LDR_Coaching_Takes_Planning_Toolkit

© 2006 Corporate Executive Board. All Rights Reserved.
Coaching Takes Planning
Laying the Groundwork for Successful Coaching Efforts
Why Is Planning Important?
Managers usually coach their employees in response to an urgent need: a project is off track, an employee doesn’t understand a critical
process or product, an employee is using a system or tool for the ﬁrst time, etc. While these efforts address critically important short-term
needs, they do not necessarily develop a particular skill, nor do they ensure that the employee will retain the lessons learned.
Moreover, the reactive nature of coaching means that managers often have to teach skills that may not be their own strengths. Managers, like
those they manage, also have strengths and development areas.
So it is hardly surprising that while most managers spend time developing those employees, employees view their efforts as “okay” at best.*
By developing a coaching plan, you can:
• Develop skills to help eliminate some of the time you spend “putting out ﬁres”;
• Ensure you are coaching based on your strengths, which can immediately improve your coaching effectiveness; and
• Demonstrate your commitment to your employee’s professional success in the short and long term.
This guide is divided into four sections:
• Section I: Identify the skills your employees need to develop
• Section II: Use your greatest strengths to coach your employees
• Section III: Create a coaching plan
• Section IV: Create individual development plans (IDPs)
* Learning and Development Roundtable, Driving Results Through Employee Development, Washington, D.C.: Corporate Executive Board, 2004, p. 8.
Learning and Development Roundtable®

2© 2006 Corporate Executive Board. All Rights Reserved.
Table of Contents
Section I: Identify the Skills Your Employees Need to Develop...............................................................................................................................3
Overview...................................................................................................................................................................................................................4
Inventory of Employee Strengths and Development Areas—Instructions...............................................................................................5
Inventory of Employee Strengths and Development Areas..........................................................................................................................6
Career Planning Questionnaire............................................................................................................................................................................7
Section II: Use Your Greatest Strengths to Coach Your Employees......................................................................................................................8
Overview...................................................................................................................................................................................................................9
Identify Strengths I Can Use to Coach—Instructions...................................................................................................................................10
Identify Strengths I Can Use to Coach..............................................................................................................................................................11
Where Should I Focus My Coaching Efforts?...................................................................................................................................................12
Thinking Outside the Coaching Box...................................................................................................................................................................13
Section III: Create a Coaching Plan..................................................................................................................................................................................14
Overview...................................................................................................................................................................................................................15
Understanding the Root Cause............................................................................................................................................................................16
Coaching Plan—Instructions................................................................................................................................................................................17
Coaching Plan...........................................................................................................................................................................................................18
Section IV: Create Individual Development Plans (IDPs)...........................................................................................................................................19
Overview...................................................................................................................................................................................................................20
Creating an IDP: Quick Tips.................................................................................................................................................................................21
Individual Development Plan—Instructions.....................................................................................................................................................22
Individual Development Plan.................................................................................................................................................................................23
Development Plan Checklist—Instructions .....................................................................................................................................................24
Development Plan Checklist.................................................................................................................................................................................25
Creating Achievable Goals....................................................................................................................................................................................26
Experience Inventory .............................................................................................................................................................................................27
Learning and Development Roundtable

