 Establish a culture of coaching from manager/colleagues/others
 Encourage seeking advice, asking opinions, sounding out ideas
 Engage in formal and informal mentoring
 Embed informal feedback and work debriefs
 Encourage learning through team work
 Target building strong internal and external networks
 Build a culture of learning through teams/networks
 Support professional and industry association membership and external networking
 Encourage facilitated group discussion as a standard practice
 Use Action Learning
The above are just a few options available for development in the ‘70’ and ‘20’ zones.

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Advice to Individuals on 70:20:10 Learning
From George Washington University, Organizational Development and Effectiveness.
.
On‐the‐job learning is one of most effective methods for professional development. Research
indicates that for working adults, approximately 70% of their professional development occurs
on‐the‐job making it important to focus on experiential learning opportunities. Use this
resource to help you identify on‐the‐job learning activities. In addition to this resource, explore
the Staff Learning and Development self‐guided learning pages to identify resources to
supplement your on‐the‐job learning. The suggestions below provide only a few samples of on‐

the‐job learning.
Modify the recommendations below or create your own based on your unique
situation. Resources mentioned below are available in this resource library:
/>COMMUNICATION
□ Identify ways to improve your listening skills, using the tips in the above resource library.
Select an important meeting as a case study to practice your listening skills. After the meeting,
debrief with a colleague. Ask about your listening skills and identify ways to improve.
□ Select an opportunity for you to improve your writing skills by offering to draft an important
document for your manager.
□ Volunteer to lead a group meeting as an opportunity to develop your facilitation techniques.
To prepare, explore the facilitation resources in the above library and after the meeting ask a
participant to give you feedback on your techniques and style. Prepare yourself to receive the
feedback by using the Planning to Receive Feedback tool (below this guide).
□ Identify a project you can work on that allows you to be creative and inspire creativity in
others. Explore the creativity resources available in the above library and integrate the use of
the resources to help you complete the project.
□ Take initiative to give and receive constructive feedback from others actively. Select an
opportunity to use the tool, Planning to Give Feedback, to apply a process and practice
delivering feedback effectively.

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CUSTOMER SERVICE
□ Select a specific customer you work with to serve as a focal point for improving your
customer service skills. Focus on understanding the customer perspective and managing

customer expectations.
□ Identify an opportunity to collect and analyze customer feedback to identify areas for
process improvements and share your insights with the people involved.
□ Select a situation you can use as a case study to improve your customer problem solving
skills. Explore the customer service and problem solving resources in the above library for ideas
on how to approach the situation. Seek input from your customers and track your lessons
learned.
TEAMWORK
□ When seeking guidance or advice on a task, intentionally consult a group of people with
diverse backgrounds and experiences. Learn more about how our differences make our teams
stronger by exploring the resources in the above linked library for valuing diversity.
□ Select a situation you know will be challenging – one where you are sure you will have a
different point of view from others. Use it as a case study to use the tool, Conflict Resolution
Tips and Worksheet to prepare. After the situation, debrief your lessons learned with a
colleague or your manager.
□ Identify a peer who needs help and extend an offer of assistance. Seek out strategic
opportunities to help others such as colleagues working on interesting projects that would
represent new learning opportunities for you.
□ Volunteer to facilitate a team building session with your group. During the session, refer to
our organizational values and use the tool, Assessing Team Values Instrument, as a way to foster
discussion and identify ways to strengthen teamwork.
PRODUCTIVITY
□ Take this decision making quiz to better understand your decision making style. Identify an
opportunity to apply what you learn from the quiz and test it out.

