IDP: Action Plan and Successes

The episodes for the past few weeks are part of a series where I take a deeper look at your Individual Development Plan.  Episode 036 introduced the IDP and covered some of the  benefits of creating one for yourself.  Then, in Episode 037, I covered the Career Vision and Roadmap sections where you define the direction of your career.  Last week in Episode 038, I talked about the Assessment and Next Role where you identify the areas of focus for career advancement.  This week, we cover the final two sections of the IDP -- Action Plan and Successes.

Action Plan

In the assessment, you identified areas where you still had room for growth within your current role and the next role section identified areas where you needed to build skills before you could achieve the next role.  In the Action Plan section, you identify specific activities you will undertake in order to address one of those areas of focus.  If the Assessment identifies the WHAT, the Action Plan reflects the HOW.

Like most planning, using a framework such as SMART Goals will ensure that the activities in your Action Plan are well defined.  SMART and other similar goal frameworks aim to create clear and practical goals that can be realistically completed.  In the case of SMART, goals are expected to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.

I specifically call this the Action Plan and not Goals because it's about doing things….and doing them NOW.  It reminds me of the Chinese proverb that "the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is now".  Setting yourself up for a promotion in the future starts today and not the day you expect to get the promotion.

In my IDP template, for each entry in the Action Plan, I include several details.

• First is a Target Date.  No matter what goal framework you use, having a date when the action is to be completed ensures that you maintain focus on these activities.  Unlike annual goal planning, I would recommend that the items in your Action Plan have near-term target dates -- usually within the next three months, but six months at the longest.
• Next is a description of the Activity.  Be very tactical when defining these Actions.  For example, you aren't going to "Improve my presentation skills", you are going to "give a 30-minute presentation in front of an audience of at least 30 people".  By keeping the activities focused on smaller tactical actions, you'll see immediate progress which will keep you from being discouraged.  Very likely, you will need to complete multiple items on your Action Plan in order to fully close any gaps identified by the Assessment.
• The third detail is the Success Criteria.  In this area you will explain what success in the activity looks like and how that success will be measured.  You will also describe what new capability you will have after you complete the action.  By defining what success looks like, you will have clarity on the action and what you hope to gain by completing it.  This will ensure that you put appropriate priority on the actions, especially those that have the most immediate impact on your career.
• The last detail is the Area Addressed.  Tying the activity back to your assessment ensures that you have traceability for the actions back to which gaps or new skills you are working on.

In the context of SMART goals, the different aspects of the acronym are all addressed by the details in the template.  Specific is addressed by the Activity description.  Measurable is captured in the Success Criteria.  Achievable is covered by a combination of the Activity description and the Success Criteria.  Relevant is ensured through the Area Addressed.  And, lastly, Time Bound is obvious from the Target Date.

As you add items to the Action Plan, be sure to have regular conversations with your leaders to ensure that they are in alignment with the plan.  If the activities require specific work assignments, you will need their support in order to gain them.  Additionally, if you are struggling with what activities will help you close any gaps or add missing skills, your leaders and mentors can help you devise the Action Plan.

Successes

The final section of the IDP is the Successes section.  As you complete activities from your Action Plan, record them in the Successes section.  By recording your history, you can show the evidence of your growth when it comes time for a promotion.  If you find yourself discourage, you can review this section and reflect on how far you've come.

Where the Action Plan section is focused on the activities you will be performing, the Successes section should be focused on the improvements you have accomplished.  As you complete each item in the Action Plan, spends some time reviewing how that activity puts you closer to your career goals.  Have you shown an increased level of competency in an existing skill?  Have you gained new skills?  Has the activity improved how you go about your daily work?

At this point, I have covered all of the sections of the IDP, but there is one more episode in this series.  Next week, we will take a look at the processes around maintaining your IDP and how to integrate it into your career development conversations.  As a reminder, if you need a copy of my free IDP template, reach out via the Contact form at my website, ManagingACareer.com.