1. Most people focus on developing their strengths or weaknesses, but development is most effective when focusing on middle skills, addressing overused strengths, and working around weaknesses. 2. There are three main types of development plans: self-paced, classroom-based, and on-the-job application, with the most impact coming from on-the-job assignments. 3. When selecting development needs to address, it's best to focus on competencies that are critical for success but an individual is only average at, important but untested, important but performed poorly, or a strength that is overused.