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□ Review your “To do” list and apply the 80/20 rule – the idea that roughly 80% of the effects
come from 20% of the causes. Apply this to your work as a way to prioritize what is most
important – what will yield the greatest result and reallocate your time as appropriate.
□ Volunteer to run a meeting you regularly participate in. Use this opportunity to practice your
meeting management skills and help increase the productivity of the meeting. Use the
resources available in the above library to help you prepare and seek feedback after.
□ Identify an assignment that gives you the opportunity to develop your time management
skills. Leverage the time management resources in the library above and use them as you work
on the assignment. Track your progress and adopt the techniques that improve how you use
your time.
MANAGEMENT
□ Volunteer for a project that enables you to demonstrate ownership and accountability
without full authority over the people and/or process. Explore the resources in the library
above for motivating others to build your ability to ensure the job gets done – even when
everything isn’t in your control.
□ Select one staff member to improve your coaching relationship with. Take advantage of the
coaching suggestions in the performance management process. Actively work on your coaching
skills with that employee, track your lessons learned, and move on to another staff member
once the process is working effectively.
□ Schedule time at an upcoming staff meeting to clearly define expectations of your staff. After
you share with the team, schedule one on one discussions to highlight the unique elements that
will help each specific staff member be most effective.
□ Ask clarifying questions to ensure your staff understands and be open to their feedback and
concerns.
□ Ask your manager questions and observe his/her behavior to understand style and
preferences. Utilize the managing up resources in the above library to help you develop a
partnership with your manager. Identify what you can learn from your manager.
□ Put in place a management system – a process for ensuring work flows through your office

and that you have time to coach your employees.
SUMMARY TIPS
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• Identify one or more “informal mentors” to help you build various skills. Find someone who is
good at something you want to learn and seek guidance.
Remember that informal mentors do not need to be more experienced than you – one of your
direct reports or peers may be the best source to learn a new skill.
• Be a student of others and study their behavior. Determine what behaviors are effective and
ineffective. Practice doing what you see working for others to build your skills.
• Request feedback about your behavior from direct reports or colleagues after a challenging
situation. Ask for recommendations for what could have been done differently.
• Be curious! Ask questions of other people to gain insight into their processes, techniques, and
style.
• Identify some currently unused strengths and find ways to communicate them and use them
as you pursue your goals.
• Review more of the professional development resources in the above library. Discuss what
you learned with others and how you can use it on the job.

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Example of 70:20:10 in Practice: Giving and Receiving Feedback
The sources for the following tools include:

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George Washington University, Organizational Development and Effectiveness
Harvard Business Review blogs
Free Management Library (managementhelp.org)
CBS News (cbsnews.com)
Marshall Goldsmith (marshallgolsmithfeedforward.com)

The guide below outlines blended learning options for a specific competency – the ability to
effectively give and receive feedback. Similar guides could be created for any number of
competencies or skills.
Table 1: Examples of 70:20:10 Methods of Developing Competency in Giving and Receiving
Feedback


70% - On the job. The most effective way to learn to give and receive feedback is to “learn by
doing”. Below you will find a number of experiential learning opportunities for both giving and
receiving feedback. Pick two “on the job learning” options below for both giving and receiving
feedback, and discuss your successes and challenges with someone you trust.

Giving Feedback





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

Use the tool – Giving feedback then pick one person to give feedback to (at work or outside
of work) in the next week
Use the upward feedback pointers - on a real situation – until you find one worth using and then give your boss
feedback
Give each of your direct reports one piece of feedback following the 6 guidelines found at
/>Set the expectation among your staff that they use the tools (giving and receiving feedback)
to give each other peer to peer feedback – and then check in during staff meetings to ensure
it’s happening and openly discuss barriers to do it
Practice being open to feedback (either at work, or outside work)
Recognize a colleague who has modeled the organizational core values or who has gone
“above and beyond” in their job

Receiving Feedback
 Practice active listening skills - Take the self-assessment tool - and pick at least two areas you marked as a “c” or “d” to focus on skill building. Pick
specific situations or conversations in which to practice building your skill in this area.
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
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

20% - Learning from others. Opportunistically learn from others when situations present
themselves. Select a minimum of one of the learning tactics below to continue enhancing
your ability to give and receive feedback.








Communicating in difficult situations
Ask a direct report to give you feedback in your next 1-1 (give them time to plan ahead and
be specific about the topic you are requesting feedback about)
Ask a peer to give you feedback
Ask your boss to give you feedback
Seek out a situation in which you might normally feel defensive. Practice the skills necessary
to avoid becoming defensive.

