How to Write an Individual Development Plan (IDP)?

An Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a tool that facilitates personal and professional development. When created within an organizational context, it represents a mutual commitment between an employee and their manager regarding the activities they intend to undertake for growth.

IDPs are often used as a method for individual development. Organizations appreciate these plans because they provide tangible and concrete evidence that personal and professional growth is underway. The IDP serves as a metric to evaluate progress and as a way to address developmental needs. Most importantly, if well-written, implemented, and taken seriously, it truly works.

An IDP is suitable for those who:

• Have a strong reason for wanting to change themselves.
• Are highly eager to learn and grow.
• Want to utilize their potential and talents in the right direction.
• Wish to find the appropriate career path.
• Desire assurance about the correctness of their career and professional choices.
• Aim to become empowered, credible, influential, and effective.
• Want to learn effective self-management.

And want to grow from good to great.

In this writing, I want to share my experience in coaching (personal development coaching) and assisting dozens of managers and experts in writing and drafting their IDPs, as well as my own personal experience with my individual development plan.

Important rule: If you want to help someone write an IDP, it’s best to have one yourself first; as the saying goes, don’t sell second-hand goods in this matter.

How to Write an Effective Individual Development Plan:

First: Start with a goal; have a compelling "why" for your development.
There must always be a reason for development. If you have no reason for growth and progress, then there’s no reason to write an IDP.
Here are some common reasons for having an IDP:

• You have just entered a job and want to grow quickly in your new position.
• You want to grow from good to great in your current job and role.
• You want to move into a new role and prepare yourself for that new role.
• You have skills in your current work and no immediate plans for promotion but want to be better than you are now.

Pause and reflect: What is your specific reason for writing an IDP?

Second: Identify what you want to learn or improve.
Recognize the core competencies in three important areas — skills, knowledge, and personal attributes — that you want to work on to achieve your goal. For example, if you’ve taken on a new role, improving competencies in the knowledge and specific skills related to that job may require action since you might not have much experience yet. Or you may need to familiarize yourself with your new organization or team. If you face challenges in a role, these might have been identified through your performance evaluations, 360-degree feedback, or feedback from your manager or coach. To prepare yourself for a new role, you must acquire or improve the necessary competencies for that position.
For leadership development, access to a competency model helps you identify the qualities your company considers essential for the leadership role you seek. You can self-assess, ask your manager for feedback, or request a 360-degree evaluation.
When I work with a manager, I ask questions to get to the "why." This helps individuals recognize the competency they need, the reason for it, and the relative importance of their professional position. Sometimes people try to put a “label” on their needs. Having a competency model helps with this (“Okay, it seems you want to work on your leadership presence, or strategic thinking, or maybe improve your financial acumen—right?”).
You might also want to identify your strengths and capabilities. You can reinforce your strengths and leverage them to address some developmental needs.

Third: Identify “developmental actions” to address your needs.
Here are some of the most common developmental actions, ordered by their impact on development:

• Take on a new job.
• Accept a challenging task in your current job.
• Learn from others (your manager, a coach, an expert, or a mentor).
• Get training, enroll in a course, or study the topic.

If you’re aiming for a bigger role, sometimes the most important step in the IDP is identifying the role(s) you will take on to prepare yourself (usually considered a side action). However, since job changes are important and don’t happen often, usually taking on a challenging task is the best way to develop competencies. These “developmental assignments” force us to act, learn, and have the greatest impact. Another advantage of developmental tasks is that they combine real work with development. Otherwise, the “individual development plan” becomes an “extra” task you do if you have time—which, of course, rarely happens!
Once you identify a developmental action, find people who can help you learn the new and necessary skills (especially soft skills) required to succeed in that project (the skills identified in step 2). For example, if the goal is to create change, find people with expertise and skills in change management and talk with them. An internal or external coach can help you learn essential qualities such as relationship building. Usually, a mentor also helps in developing political savvy or organizational agility.
Finally, identify any training courses, books, or websites related to the topic you want to learn.

Fourth: Set dates, costs, and responsible persons for each activity.
Setting dates and times helps you create a more precise plan and stay committed. If you write your IDP within an organization, the costs might need your manager’s approval. While you are primarily responsible for executing your plan, your manager can also take on small responsibilities to support you.

Fifth: Finalize your individual development plan with a coach present.
Although you can have your own plan without involving managers, it’s usually better to get feedback and support from your manager during this process. You might prefer not to do so for certain reasons, but definitely find a trusted professional coach and discuss it with them. The coaching process helps clarify your path, increase awareness and understanding of the situation, and facilitate action and implementation of your development plan. This way, the plan becomes a symbolic commitment to yourself.
Important rule: Always finalize your IDP by participating in individual development coaching sessions with a qualified and credible coach.

Sixth: Execute the plan, set regular follow-up intervals, and reflect on what you have learned (lessons learned).
Always keep the plan visible. Check off the actions you have fully completed to feel a sense of achievement. Reflect on what you have done, what you have read, and what you have learned. What lessons have you taken away? Which parts should be retained as part of your portfolio? Which parts should be discarded? It’s usually best to have a trusted and qualified coach or mentor to help identify these.

What has been your experience with individual development plans? Do you think implementing them this way leads to growth and progress? Do you have any other insights you’d like to share with me and the readers?