Section I:
Identify the Skills Your
Employees Need to Develop

Overview
Development Goals Should Build Skills That Directly Impact Performance
Your coaching efforts should target skills that your employees need to successfully perform their jobs. These skills are typically
outlined in performance review criteria, listed in job descriptions, or implied in an employee’s performance objectives.
Development Goals Should Focus on Strengths, Not Just Weaknesses
Managers often coach their employees to correct performance weaknesses. While this is critically important, it should not be the only
time managers coach, as it implies coaching only occurs when employees do something “wrong.” By focusing your coaching efforts on
employee strengths, you reinforce positive behaviors and further develop strengths that directly benefit your team.
Use the “Inventory of Employee Strengths and Development Areas” to identify employee strengths and weaknesses in job-critical
skill areas. To view this resource, turn to pages 5 and 6.
Both the Employee and Manager Should Collaborate on Any Development Goals
Even if you do all of the work up front—identify skill strengths and weaknesses, create short- and long-term goals—it’s still up to your
employees to reach the milestones and hit the goals. If they don’t agree with the goals you’ve identified, your coaching efforts will be
wasted. In order to ensure your coaching efforts yield the maximum benefit, you should collaborate with your employees to ensure
they will put effort into building skills that benefit the individual, team, and organization.
Long-Term Development Goals Should Reflect the Employee’s Long-Term Career Plans
You have an employee you think would be perfect for a managerial position. You spend countless hours coaching the employee on
people management, influencing peers, and project management. Then you find out your employee has no interest in becoming a
manager. By having career planning conversations with your employees early, you not only ensure that your efforts are focused on the
right skills, but you send the message that you are invested in their long-term goals.
Use the “Career Planning Questionnaire” to make sure you have a firm understanding of your employee’s long-term career goals.
To view this resource, turn to page 7.
Section I: Identify the Skills Your
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Inventory of Employee Strengths
and Development Areas—Instructions
The template on the following page is designed to help you consolidate the strengths and weaknesses of each employee in the skills he or she
needs to successfully execute against performance objectives. To use this template, follow the steps outlined below for each employ
Identify the competencies or skills this
employee needs to be successful, as
identified by your organization, business
unit, or function (you can find these
in formal performance review criteria
or in job descriptions).
List the three to five most critical skills
or competencies the employee needs
in his or her role.
Identify whether or not the skill
or competency is a strength or a
development area. You can do so
either by using standards defined by
your organization or by using your own
professional judgment. If you’re unsure,
think about what you would reasonably
expect of someone in this role.
Employee
Name
Most Critical Skills
for This Role
Strength?
Development
Area?
John Smith
1. Communication
2. People Management
3. Project Management
4. Analytical Thinking
5. Change Management
Employee
Name
for This Role
Strength?
Development
Area?
John Smith
1. Communication
2. People Management
3. Project Management
4. Analytical Thinking
5. Change Management
Performance Review Criteria
ABC Company
Learning and Development Roundtable Coaching Takes Planning
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Inventory of Employee Strengths and Development Areas
Before you identify the areas you need to coach, you should understand the skills your employees need to succeed in their current roles. Use the template below to record where your employees
stand against the most critical skills and competencies needed in their roles.*
* Managers should use the organization’s performance criteria and/or the employee’s most recent performance review to identify the skills needed to achieve performance objectives and
whether these skills are strengths or development areas.
Employee Name
for This Role
Strength?
Development
Area?
Employee Name
for This Role
Strength?
Development
Area?
Employee Name
for This Role
Strength?
Development
Area?
Employee Name
for This Role
Strength?
Development
Area?
Employee Name
for This Role
Strength?
Development
Area?
Employee Name
for This Role
Strength?
Development
Area?
Section I: Identify the Skills Your Employees Need to Develop

Conversation Guide
Questions to Ask Your Employee Employee Responses
Questions About Your Current Goals
What is your favorite part of your current role?
What would you describe as your biggest strength?
What one skill would you like to develop to improve in your
current role?
Questions About Your Future Role(s)
Where do you see yourself in 1 to 3 years?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
If there is one task or project type you’d like to do more
frequently in your future roles, what would you select?
If there is one task or project type you’d like to do less
frequently in your future roles, what would you select?
Questions About My Role
How can I best help you in your current role?
How can I best help you achieve your career goals?
Are there other individuals you would like me to enlist to help
you achieve your career goals? (e.g., a colleague in a role you’re
interested in pursuing)
Career Planning Questionnaire
As important as it is to build strengths and development areas that employees need now, it is also important to build skills that employees
will need for future roles. This conversation guide is designed to ensure you have a ﬁrm understanding of your employees’ career aspirations;
by assuming that employees will follow a particular career path, you risk expending effort developing skills they may not want or need in the
future.
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Coaching Takes PlanningLearning and Development Roundtable
Section II:
Use Your Greatest Strengths
to Coach Your Employees