Find someone who models the behaviors you strive to be better and ask if they will be your
mentor on this topic. Schedule at least two meetings of 30 minutes each to discuss how their
approach and experiences may benefit you.
Join a project team where giving and receiving feedback amongst team members will be
critical to the success of the project
Schedule quarterly performance checkpoints with your manager and/or your staff.

Incorporate their feedback on your progress both giving and receiving feedback as a standing
agenda item.
Ask a trusted peer or friend for feedback about things they think you do well and things they
think you could do differently related to giving and receiving feedback.
We all have successes at work, just as we all make mistakes. After you recognize you’ve made
a mistake at work, seek feedback from someone on what you could have done differently to
practice receiving feedback.

Type

Book

Reading
Article
Video

Article

10% - Courses and reading. Learn by exploring expert resources. Leverage a
minimum of two of the options below to supplement your other learning
experiences.
Giving and Receiving Feedback – Harvard Business Review Pocket Mentor
/>Planning to Give Feedback (DOC)
/>Taking Constructive Criticism Like a Champ
/>How to Prepare for a Difficult Conversation
/>How to Approach a Colleague Who is Making Mistakes
/>
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Article
Video/Tool

Top Six Tips to Share Useful – and Respectful – Feedback
/>The FeedForward Tool
/>
Performing Individual Needs Assessments
Individual Needs Assessment Defined
Sources:
CIPD. Identifying Learning Needs in Organisations. October 2006.
South African Management Development Institute. Training Needs Assessment. 2007.
An individual needs assessment can be defined as determining the gap between what an
employee must be able to do and what he or she can or is currently doing. A individual needs
assessment (also called a “individual needs analysis”) therefore identifies the gap between what
the job expects an employee to do, on the one hand, and what the employee is actually doing,
on the other. An individual needs analysis discovers whether there is a discrepancy or conflict
between what an employee ought to be doing and that which he or she can do.

Individual Needs Assessment Process
As with strategic workforce planning, individual needs assessments begin with understanding
the organization’s goals. Through a workforce planning process (See resources in Workforce
Planning folder), the organization will have aligned its organizational goals with its talent needs.
It will have determined the critical skills and competencies needed to achieve current and
future organizational goals.
The individual needs assessment brings this analysis further down to the level of particular
roles. Once you know the competencies needed and responsibilities expected for a role, you

can perform an individual needs analysis to identify the gap between what an employee in that
role should be doing and what the employee is currently doing. This gap provides insight into
the professional development needed to help the employee build the skills and competencies
needed to perform the role effectively. (Alternatively, if the employee has taken on
responsibilities above and beyond the role, it may redefine the assessment of competencies
needed for that role or may mean that the employee needs to be promoted. This is described
further in the “Identifying High Potential Employees” section below).

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The organization also needs to consider the following:
 Are local managers and individuals themselves empowered to source their own training?
 Are local managers empowered to identify the learning needs of their people?
 Does the organization provide a central suite of learning interventions from which
individuals can select the most appropriate?
 Does the organization have the policy, resources, and expertise to design individual
learning interventions?
It is line managers’ responsibility to support the development of their people. It is the
organization’s responsibility to empower them to do so and to provide assistance, advice, tools,
and resources.

WHAT KINDS OF NEEDS ARE THERE?
The individual needs may be personal, performance-related or career-related, and will include
needs, amongst others for:











updating knowledge, skills and job-related competencies;
increasing job satisfaction and the fulfillment of personal goals;
making decisions about career choices and career progression;
identifying personal strengths and weaknesses;
identifying and achieving work values and work targets;
developing communication, personal effectiveness and life skills;
improving qualifications;
individual learning and self-development;
building self-awareness, self-confidence and motivation.

