Amy Lindgren Have you ever heard of IDPs, or individual development plans? These short documents are used to identify and track progress toward academic or professional goals. They often contain a simple grid, with rows for perhaps three goals intersected with three or four columns to specify the steps for the goals, timelines, and how success will be measured. IDPs — or similar tools with different acronyms — have been used in multiple settings for decades. For example, if you have a child with additional learning needs, chances are you have used IDPs. In this case, completing the document helps keep schools and parents coordinated on the extra support some students may need in order to make progress during the year. As another example, major federal funding sources such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) might require IDPs for funded research projects. In this case, they help ensure student researchers are staying on track with education goals while conducting the research. One place you won’t find IDPs very frequently is the workplace. Despite the seeming correlation between IDPs and annual reviews, employers have been slower in adopting this tool, with perhaps only 50% using IDPs consistently. That’s unfortunate, since an IDP can be a powerful adjunct to a review process — and perhaps a better tool overall. Where reviews tend to track employees’ performance related to externally-set goals, an individual development plan focuses on employees’ personal and professional growth as measured by goals they set for themselves or in partnership with their supervisors. Luckily, you don’t need your boss or a special document in order to set goals for your career. You can develop your own simple form or download a template online. For example, in his May 2024 blog on the Employee Engagement page of Culture Monkey, business writer Kailash Ganesh has provided several options and advice to give you a hand. But why should you use an individual development plan at all, especially if your workplace doesn’t? I can think of several one-word answers, including growth, accountability, promotability and control. Taking them one at a time, the most important is probably growth. It’s common sense but also a fact verified through research that people who identify and set goals are more likely to grow in their careers than those who don’t. Naturally, this works best if the goals are actually met, which is where accountability comes in. How many times have you started a new year with the intent to improve at something — only to find yourself “unimproved” at the end of the year? What’s missing here is accountability, which an IDP provides by requiring that steps to the goals and related timelines be identified. As for promotability — that’s a straightforward benefit of growth. If you’ve chosen goals that bring you to another level, you’re going to be more promotable. And if that doesn’t happen for some reason, you’ll still be more appealing to a different employer. Of the four reasons noted above, control might be the sleeper. With so much going on every day, it can be easy — a relief even — to let someone else take the reins on your career. Your boss has an eye out for you, right? Actually, no. It’s a surprise to some, but watching out for their employees’ career growth isn’t something workers can expect from their bosses. That’s not to say bosses shouldn’t be doing this — only that you shouldn’t expect it. Even if your boss does participate in your career growth, that doesn’t mean your goals will drive the process. On the other hand, by taking control of your own career path, you can partner with your boss to achieve goals that matter to you. This is the best way to get support without finding yourself in the back seat with someone else steering your career. Interested in trying out an IDP process for yourself? There’s no time like the present. Begin by identifying what you’d like to accomplish over the next year in relation to your career. The goals can be big, such as starting a new training program, or smaller, such as joining a professional association in your field. Next, download or create a form and choose three goals for your focus. Once you’ve broken them into steps with timelines, you’ll be off and running. One note of caution — don’t file this form! Keep it evident on your desk or bulletin board, and commit the dates to your calendar. This is the part where growth meets accountability.Related Articles Business | Working Strategies: Window shopping through online job postings Business | Working Strategies: Recruiting by bot, for better or worse Business | Working Strategies: Starting, and completing, your 12-week job search Business | Working Strategies: Looking for a job? Get out and meet people Business | Working Strategies: Job search engine breaking down? Look under the hood Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at [email protected].