Overview
It’s Hard to Coach Someone in an Area Where You’re Weak
Your employees have strengths and weaknesses, and so do you. As a manager, you can expend effort trying to build an employee skill
by coaching in an area where you are weak, or you can leverage your strengths to coach your employees. By focusing your efforts on
coaching in areas where you’re strong, you can improve the effectiveness of your coaching efforts.
Use the “Identify Strengths I Can Use to Coach” template to help maximize your coaching efforts. To view this resource, turn to
pages 10–11.
Focus Your Efforts on Coaching Skills That Help Your Team Achieve Its Performance Objectives
Managers who are very effective at developing their employees have employees who outperform their peers by as much as 25%. While
how they develop their employees certainly accounts for some of this increase, what they develop surely is just as important. Directing
your employees to resources that build skills they do not need now but will need for future roles is important; however, devoting the
bulk of your efforts toward developing these skills will provide you with very little return in the short term. Simply put, there must
be alignment between the skills you actively seek to develop in your employees through your coaching efforts and your employees’
performance objectives.
Coach Strengths and Weaknesses
When you are targeting your coaching efforts to particular employee skills, you want to make sure you are striking a balance between
building both strengths and weaknesses. If you only coach employees in areas where they are traditionally weak, your development
efforts can be viewed negatively—as indicators that the employee is doing something “wrong.” And as important as it is to coach
strengths, it is just as important to clarify you are coaching a strength. You run the risk of being viewed as a never-satisfied micro-
manager if you do not clarify when you are helping to further develop strengths and when you are working to build skills needed to
achieve current performance objectives.
Use the “Where Should I Focus My Coaching Efforts” diagram on page 12 to find alignment between your coaching strengths and
your employees’ development areas.
Just Because You Shouldn’t Coach It, Doesn’t Mean You Should Ignore It
Once you’ve identified the areas where you will focus the bulk of your coaching efforts, you need to 1) determine a plan for coaching
in these areas and 2) help your employee identify other activities that can build skills not covered in your coaching plan. When your
coaching efforts will not be the primary development resource for achieving a particular goal, you should still seek to help your
employee identify available resources—formal classes, mentors, job rotations, other colleagues—to help reach this development goal.
Use the “Thinking Outside the Coaching Box” table on page 13 for ideas on development opportunities beyond coaching.
Section II: Use Your Greatest Strengths
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Use Available Resources to Identify Employee Skills
• The “Inventory of Employee Strengths and
Weaknesses” worksheet on page 6
• Your employees’ past and present performance reviews
and/or development plans
Focus Your Coaching Efforts on Your Strengths
The gray highlighted areas represent the skills where you are best equipped to serve as a coach
for your employees. While the column labeled “2” is a solid opportunity, you appear to have
reservations regarding column “3.” Before you make your decision, consider the following questions:
1. Do I really believe this skill is a strength?
2. Is it a strength I’m naturally good at, or is it one I’ve had to work at to build? In other
words, can I identify components of the skill that I can build in others?
Identify Strengths I Can Use to Coach—Instructions
As a manager you often work with diverse teams where individuals have different strengths and weaknesses. Like your employees, you also have strengths and weaknesses; it’s important to recognize
this before you commit yourself to coaching a particular skill. Use the checklist below to help you identify skills you feel comfortable coaching. As a sample, we’ve listed some common skills and
competencies; look at the skills you need to do your job and the skills or competencies your employees need to do theirs. To facilitate this exercise, use the sheet “Inventory of Employee Strengths
and Weaknesses” on page 6 and enter the skills in the columns listed “Most Critical Skills for This Role”; you can also use your employees’ past performance reviews or development plans to note
where their strengths and weaknesses lie.
Look for Alternative Development
Options in Areas Where You Are Weaker
When you’re coaching an employee, you’re building your coaching skills;
you make it harder to learn and apply lessons if you’re also trying to build
the skill you’re coaching. Your coaching efforts will have a bigger impact if
your focus is solely on coaching.
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Employee Development/
Skill Area
“This is a strength for me,
and I feel completely comfortable
coaching others in it.”
“This is a strength for me, but I
don’t feel entirely comfortable
coaching others in this skill.”
“This area is not exactly a strength,
but I feel I could coach someone.”
“I tend to be weak here
and should focus my coaching
efforts on other skills.”
Project Management
Communication
People Management
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Section II: Use Your Greatest Strengths to Coach Your Employees

Identify Strengths I Can Use to Coach
List your employees’ development/skill areas in the column on the left-hand side, and check the box that applies. Areas in the gray boxes represent your best coaching opportunities.
Your Employees’
Development/Skill Area
“This is a strength for me,
and I feel completely comfortable
coaching others in it.”
“This is a strength for me, but I
don’t feel entirely comfortable
coaching others in this skill.”
“This area is not exactly a strength,
but I feel I could coach someone.”
“I tend to be weak here
and should focus my coaching
efforts on other skills.”
Section II: Use Your Greatest Strengths to Coach Your Employees