SELF-ASSESSMENT
One method for conducting an individual needs assessment is for the employee to perform a
self-assessment and review it with his/her manager. Using this method, the employees writes
down his/her performance goals (or reviews his/her performance plan) and answers the
following questions:
1. Which of these performance goals do you feel, or know from experience, that you are
not able to reach? In other words, which of these responsibilities are you currently
doing, but not to the satisfaction of yourself or your employer?
2. Provide one reason why you think you are not reaching your performance goal.
3. What do you think you need in order to reach the goal?
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GATHERING DATA ON INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS
Usually, the process of identifying development needs is not limited to self-assessment. The
manager is also involved in gathering information about an employee’s development needs. The
following are some basic guidelines for gathering information on individual development needs:
1. Assess whether training needs (rather than other needs) are a priority.
2. Determine whose needs are being expressed.
3. Collect your information from as many sources, from as wide a base, and in as many and
varied ways as possible.
4. Be careful about putting words into employees’ mouths.
5. Check (and recheck) your understanding with the employees!
6. Don’t stop at a superficial understanding of needs. What are employees telling you?
Probe and question why they feel they need something.
Among those who can be consulted during a needs analysis are:
 the target group that is going to be trained is usually the main focus of the exercise with the proviso that the target group is not assumed to be homogeneous. It may well
be made up of many different sub-groups.
 the training provider must also define the needs as they see or experience them. But be
careful of their vested interest in discovering training needs!
 key individuals in the workplace, including those in management and supervisory
positions, should be consulted.
 outside ‘experts’, that is people who have knowledge of the training service that is being
provided, could be consulted. Other departments or divisions with similar aims and
objectives may well provide useful input.
If you get your information in one particular way it is important to check it against other sources
as well. For example if you obtain your information through discussion with a group of

employees it may be useful to balance it with observation and written documentation.
Employees may express a lack of skills in a particular area, but observation, for example, may
show that the lack is not as bad as they think.
It is also important, when collecting data, to look for what doesn’t fit the pattern that you have
established. Look for this divergent data (data that differs from what you have already got). This
can help ensure that your information is representative of all the members of the target group
and prevents you from seeing them or their needs in a superficial way.

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Also pay particular attention to data that seems to go against the interests of those who
provided it or against the popular wisdom on a particular problem. Such data may be of
immense value.

Sample Methods of Needs Assessment
Method
Talking and
listening to
various people

Description
Various forms
including: Individual
interviews Group
interviews/ discussion

Advantages

Formal interview

Preplanned interview,
usually done with an
interview schedule
Formal survey
questionnaire filled in
by the respondent.
Maybe distributed by
mail or e-mail.
Designed (educational)
event at which needs
are assessed Usually a
meeting called to
discuss some problem
facing the workgroup

A lot of information
may be gained

Questionnaire

Workshop

Can lead to openness;
achieving a sense of
individual needs; more

detailed information
can be obtained; all
voices can be heard
Save time; allows for
rapid response

May save time for the
assessor;
standardization useful
in large-scale surveys
Can allow for a
detailed and
thoughtful response
May be possible to
gain endorsement for
a surveyor program

Disadvantages
Emphasis on personal rather
than general needs; can lead
to over-high expectations
that individual needs will be
met; takes time
Some people may dominate
discussion and other may
remain silent
Person being interviewed
may be inhibited; takes time
Off-putting to many people;
time-consuming to fill in;

coding responses for openended questionnaires may
be time consuming and
difficult; unusable for
illiterates or the poorly
educated; mailed
questionnaires often have a
low return rate
Time consuming; attendance
maybe unrepresentative;
needs good planning skills

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Meeting

Observation

Observation of the
individual

Information gained
may be checked
through other
methods

Attendance maybe poor or
unrepresentative; some
people may be reluctant to
participate and some people
may dominate
Time consuming; what is
observed may be difficult to
interpret

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCIES ANALYSIS
Once you have gathered information, one way to analyze it is by looking at skills, knowledge and
competencies needs.
Skills
Skills can be defined as discrete observable behaviors that contribute to the successful
achievement of tasks. Because they can be measured, they can also be assessed and rated from
poor to excellent, or similar scales of ability.
One tool for skills analysis involves listing the skills needed for the role and using the chart as a
benchmark in reviewing how the employee fulfilled his/her objectives, noting strengths and
areas for development, supplemented with examples. Another tool is a skills profile, a
questionnaire that identifies the current attributes and future potential of individuals.
Please see CIPD. Identifying Learning Needs in Organisations. October 2006. for these skills
assessment tools.
Knowledge
Knowledge is divided into the following three categories:
 Factual knowledge – facts, principles, concepts. Can be identified through written or
verbal tests, flow charts/diagrams, interviews
 Procedural knowledge – discrete steps or actions needed to complete a task. Can be
identified through interviews and observation
 Strategic knowledge – needed for decision-making and problem-solving. Can be
identified through semi-structured interviews.

