IDP: Assessment and Next Role

This is the third episode of a multi-part series covering the Individual Development Plan.  If you have not listened to the first two episodes, go back and review them before listening to this one.  If you need the IDP template, you can request on by dropping me a note via the contact form on the ManagingACareer.com website.

In the first episode of the series, I go over the purpose and benefits of the IDP.  The IDP provides a personalized plan that ensures that your career is fulfilling and you maximize your job satisfaction.  Additionally, the IDP can help you figure out the next steps when you find you career hitting a plateau.

The second episode covers the Vision Statement and Career Road map.  Your vision statement documents your goal by projecting as far ahead into your career as you can.  The career road map lists what roles you need to hold between your current position and the fulfillment of your vision.

This week, I will cover the Assessment and Next Role sections of the IDP.

Assessment

Once the road map is set, take an honest look at where you are in your current role.    How long have you been in the role -- have you been recently promoted or have you been in the role for a few years?  What strengths are you able to leverage in your current role?  What are your areas of weakness with respect to your current role?  Have you received any awards for your work in your current role?  This would be a good opportunity to ask a trusted peer or leader to help you perform the assessment.

Your strengths are likely what set you apart in your previous role and were what lead to the promotion to your current role.  But, how do those strengths compare to your current peers?  How can you continue to showcase those strengths with your current responsibilities?  Do those strengths even matter for your current role?  For example, if your strength is in how you deal with customers but your new role has less interaction with them, you may need to develop other skills to continue to be successful.

For weaknesses, you will need to evaluate how important they are to your current role.  If a weakness is critical for your role, look for opportunities to delegate those items while you build the skill.  For any skill that isn't crucial, you only need to get them to the level of "competent" such that they don't hold you back.

Next Role

After you've assessed how you stack up in your current role, take a look at your Career Road Map and do a skills inventory for your next role.  I recommend looking at several open job postings for the types of companies that you'd like to work for.  Look for what skills are common across them.

How do your current strengths and weaknesses line up with the skills you will need for the next role?  How does that skill change between the two roles?  For example, as a junior team member, leadership may be limited to owning a specific process, but as a senior team member, you may be responsible for mentoring others on your team and leading process improvements.  Additionally, skills that may be important for your current role may not be needed in your next role.

These two evaluations will result in a list of areas and skills that you need to focus on for improvement.  In next week's episode we will discuss the Action Plan section where we take these focus items and convert them to specific activities.

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