Where Should I Focus My Coaching Efforts?
List your employees’ strengths and development areas in the left-hand circle, while entering your own coaching strengths in the circle
on the right. The gray area indicates where an employee’s development area and one of your coaching strengths is the same skill.
The skills in the highlighted gray area are those that merit the
bulk of your coaching efforts; in order to ensure focus, you should
concentrate on building no more than one to two skills per employee.
Employees’ Strengths
and Development Areas
(Areas Developed by Means
Other Than Coaching)
Your Coaching Strengths
(Skills/Development
Areas You Feel
Comfortable Coaching)
Areas You
Will Coach
(Areas That Are Strengths
for You and That Your
Employees Need to Develop)
Leverage the “Inventory of Employee
Strengths and Development Areas”
(page 6) and the “Career Planning
Questionnaire” (page 7).

Employees’ Strengths
and Development Areas
(Areas Developed by Means
Other Than Coaching)
Your Coaching Strengths
(Skills/Development
Areas You Feel
Comfortable Coaching)
Areas You
Will Coach
(Areas That Are Strengths
for You and That Your
Employees Need to Develop)
Thinking Outside the Coaching Box
Focusing your efforts on one or two skills you feel comfortable coaching does not mean you can ignore other skills your employees are
targeting for development. In Section IV, “Create Individual Development Plans (IDPs),” you’ll note that there are other activities besides
coaching and the more traditional classroom or online training your employees can use to build skills.
Sample Non-Coaching Development ActivitiesSample Non-Coaching Development Activities
Other Coaching and Mentoring Job Experiences and Assignments
Formal Training/Education
(Less Than 20% of Development Activities)
Find a colleague to
coach a strength or
development area
Provide your employee
with a job rotation
Facilitate your
employee’s attendance
at internal classes
Encourage your
employee to participate
in a formal mentoring
program
Assign projects or tasks
that will “stretch” your
employee
Encourage your
employee to take classes
at a local university
Assign your employee
a peer coach
Use external
experiences to build
strengths or close
development gaps
Direct your employee to
e-learning opportunities
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Section III:
Create a Coaching Plan

Section III: Create a Coaching Plan
Overview
Both the Employee and Manager Should Contribute to a Coaching Plan
As your coaching plan outlines the steps you will take to develop your employees’ skills, their input is critical. Engaging employees in
the plan’s creation ensures that they understand their own responsibilities, the expectations you have for their development, and the
value you place on their improvement. Additionally, employees will know the action steps you will take and can help keep you on track,
ensuring you meet your coaching commitments.
Coach the Root Cause, Not the End Result
To maximize your coaching efforts, try to focus your time on the root cause of a skill weakness. For example, an employee with poor
communication skills has an underlying weakness—such as a lack of product knowledge—that is not being addressed. If you understand
why an employee struggles in a particular area, you can better improve the skill.
Use the “Understanding the Root Cause” sheet on page 16 to learn more.
The Ultimate Measure of Coaching Success Is Your Employee’s Improvement
A coaching plan beneﬁts the manager and employee in two ways. First, it sets a course for consistent coaching efforts across a
development cycle, ensuring steady growth as opposed to coaching in “spurts.” Second, it focuses your efforts on one or two skills and
ensures alignment between your employee’s development areas and your coaching efforts. Although there are milestones and targeted
dates for your coaching activities, the true measure of your coaching efforts is the degree to which your employee has improved in the
targeted skill area.
Use the “Coaching Plan” template on pages 17–18 to create a coaching plan.
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Understanding the Root Cause
Employees often target general skills in their development plans (e.g., “I have problems getting projects in on time. I need to work on my
project management skills”). The problem confronting coaches is that these skills are usually just symptoms of the root cause. While treating
the symptoms can create some improvement, the returns on your coaching efforts are maximized when you focus on the root cause. The
diagram below provides an example of how different components can actually impact a particular development area.
Sample Root Cause Analysis of an Employee’s Difﬁculty Managing Projects
Development Area:
Project Management
Possible Approaches
Encourage Efﬁcient
Use of Time
• Have employees schedule
particular parts of their
day to accomplish different
tasks.
• Provide clear guidance to
help employees differentiate
between “expected”
performance and “perfect”
performance.
Delineate Job
Responsibilities to
Employee and Peers
• Provide scripting on how
to say “no” to colleagues
professionally.
• Help employees establish
clearer boundaries on their
job responsibilities.
Provide Guidance on
Identifying “Important”
• Explain big picture strategy
for organization and team.
• Encourage employees to
populate an “urgency/
importance” matrix with
their assignments and review
it with them.
Poor Time Management
Spends too long on projects.
Poor Prioritization
Cannot discern between
“urgent” and “important.”
Inability to Say “No”
Takes on new tasks when
asked, regardless of time
to do so.
!
The Root Cause Should Determine Your Coaching Strategy
Take the time to ensure you understand the underlying root cause of development
weaknesses so you can implement the most effective coaching approach.