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Competencies
Competencies, drawn from the competency framework for the role, consist of a combination of
skills, knowledge and behaviors that lead to effective performance.
The process for skills, knowledge and competencies analysis is typically the following:
1. The manager and employee identify the employee’s current skills, knowledge and
competencies. Tools like the ones above as well as performance management and goals
tools can be used in this process. Usually this step is taken twice a year as part of a
performance review.
2. Using the above tools, the manager can determine potential areas for development –
skills that are missing or underdeveloped, knowledge that needs to be gained, and
competencies that need to be developed. This review determines short-term learning
needs. The second part of this step is to discuss with the employees his/her future
development needs, associated with promotion or job change.
3. Once the skills, knowledge and competency needs are described, linked with
performance goals and agreed upon, the manager and employee will prioritize the
needs and develop an action plan (also known as a Individual Development Plan).

HIGH-POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES
For high-potential employees, even closer attention is paid to the competencies needed for
their future role. There are usually three possible outcomes from the individual development
assessment for these individuals:
1. “Ready Now” – the person already possesses the competencies for the higher level

position, and a plan is created for their transition into a higher role
2. “Not Ready” – the person does not possess the required competencies and would need
significant development. The person would return to their previous position and develop
further in that role
3. “Development Program Needed” – the person has made progress in developing their
competencies but needs further development. The development needs are met through
a combination of interdepartmental experiences, special projects and/or mentoring by a
more senior person.

CONCLUSIONS

Even if an individual needs assessment is conducted perfectly, it won’t be useful if the
organization does not first have a supportive learning environment. The bottom line is that
organizations need to motivate employees and create learning opportunities. Moreover,
promoting learning should be viewed as a key responsibility of managers.
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Individual Development Plan

From Division of Personnel, Department of Administrative Services, State of New Hampshire.
Individual Development for Organizational Enhancement, Career Ladders, and Career
Development. 2008.

Individual Development Plan Defined
The Individual Development Plan (IDP) employs a concept that emphasizes discussion and joint
decisions by the employee and the manager on the specific developmental experiences
necessary to fulfill the mutual goals of organizational enhancement. Each IDP is uniquely
tailored to the needs of the organization and the individual. The IDP is a personal action plan,
jointly agreed to by the employee and the supervisor, which identifies short and long-term
organizational goals. An IDP also identifies the training and other developmental experiences
needed to achieve those goals, for the benefit of the organization and the individual, within a
specified time frame.
Individual development planning helps identify the employee’s development goals and the
strategies for achieving them by linking them to the organization’s mission and goals. Typically,
the Individual Development Plan [IDP] would be developed and reviewed annually but a multiyear plan can be developed. This plan is intended to:
 Encourage the employee to take ownership of his/her organizational development
 Provide an administrative mechanism for identifying and tracking development needs
and plans to help meet agency critical mission and goals
 Assist the organization in planning for its annual training and development
requirements.
Individual development planning benefits the organization by aligning employee training and
development efforts with the mission, goals, and objectives of the organization. Supervisors
develop a better understanding of their employees’ professional goals, strengths, and
development needs—which can result in more realistic staff and development planning.
Employees take personal responsibility and accountability for their development, acquiring or
enhancing the skills they need to stay current in required skills.

