Personal Development Plans Drive Results
Have you ever spent time, energy, and budget rolling out a full training series… only to find that it wasn't very impactful? Maybe you’ve asked yourself:
“Why aren’t our training programs making a real impact?”
“How can I get employees more engaged in learning and development?”
If any of that sounds familiar, this post is for you.
Why it’s not working: adult learning principle #1
Let’s begin with the fundamental basics of adult learning: the need to know. Adult learners engage when content is practical, relevant, and clearly linked to their goals. If it only supports your goals as a leader or business, you’re going to struggle to get buy-in—no matter how polished the course or how strong the facilitator.
Long-term engagement only happens when the learning feels meaningful to the learner.
If you’ve got a strategic objective that requires employees to build new skills, the first step isn’t creating a course—it’s creating relevance. Before you invite anyone to a training session, ask yourself:
“Have I helped them understand why this matters to them?”
“Have I helped them understand why they need this information or this new skill?
The missing link between development and results: employee goals
Here’s the tricky part: many employees don’t know what their career goals are, because they’ve never been asked. It’s not a lack of ambition; it’s often a lack of clarity or opportunity. Few organizations take the time to help employees identify a direction for growth.
Take an entry-level SDR at a mid-size company—has anyone mapped out a potential career path for them? If not, it’s tough to link training to progress. On the flip side, when employees can visualize what’s next, professional development becomes a tool they want to use. An experienced salesperson might be driven by higher commissions; an entry-level marketer may dream of transitioning into Enablement. Once they can articulate where they want to go, you can show them how new skills will get them there.
What is a personal development plan and why does it work?
A Personal Development Plan (also known as a PDP) is a structured roadmap that helps an individual reflect on their current skills, identify areas for growth, set clear goals, and outline specific actions to improve personally and professionally-It’s like a strategy for their own growth.
When done well, a PDP helps employees take ownership of their growth by making learning personally relevant. It bridges the gap between what the business wants and what the employee cares about. When people can see how a skill or capability gets them closer to their own goals, they become more motivated to learn — not because they have to, but because they want to.
Click here for a free downloadable PDP Template.
Before implementing personal development plans, make sure you have the infrastructure to support them.
For example, let’s say an employee’s goal is to improve their active listening and communication. A framework will need to be created to support this, including:
- Who will mentor them?
- What learning formats will support them—eLearning, workshops, practice sessions, coaching—and do you have course content to offer in these areas? If not, can you create or outsource this?
- How will you measure success?
- How will progress be recognized?
Post implementation, PDPs should be reviewed regularly—quarterly is a great place to start. This is where coaching becomes crucial. Ask yourself:
- Who will review the PDP with the employee?
- Who will mentor or coach them through the process?
Where to Start
If you’ve read this far and are starting to feel a little overwhelmed about where to begin, don’t worry—start by building the foundation:
- Each department needs to have a clear map of possible career pathways.
- Fundamental skills need to be defined for success in each role.
- Link current (or future) training offerings to the specific skills mapped in step #2.
- Identify mentors or coaches for each employee.
Then, begin rolling out personal development plans across the organization.
What to Expect
PDPs, when implemented well, will:
- Increase engagement in learning
- Improve the quality of performance reviews and coaching conversations
- Help employees stay motivated by showing them a clear growth path
- Help build a culture of learning and development across your org
Expect better conversations, clearer goals, and more productive one-on-ones. You’ll also be building a workforce that feels invested in—and supported by—your company. Ultimately, you should see an increase in KPI achievement and staff retention.
Need help?
Want to bring PDPs to your team but don’t have the bandwidth to build the structure? I’d love to help.
Contact me at hello@mirandaferreira.ca. Or, connect to my calendar and book a meeting.