Coaching Plan—Instructions
Coaching plans serve two purposes: They create a foundation for consistent coaching efforts across the development cycle, and they ensure that the manager’s coaching activities are supporting their
employees’ development goals. To that end, the coaching plan outlines the responsibilities of both the employee and the manager. Employee responsibilities—such as activities and success measures—
are generally pulled from their development plans to ensure targeted development. The manager’s responsibilities center on the specific coaching activities he or she will perform over the course of
the coaching plan, and milestones ensure coaching obligations are being met. The success of a coaching plan is ultimately decided by the employee’s improvement.
Coaching Plan
Manager Name: Employee Name: Development Areas:
Employee Responsibilities Manager Responsibilities
Development Areas Employee Activities Success Measures Manager Activities Milestones Target Dates
Closing (Specifically, handling
objections)
1. Shadow top salespeople on
visits to prospects
2. Script ways to handle
objections
1. Lifts sales by 5%
2. Can successfully turn around
one solid “no”
1. Sit in on closing calls,
providing immediate feedback
2. Identify possible objections
and go through scripting
before sales visits
1. Sit in on one call per week
2. Pull up after all sales visits
to discuss why closing did or
did not occur
1. Once a week for first
month until goals reached
2. After each sales visit
Managers Should Focus on Activities That
Help Employees Learn and Apply Lessons
Managers should commit to activities that prepare employees before
they engage in development experiences, track progress along those
experiences, encourage reflection, and ensure that lessons learned
are applied.
Employee Information Should
Align with the Development Plan
To ensure the employee and manager are working toward the same goals,
the employee’s development areas, the activities in which he or she should
engage, and the metrics that track successful progress against these goals
should be identical to those in the employee’s development plan.
Success Is Measured by Employee Improvement
While coaching plans outline the activities to which a manager commits, the true
measure of a plan’s success is the development of the employee. If employees fail to
demonstrate growth or reach their goals, it may become necessary to revisit the plan.

Coaching Plan
The table below is designed to ensure your coaching efforts are aligned with your employee’s development areas.
Coaching Plan
Manager Name: Employee Name: Development Areas:
Employee Responsibilities Manager Responsibilities
Development Areas Employee Activities Success Measures Manager Activities Milestones Target Dates

Coaching Takes PlanningLearning and Development Roundtable
Section IV:
Create Individual
Development Plans (IDPs)