Individual Development Planning Responsibilities
Managers and supervisors have the primary responsibility for initiating communication about

individual development including but not limited to:
 Work in partnership with individual employees to assess training needs and coordinate
individual employee development plans;
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 Realistically assess employees’ strengths and development needs vis-à-vis organizational
requirements needed to meet critical mission and goals.
 Ensure implementation of individual development plans;
 Incorporate training and development into the performance management process; and
 Seek to improve management/supervisory skills in employee development.
 Provide regular (e.g., annual) opportunities to discuss and plan for employees’
development.
 Ensure the alignment of employees’ goals and development needs to departmental and
organizational goals/objectives.
 Help employees identify appropriate training and development opportunities.
 Evaluate outcomes of employees’ training and development efforts.
Employees have responsibility for;
 Work in partnership with supervisors and managers to meet the organization,
department, and their own training and development needs;
 Periodically assess their progress toward reaching their goals.
 Work with their supervisor to assess their level of competence vis-à-vis the
competencies, skills, and knowledge required in their jobs.
 Identify their professional goals and development needs and various training and
development opportunities that will help them achieve those goals and meet those
needs.

 Actively search for training opportunities within the organization and elsewhere.

Individual Development Planning Process

The individual development planning process requires communication and interaction between
the supervisor and the employee. It involves six steps:
Step 1: Pre-Planning – Supervisor and employee prepare independently for meeting.
Employee completes all organization-required self-assessments.
Supervisor reviews performance evaluations, seeks feedback from stakeholders such as
employee’s peers, subordinates, upper managers, other organization staff who interact with the
employee, and, where appropriate, external stakeholders [program participants, funders, etc.].
Supervisor reviews organization mission and goals and determines which pieces of the
employee’s job are critical to meeting the mission and goals. If applicable, supervisor should
also review the department goals and objectives and determine which parts of the employee’s
job are critical to goal and objective success.
Step 2: Employee/Supervisor Meeting – Discuss employee strengths, areas for improvement,
interests, goals, and organizational requirements.

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Step 3: Prepare Individual Development Plan – Employee, in consultation with supervisor,
completes plan for individual development.
Step 4: Supervisor seeks approval of upper management [if required by Workforce
Development Committee/Plan and/or organizational policies and procedures].
Step 5: Implement Plan – Employee pursues training and development identified in plan.

Step 6: Evaluate Outcomes – Supervisor/employee evaluate usefulness of training and
development experiences.

Key Elements Of An Individual Development Plan
Developing and implementing Individual Development Plans is considered a good management
practice and some organizations have developed their own IDP planning process and forms.
While there is no one “correct” form for recording an employee’s development plan, an
effective plan should include the following key elements:








Employee profile – name, position title, department;
Pre-Planning;
Employee/ Supervisor Meeting;
Outcome: The IDP Plan [Must include the following]:
o Development goals – short-term and long-term goals with estimated and actual
completion dates;
o Development objectives – linked to organization mission/goals/objectives and
employee’s development needs and objectives;
o Training and development opportunities – shadowing assignments, on-the-job
training, self-study programs, professional conferences/seminars (prioritizing onthe-job training, according to the 70:20:10 model) that employee will pursue
with estimated and actual completion dates and costs; and
o Metrics for evaluation of outcomes.
o Signatures – including supervisory, employee, and where appropriate, upper
management signatures and date;

Accountability for implementation; and
Evaluation for Success.

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Providers of Management Skills Training
Name
American Management
Association
Bluepoint Leadership
BoardSource (for
nonprofit CEOs and
boards)
Center for Creative
Leadership
CompassPoint
Duke Corporate
Education
eCornell
Jhana Education

Website
/>
Location
Online

Online
ip/suppliers/bluepoint.aspx
Washington, D.C.
sp
Online
reference.aspx
San Francisco, CA
page
/>Global
/> /> /> />/d/sp/i/2667/pid/2667
/>
Kenexa
Management
Assistance Group
The Management
Center
Support Center for
/>Nonprofit Management ing.php

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Online
Online
Online
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
New York, NY

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Area of
Development

Competency
area or
other
(current
focus)
Competency
area or
other
(current
focus)
Competency
area or other
(future focus)

Development Goal

Steps (Including timeline)

1 sentence description

Actions/Milestones (1 year)
 Here
 Here
 here

1 sentence description

Actions/Milestones (1 year)
 Here
 Here
 here

1 sentence description

Actions/Milestones (1 year)
 Here
 Here
 here

Sample from current AM development goals

I.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS

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