In accolades to PDI for personal, career growth – Twin Cities

Have you ever heard of PDI 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 interspersed with three or four columns to specify goal steps, timelines, and how success will be measured.

IDPs – or similar tools with various acronyms – have been used in many settings for decades. For example, if you have a child with additional learning needs, chances are they have used IDPs. In this case, completing the document helps keep schools and parents coordinated about the extra support some students may need to progress throughout the year.

As another example, major federal funding sources such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) may require IDPs for funded research projects. In this case, they help ensure that student researchers are on track with their educational goals while conducting research.

One place you won’t find IDP very often is the workplace. Despite the apparent correlation between IDPs and annual reviews, employers have been slow to adopt this tool, with perhaps only 50% using IDPs consistently. This is unfortunate, as an IDP can be a powerful adjunct to a review process – and perhaps a better tool overall.

Where appraisals tend to track employee performance against externally set goals, an individual development plan focuses on employees’ personal and professional growth as measured by goals they have set for themselves or in partnership with their supervisors .

Fortunately, you don’t need your boss or a special document to set career goals. You can develop your own simple form or download a template online.

For example, in his May 2024 blog about Culture Monkey’s Employee Engagement Pagebusiness writer Kailash Ganesh has provided several options and tips to give you a helping hand.

But why should you use an individual development plan, especially if your workplace doesn’t? I can think of several one-word answers, including growth, responsibility, promoteability, and control.

Taking them one at a time, the most important is probably growth. It’s common sense, but also a research-verified fact that people who identify and set goals are more likely to grow in their careers than those who don’t.

Of course, 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 intention of improving yourself – only to find yourself “unimproved” at the end of the year? What’s missing here is accountability, which an IDP provides by requiring you to identify steps toward goals and related timelines.

In terms of promotion, this is a direct benefit of growth. If you have chosen goals that bring you to another level, you will be more promotable. And if that doesn’t happen for some reason, you’ll still be more attractive to another employer.

Of the four reasons noted above, control could be the sleeper. With so much going on every day, it can be easy – even a relief – to let someone else take over the reins of your career. Your boss has an eye on you, right?

Actually, no. It may come as a surprise to some, but looking after the career growth of their employees is not something workers can expect from their bosses. That’s not to say that bosses shouldn’t do it – just that you shouldn’t expect it. Even if your boss participates in your career development, that doesn’t mean your goals will drive the process.

On the other hand, by taking control of your own career, you can partner with your boss to achieve the goals that matter to you. This is the best way to get support without being in the backseat with someone else driving your career.

Interested in trying an IDP process for yourself? There is no time like the present. Start by identifying what you would like to accomplish in the next year related to your career. Goals can be big, like starting a new training program, or small, like 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 down into steps with a timeline, you’ll hit the ground running.

A note of caution – do not fill out this form! Keep it visible on your desk or bulletin board and put the dates on your calendar. This is the part where growth meets responsibility.