Overview
Good Development Plans Positively Impact Employee Performance
Managers who are very effective in helping their employees create individual development plans (IDPs) have employees who outperform
their peers by as much as 12%.1
Creating a development plan is not enough however; additional research shows that not having a
development plan is better than having a bad one.2
This guide is designed to help you assist your direct reports in creating development
plans that are focused, actionable, and achievable.
For quick reference on the components of a good development plan, see page 21, “Creating an IDP: Quick Tips.”
Development Plans Focus on Employee Strengths and Weaknesses
IDPs often focus on the skills and knowledge employees need to fulfill their current jobs as well as those they will need to perform at
the next level. Goals must be achievable: expecting employee performance to quickly turn 180 degrees is not only unreasonable, it can
also discourage the employee. Creating a plan for incremental improvement, on the other hand, makes goals attainable and increases the
likelihood of employee buy-in.
If your organization does not have a standard development plan template, see the “Individual Development Plan” template on
pages 22–23.
Both the Manager and Employee Create a Plan for Meeting Development Goals
IDPs should not consist only of a “laundry list” of training courses. Good development plans should include a mix of development
opportunities: specific training courses, on-the-job experiences, stretch roles, and potential mentoring relationships. Plans require that
managers assist employees in meeting these challenges, that employees fulfill agreed-upon timetables for completing these development
opportunities, and that employees understand the standards for measuring results.
To help your employee craft a good development plan, see the “Development Plan Checklist” on pages 24–25 and “Creating
Achievable Goals” on page 26.
Approximately 80% of the Action Steps in a Development Plan Should Be On-the-Job Experiences
Although most development plans usually rely on classroom-based or online-based training to help employees reach development goals,
these solutions account for less than 20% of all activities in good development plans. Indeed, research indicates that 80% of the activities
used to help employees reach their development goals should be “experiences”—their current job assignments, stretch roles, job
rotations, or even external roles that build skills (e.g., serving as an officer in the PTA, joining Toastmasters, putting together a fundraiser
for a local cause, etc.).3
By using the work your employees do to help them reach their development goals, you send the message that
development and business objectives are intertwined and you help ensure that any lessons learned on the job are then applied to the job.
Use the “Experience Inventory” on page 27 to help brainstorm possible development opportunities to include in employee IDPs.
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Section IV: Create IDPs

Creating an IDP: Quick Tips
Not having a development plan is better than having a bad one.4
Ideally, an IDP is created with the input of both the manager and the
employee.5
About 80% of the actions taken to achieve development goals are through
on-the-job experiences, with no more than 20% classroom- or
computer-based training.6
An IDP should concentrate on ways to leverage strengths as well as improve
areas where employees are not as strong.7
Focus on developing no more than one or two areas where the employee
needs to improve.8
Development goals must be achievable.
Include action steps that will assist the employee in achieving his or her
development goals and include an implementation timetable.9
Clearly state how results will be measured.10
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Development Goal
Skill Being
Developed
Action
Steps
Success
Measures
Target
Completion Date
Date of Next
IDP Pull-Up
Objective #1: 1.
2.
3.
Objective #2: 1.
2.
3.
Individual Development Plan—Instructions
The Roundtable has provided this template for managers at organizations that do not have a formal development planning process. If you are unsure if your organization uses development plans, we
strongly recommend you check with your HR team to see if your organization has a preferred template.
While development plans are ideally initiated by the employee, we’ve included instructions to help you make sure the plan that’s presented to you is realistic and achievable.
Components of Individual Development Plan Template
What is the employee going to do? How will the employee do it? How will I know if the employee has achieved the goal?
Development Goals
Include both strengths and
development areas
Are tied to performance goals
Action Steps
Are taken by the employee and by the
manager (e.g., coaching)
Tie to your current job assignments
and responsibilities (80%); less than
20% should be formal classroom or
online training
Development Goals
Set the expectation for gradual,
realistic growth
Are easily visible and therefore,
measurable
1 2 3

Individual Development Plan
I have read and discussed my IDP with my manager. I have read and discussed this IDP with my direct report.
Staff Member Signature: Manager Signature:
Staff Member Name: Manager Name:
Development
Objective
Skill Being
Developed
Action Steps
Success
Measures
Target
Completion Date
Date of Next
IDP Pull-Up
Objective #1: 1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
Objective #2: 1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
Objective #3: 1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
Objective #4: (Optional) 1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.

Development Plan Checklist—Instructions
Development plans offer your employees the opportunity to identify the strengths and development areas that merit their attention and
yours. Not all development plans are created equal, however. A good development plan focuses on the development of a few skills, balances
the need to develop both strengths and development areas that are tied to your performance objectives, has concrete action steps, and sets
gradual, realistic, and achievable success measures.
As you and your employees think about their development plans, remember the following:
1. Performance and Learning Are Linked to Each Other: Your employees can build the skills they need by focusing on the
work experiences and assignments that are most closely tied to their performance objectives.
2. While the Skills May Change, the Strengths Employees Draw Upon Do Not: The strengths that have made an
employee successful in the past do not go away. Although employees may need to address development weaknesses, do not
forget to continue to build their strengths.
3. Employee Success Depends on the People Asked to Help Them: By sharing their development goals with you, their
peers, a mentor, or their direct reports, your employees can check in at various points to make sure that they are on track.
The checklist on the following page is designed to assist employees as they build their development plans. It ensures your
employees are creating plans that build skills they need to improve their current performance and reach their career goals. More importantly,
it builds in accountability to make sure lessons learned are not lessons forgotten.
Distribute the “Development Plan Checklist” to employees as they begin to craft their IDPs.

