Identifying and Working on Development Needs

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Identifying and Working on Development Needs
By A.V. Vedpuriswar
July 10, 2011
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What is Development Planning?

• Development Planning encourages managers and
  individuals
• to take a longer-term view of the employees
  career aspirations
• To align the firms business strategy with both
  the professional and personal needs of the
  individual.

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Why is Development Planning important?

• Development Planning is crucial to the continuous
  professional and personal growth of people.
• It improves the talent pool.
• And ensures the long-term success of the
  organization.

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Development Planning and Performance appraisal

• Development planning is closely linked with the
  performance appraisal process.
• Employees and their managers gain insights into
  an individuals professional strengths and
  development needs.
• This understanding helps to target and prioritize
  development activities.

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What is the core of Development planning?

• At the core lies a series of quality
  developmental discussions between employees and
  their line managers.
• This iterative process involves the following
  stages
• Identification of development needs
• Discussion of possible development objectives
• Agreement and implementation of development plan
• Review of development plan

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The Building blocks of Development Planning

• Employee aspirations
• Employee strengths and weaknesses
• Job needs

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Understanding employee aspirations

• Building self awareness
• Doing a personal SWOT
• Understanding skills, values and interests
• Validating assumptions
• Knowing what is important in career

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Getting into more details

• Knowledge
• Areas of expertise
• Interpersonal skills
• Lone contributor
• Team player
• Working style.
• Stress levels
• Structure
• Learning style
• Reading
• Listening
• Writing

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Self Awareness also includes understanding life
interests

• Timothy Butler and James Waldroop of Harvard
  Business School have identified the following
  embedded life interests
• - Application of technology
• - Quantitative Analysis
• - Theory development and conceptual thinking
• - Creative production
• - Counseling mentoring
• - Managing people relationships
• - Enterprise control
• -Influence through language and ideas

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What should be included in a Development Plan?

• Development Objectives
• Career Development and Mobility goals
• Skills and behaviours
• Specific competencies and technical knowledge
• Personal interests, values and needs
• Development Actions
• On-the-job development activities (80)
• Off-the-job development activities (20)

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On-the-job development
Approach Example
Stretch Assignments Participate in a task-force on a pressing business problem, Do a project with another function Launch new project/product with tight deadline
Job Rotations Work for a period of time with another unit
Increased Responsibility Chair team meetings in absence, Become team representative in existing committee Assign management of multi-functional task forces, problem subordinates
Project Work Cross-regional project group to design and implement new IT system
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On-the-job development
Approach Example
Event management Manage an offsite
Secondment Short term assignment to a new geography
Feedback Regular feedback from colleague, manager, client or direct report on presentation skills
Coaching Focused effort on improving client interfacing skills under the guidance of a coach
Mentoring Discussions with a senior from another BU on how to find work life balance
Shadowing Spend time with others acting as an observer while they are holding team meetings
Role modelling Identify role model and learn from him or her with respect to influencing skills
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Off-the- job development
Approach Example
Classroom training Time management
Leader speak sessions Client relationship management
Guest lecture Client industry perspectives
Networking dinners Informal learning from others about key organizational initiatives
Elearning Written communication
Industry association seminar New business models
Simulation lab Project management
Continuing education MBA, Certification courses
Blogs and online discussion forums Industry trends and perspectives, company initiatives
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Next steps

• Draft development objectives using SMART criteria
  (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and
  Timebound).
• Discuss and finalise development objectives and
  related actions
• Regularly review development activities,
  considering changing business needs and the
  individuals own career aspirations.

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Thank You