10 Steps to Customizing a Win-Win Employee Development Plan

Why would a business want to customize its employee development plans?

The answer to that question is, if you’re doing them correctly, and you’re focusing on the individual’s employee development needs, you will be increasing opportunities for:

1. supporting your business growth;
2. delivering a positive return on your investment; and
3. improving your bottom line.

If you take a look at executive studies, many show that talent management is a significant strategy for organizations. Unfortunately, even though employee development planning should be a part of the focus, it doesn’t always play out that way. Mistakes or even backsliding can occur.

I’ll try and explain.

• Realistically, what can often happen is this—although a business may recognize that employee development meets a critical need; at the same time, its energies are more focused on the day-to-day priorities.
• In addition, instead of finding out what employees need to learn in order to support the goals and objectives of the organization, managers may take the course of least resistance by only asking employees, "OK, what do you want to learn?" In contrast, supervisors should create opportunities for their people to develop, as this type of employee growth doesn’t just happen on its own.
• Another tendency with some managers is to mistakenly take on the responsibilities themselves. Then guess what happens? They get too busy with all that they have on their plates so nothing happens. Instead, managers should hand over ownership of the employee development plan to the employee and continue in a supportive role.
• Another common trip-up area is approaching employment development plans with a one-size-fits-all approach. You know, "This year we are all going to learn ‘x,y and z,’" which takes us back to answering the introductory question.

For employee development plans to be effective, it’s very important to customize them.

Think of it this way. It can be a win-win. When a supervisor or manager (1) helps employees focus and (2) points them in the right directions, their employee development plans become more solidified.

Based on my experience, here are 10 steps that managers can take to customize effective employee development plans:

1. Examine the skill sets and knowledge specific to the employee’s job.
2. Address the behaviors that are associated with meeting those job specifics.
3. Identify areas for improvement. For instance, communication or project management skills, etc.
4. Talk to employees about what they should be learning at this point in time. Ask questions such as, "What do you want to be ‘when you grow up.’" In other words get them to focus on both short and long-term goals.
5. Set and clarify expectations using specific objectives and time lines, etc.
6. Approach the planning process as one resembling a contract, so that this employee development plan is viewed as an agreement between the manager and the employee.
7. Hand off the plan to the employee and ask that he or she continue developing it.
8. Schedule status and progress meetings. Make sure that the employee keeps up with certain touch points, which have been established to support the employee’s growth.
9. Remember to coach the employee and give them feedback about what he or she is doing right, as well as what needs correcting or modifying.
10. Review and evaluate progress with the employee.

Also, it’s important to remember that both the manager and the employee have responsibilities to share in the employee development planning process. If both parties take time to customize the employee’s plan, it will definitely go a long way in helping an organization meet its own strategic goals for the business, and, ultimately, help boost profits.

It's a manager's job to help employees focus and then point them in the right directions.