Development Plan Checklist
A good development plan can position you to build both the skills you need to improve your performance in the short term and the skills you
will need to achieve your long-term career goals. As you think about creating a development plan, remember three things:
1. Performance and Learning Are Linked to Each Other: You can build the skills you need by focusing on the work experiences
and assignments that are most closely tied to your performance objectives.
2. While the Skills May Change, the Strengths You Draw Upon Do Not: The strengths that have made you successful in the
past do not go away. Although you may need to address development weaknesses, do not forget to build your strengths.
3. Your Success Depends on the People You Ask to Help You: By sharing your development goals with your manager, peers,
mentor, or direct reports, you can check in at various points to make sure that you are on track.
Once you have completed a draft of your plan, use the checklist below to ensure that your development plan focuses on the right goals,
provides concrete action steps, and allows you to measure your progress.
Development Plan Checklist11
Category Step Completed
Development
Goals
1. Have I shared the plan with my manager and incorporated his or her feedback?
2. Do I focus on skills I’ll need to successfully do my job now and those I’ll need to achieve my
career goals?
3. Do I focus on continuing to build my strengths at least as much as I focus on closing any gaps?
4. Does this development plan push me to the edge of my“comfort zone”?
Action
Steps
5. Have I identiﬁed a clear action plan that will help me reach my development goals?
6. Have I made sure that at least 80% of my action steps are tied to my day-to-day job
responsibilities and project assignments and fewer than 20% are training programs?
Success
Measures
7. Have I shared by development goals with others so I can measure my progress along the way?
8. Have I created realistic and achievable metrics to measure my progress?
9. Have I tied the metrics to realistic deadlines to assess my progress?
10. Have I created milestones to ensure I’m on track?

Creating Achievable Goals
It is important to build a realistic timeline into your employees’ development plans that enable them (and you) to track progress toward their
goals. Although this seems easy in theory, some employees and managers struggle to identify milestones that help gauge progress. The graphic
below provides managers and employees with a framework for establishing milestones within the plan.
Development plans are flexible: Revise plans if it becomes evident that the milestones
or timelines are too aggressive. Remember the goal is to stretch employees, not break them.
!
Development Goal
Skill Being
Developed
Action
Steps
Success
Measures
Target
Completion
Date
Date of Next
IDP Pull-Up
Objective #1:
Be able to present
project findings to
the function’s senior
leadership team
Communication • Network with
speech “gurus” to
learn presentation tips
• Work with team
to develop script
highlighting project
findings
1. Present half of scripted
speech to peers; let co-
presenter handle Q&A
session
2. Present fully scripted
speech to peers; handle
Q&A
3. Present speech in its
entirety to function’s
senior leadership team
3 months
from now
9 months
from now
1 year
from now
6 months
from now
Consider the Employee’s Current and Desired
Skill Level When Creating Milestones
Take stock of your employee’s current abilities as you
begin to identify milestones. Ask yourself the following
questions:
What steps would I expect someone to take
to reach this development goal?
What activities would indicate growth in this
skill area?
Think About the Time
It Takes to Reach Each Step
Each milestone builds on its predecessor. As you
identify target completion dates, consider the
following:
How long will it take someone to demonstrate
competence at this activity?
Is this timeline challenging yet achievable?
1
2
1
2

