The Development Planning Process

 

COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT IS NOT A ONE-PERSON JOB

THE DEVELOPMENT PLANNING PROCESS A general 8-step competency development planning process, applicable in any organization, is outlined below, followed by a description of what should happen in each step. Organizations or work units can modify this competency development process to accommodate specific requirements regarding formal meetings and procedures and required documents. The eight steps are as follows:

1. Individual Preparation
2. Initial Planning Meeting
3. Preparation of a Draft Development Plan
4. Review and Modification of the Draft Development Plan
5. Signing and Filing the Development Plan
6. Implementing the Competency Development Plan
7. Periodic Progress Review Meetings
8. Preparation of New Development Plans

 

1. INDIVIDUAL PREPARATION

The employee prepares for the initial development planning meeting by:

• Reviewing all available information about the job description, job responsibilities, and competencies required for the job.
• Assessing his/her performance and identifying areas for improvement, in the job responsibilities or specific job tasks.
• Preparing specific, measurable job goals for the next 6-12 months such as:

“Develop and implement ways to reduce order preparation time from 24 hours to 4 hours.” “Develop and provide safety training to unit employees.”

• Thinking about the next desired job and the competencies required for this job.
• Reviewing the competencies and thinking about ones to target for development.

The employee’s manager prepares by:

• Reviewing all available information about the job description, job responsibilities, and competencies required for the job.
• Assessing the employee’s performance and identifying areas for improvement, in the job responsibilities or specific job tasks.
• Thinking about possible job goals for this employee for the next 6-12 months.
• Thinking about the next possible job for this employee and the competencies required for this job.
• Reviewing the competencies and thinking about ones for this employee to target for development.

2. INITIAL PLANNING MEETING

At an initial development planning meeting, the employee and manager should:

• Discuss and, if necessary, clarify the main job responsibilities and the performance outcome measures for these responsibilities.
• Discuss how well these responsibilities are being carried out; identify areas for improvement.
• Agree on specific job or business goals for the next 6-12 months.
• If appropriate, discuss career development and the next possible job for this employee.
• Review the competencies for the job.
• Discuss which competencies are needed to improve performance and achieve the job or business goals.
• Select three competencies for the employee to target for development over next year and 1 competency to focus on for first 3-4 months.
• Review the Resource Guide to develop ideas for developing these competencies.
• Set a date within two weeks to review the draft development plan to be prepared by the employee.
• Set a date to review progress in about 3 months.

3. PREPARATION OF A DRAFT DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The employee drafts separate lists of 6-15 goals for developing each competency. It is most effective to focus on the goals for one competency at a time.

4. REVIEW AND MODIFICATION OF THE DRAFT DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The manager reviews the draft development plan and may suggest revisions. The employee then prepares a revised development plan.

5. SIGNING AND FILING THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The employee and manager both sign the development plan. Each retains a copy, and a third copy may be filed with the organization’s human resources department.

6. IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN

The employee implements the plan, by:

• Setting aside 3-6 hours per week for development activities
• Carrying out the planned activities
• Keeping a weekly log of activities and results
• Seeking assistance and resources from the manager and others, as needed

7. PERIODIC PROGRESS REVIEW MEETING

The employee and manager meet every 3-4 months to review progress and discuss any revisions needed in the development plan.

8. PREPARATION OF NEW DEVELOPMENT PLANS

Once a year, the employee and manager start the process again, beginning at Step 1. The employee should target new competencies for development, if:

• Previously targeted competencies have been developed
• New job responsibilities or goals require development of additional competencies
• The employee is preparing for a job requiring new competencies

The contents of this post are from Workitect’s Competency Development Guide. The Guide is the 6^th edition of a 280-page handbook containing tips and resources for the development of 35 competencies. The Guide is available for individual purchase in print or PDF versions, $60 per copy. It is also available on Amazon in a Kindle version. AN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LICENSE ENABLES AN ORGANIZATION TO CUSTOMIZE THE GUIDE AND PROVIDE EACH EMPOLYEE WITH A COPY. THE WORKITECT COMPETENCY DICTIONARY IS INCLUDED. COMPETENCY INTERVIEW GUIDES CAN ALSO BE INCLUDED. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE “BUNDLE”.    

To learn more about our products and services, and how competencies and competency models can help your organization, call 800-870-9490, email info@workitect.com or use the contact form at Workitect.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is responsible for the development planning process?

Competency development is a shared responsibility between the employee and manager. The employee prepares, drafts, and implements the plan, while the manager reviews performance, helps identify development priorities, suggests revisions, and provides assistance and resources as needed.

How many competencies should an employee target in a development plan?

At the initial planning meeting, the employee and manager select three competencies to target over the next year, with one competency receiving primary focus during the first three to four months.

How often should progress on the development plan be reviewed?

The employee and manager should meet every three to four months to review progress and discuss any revisions needed. The initial planning meeting also sets a date for a progress review in about three months.

When should a new competency development plan be prepared?

The employee and manager restart the process once a year, beginning with individual preparation. New competencies may be targeted when previously selected competencies have been developed, new responsibilities or goals require additional competencies, or the employee is preparing for a job requiring new competencies.