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Film-style poster for the Development Plan for Mentors presentation

A guide for mentors: Development Plan for Mentors

How to send the Development Plan, read the plan and follow it up together.

English

What this guide covers

What this guide covers

What this guide covers

What it is

Areas to grow, with dates

Your mentee rates a few areas, plans activities with dates and names the support needed.

When to send it

Send it once goals are clear

It turns a growth goal into dated activities, so send it after the first talks.

  • After the first talks once you know what they want
  • A new role skills the new job asks for
  • Before a review to plan the months ahead

An honest frame

A planning aid, not a method

It follows a public US government guide; its value comes from reviewing it together.

  • No scores to grade the ratings are their own
  • A plan that changes edit it as things move
  • Reviewed together that is where its value lies

Sending it

Send it from your pairing

It takes a minute, and your mentee gets an email.

Open your pairing

Choose Assign a tool and find the Development Plan.

Try it as your mentee

Fill it in yourself first; nothing is saved or sent.

Add a short message

Your mentee sees it on their home page and Tools.

Open your pairing

Choose Assign a tool and find the Development Plan.

Try it as your mentee

Fill it in yourself first; nothing is saved or sent.

Add a short message

Your mentee sees it on their home page and Tools.

Reading the answers

Look at the mix of activities

The tool asks for a mix of work, people and courses or reading.

  • Biggest gap the area furthest from its target
  • Activity mix on the job, from people, course or reading
  • First date is it soon enough to start?

Questions to ask

Ask what starts this month

Ask one question, then one follow-up, before you suggest anything.

  • Which area matters most for the next six months? then: why that one?
  • Which activity can start this month? then: what is the first small part?
  • What will you two follow up on, and when? then: shall we add it as a next step?

Feedback that helps

Comment on the plan, not the person

Feedback can backfire, so point to an activity or a date.

1 in 3 Over a third of feedback effects lowered performance in one large review Kluger and DeNisi, 1996

One step

Turn the first activity into a plan

Write it as "when this happens, I will do that", with a day.

94 Tests found that if-then plans help people reach their goals Gollwitzer and Sheeran, 2006

After the meeting

Keep it all on Mentornity

The answers, your comments and the next steps stay in one place.

Read it at a glance

Biggest gap, activity mix and first date are summed up.

Add next steps

Write what will be done, by whom and by when.

Ask to fill it again

Earlier answers are kept, so you can compare the plans.

Read it at a glance

Biggest gap, activity mix and first date are summed up.

Add next steps

Write what will be done, by whom and by when.

Ask to fill it again

Earlier answers are kept, so you can compare the plans.

Plan the next six months together

Send the plan before a review meeting and go through it line by line.

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