Experience Inventory
The list of development experiences below is by no means exhaustive but is designed to serve as inspiration when considering opportunities
to help your employees achieve their development goals.
People Management
• Fill in for a manager on vacation.
• Mentor or onboard a new employee.
• Coach a team.
• Serve as a tutor.
• Keep a leadership journal.
• Interview a potential team member.
Communication
• Present at a practitioner conference.
• Join Toastmasters.
• Create e-mail templates for common customer
communication.
• Create a script for a presentation.
• Present the team’s work during a meeting.
• Engage in structured networking.
Project/Process Management
• Manage a particular project from start to finish.
• Evaluate and refine a process.
• Conceive, plan, recruit for, and implement a volunteer
project.
• Run the marketing campaign for an event.
• Run a fundraiser for a community group.
• Develop a new product or service.
Strategic Vision
• Participate in an enterprise-wide task force.
• “Shadow” a leader in a different function.
• Tour other sites within the organization.
• Do a rotation in a foreign country.
• Serve as a liaison between two or more functions.
• Visit with a customer for a week to better understand
needs and challenges.
• Switch from corporate to the line or vice versa.
Business Acumen
• Help launch a new business, initiative, or program.
• Help turn around a struggling project or business.
• Conduct a cost-benefit analysis.
• Serve as a treasurer for a community group.
• Build a business case for additional resources.
• Conduct a competitor analysis.
• Create a budget.
• Assume P&L responsibility.
Job-Specific Skills
• Join an industry association.
• Teach a process or course to the team or others.
• Run a team meeting or briefing session.
• Work on a challenging project or initiative.
• Represent the team at a cross-functional meeting.
• Make a temporary lateral move to another part of the
organization.
• Present the impact of a project or initiative developed
by your team to a different business unit.
Examples of Development Experiences

The Corporate Executive Board Company (UK) Ltd.
Victoria House
Fourth Floor
37–63 Southampton Row
Bloomsbury Square
London WC1B 4DR
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44-(0)20-7632-6000
Fax: +44-(0)20-7632-6001
Corporate Executive Board
2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20006
Telephone: +1-202-777-5000
Fax: +1-202-777-5100
w w w . l d r . e x e c u t i v e b o a r d . c o m
TD15OA2WX
Note to Members
This project was researched and written to fulfill the research requests of several members of the Corporate Executive Board and as a result may not satisfy the
information needs of all member companies. The Corporate Executive Board encourages members who have additional questions about this topic to contact
the Board staff for further discussion. Descriptions or viewpoints contained herein regarding organizations profiled in this report do not necessarily reflect
the policies or viewpoints of those organizations.
Confidentiality of Findings
This document has been prepared by the Corporate Executive Board for the exclusive use of its members. It contains valuable proprietary information belonging
to the Corporate Executive Board and each member should make it available only to those employees who require such access in order to learn from the
material provided herein and who undertake not to disclose it to third parties. In the event that you are unwilling to assume this confidentiality obligation,
please return this document and all copies in your possession promptly to the Corporate Executive Board.
Legal Caveat
The Learning and Development Roundtable has worked to ensure the accuracy of the information it provides to its members. This report relies upon data
obtained from many sources, however, and the Learning and Development Roundtable cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information or its analysis in
all cases. Furthermore, the Learning and Development Roundtable is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. Its reports
should not be construed as professional advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances. Members requiring such services are advised to consult an
appropriate professional. Neither the Corporate Executive Board nor its programs are responsible for any claims or losses that may arise from a) any errors
or omissions in their reports, whether caused by the Learning and Development Roundtable or its sources, or b) reliance upon any recommendation made by
the Learning and Development Roundtable.
1
Learning and Development Roundtable, Engaging Managers as Agents of Employee Development, Washington, DC: Corporate Executive Board (2003).
2
Corporate Leadership Council, Realizing the Full Potential of Rising Talent: Executive Summary, Washington, DC: Corporate Executive Board (2005).
3
Learning and Development Roundtable, Building Learning Strategies Beyond the Classroom, Washington, D.C.: Corporate Executive Board (2002).
4
Corporate Leadership Council.
5
Fontyn, Yvonne, “Performance Appraisals Can Be a Catalyst for Growth,” All Africa (19 September 2002). (Obtained via Factiva)
6
Rothwell, William and Rich Wellins, “Mapping Your Future: Putting New Competencies to Work for You,” T&D (1 May 2004). (Obtained via Factiva)
7
Learning and Development Roundtable, Building Learning Strategies Beyond the Classroom.
8
Stringer, Robert A. and Randall S. Cheloha, “The Power of a Development Plan,” Human Resource Planning (1 January 2003). (Obtained via Factiva)
9
Stringer and Cheloha.
10
Fontyn, Yvonne, “Performance Appraisals Can Be a Catalyst for Growth;” Plawsky, Susan, “How to Give Performance Reviews that Really Boost Performance,” Dahlstrom & Company, Inc.,
http://www.dahlstromandcompany.com (2 August 2004).
11
The Boeing Leadership Center, “Development Plans That Aren’t a Waste of Time,” Boeing Management Company (2004).

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