Growing Your Career: Why You Need an Individual Development Plan

An IDP is not about dreaming up unrealistic goals or following someone else's path. Instead, it's about taking an honest look at yourself, your aspirations, and your future. You'll think about what you're good at, what you could improve, and what steps you need to take to reach your career goals.

The key parts of an Individual Development Plan are:

Creating an Individual Development Plan isn't about pointing out your flaws or setting impossible standards. It's about understanding yourself better so you can make the most of your talents and improve where it counts.

Think of it like planning a road trip. You need to know your starting point, your destination, and the route you'll take to get there. Your Individual Development Plan is just that – but for your career journey.

A good Individual Development Plan is:

Now you might be wondering, "Okay, this sounds nice, but will it really make a difference?" Let's talk about how an Individual Development Plan can change things for you.

Have you ever been asked, "What's your biggest strength?" and drawn a blank? Or maybe you've faced a challenge and weren't sure why it was so tough for you? An Individual Development Plan helps you figure these things out.

When you take the time to think about what you're good at and what you struggle with, you start to understand yourself better. Self-awareness helps you:

With an Individual Development Plan, you're growing with purpose. You're learning new skills, getting better at what you do, and probably enjoying your journey more. This usually leads to better performance, whether that's in your job, your business, or your projects.

Since you're clear about your own goals, you start to see how they fit into your bigger life picture. This alignment can make your efforts feel more meaningful and help you understand how each step you take is contributing to your larger life goals.

Having a clear plan gives you motivation. When you know where you're headed and why, it's easier to stay committed, even when things get tough. Plus, tracking your progress gives you a sense of accomplishment, boosting your confidence and resilience.

An Individual Development Plan acts as a filter for opportunities. When you're clear about your goals and values, it becomes easier to say "yes" to the right opportunities and "no" to distractions.

Ready to create your own Individual Development Plan? Let's break it down into manageable steps.

Start by asking yourself why you work everyday. How do your contributions help to serve others? A key factor in overall happiness and life satisfaction is knowing you are a part of something bigger and greater than yourself. Take time to understand what that is for you and how you believe your contributions matter.

Take an honest look at yourself. What are you naturally good at? What do others often compliment you on? These are likely your strengths. Then, think about areas where you often struggle or tasks you tend to avoid. These could be your growth areas.

Try these exercises:

Remember, this isn't about being hard on yourself. It's about identifying opportunities to grow and become even better at what you do. Think about tasks you often procrastinate on or areas where you frequently face challenges. These could be your growth areas.

Now that you know where you stand, it's time to look ahead. What do you want to achieve? Consider your career statement and think about relevant short-term goals (things you want to accomplish in the next few weeks or months) and long-term goals (your bigger aspirations for the years ahead).

Make your goals SMART:

For example, instead of "Get better at public speaking," a SMART goal might be "Give a 10-minute presentation at the company's quarterly meeting in 3 months."

This is where you map out the steps you'll take to achieve your goals. Break each goal down into smaller, manageable tasks. What specific actions will you take? What resources do you need? Who can help you?

For each goal, consider:

Your Individual Development Plan isn't set in stone. Life changes, and your plan should too. Set regular intervals – maybe every month or quarter – to review your progress. Are you on track? Do you need to adjust your goals or action steps?

This regular review helps you stay accountable and allows you to celebrate your progress along the way. It's also an opportunity to reflect on what's working well and what might need to change.