Development Plan
Choose a few areas to grow, plan activities with dates, and say what support you need.
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 talksonce you know what they want
- A new roleskills the new job asks for
- Before a reviewto plan the months ahead
Filling it in
Twenty minutes, in three parts. Rate your areas, plan activities, then write what support you need.
- Rate each areaNow and target, each from 1 to 5.
- Plan activities with datesMix doing it at work, learning from people, and reading.
- Say what help you needName the support, from whom, and how you will see progress.
Reading the answers
Look at the mix of activities. The tool asks for a mix of work, people and courses or reading.
- Biggest gapthe area furthest from its target
- Activity mixon the job, from people, course or reading
- First dateis 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?
Why it works
The structure follows a public guide from the US Office of Personnel Management: what to develop, how, with whose support and by when. It is a planning aid, not a tested method, so its use comes from reviewing it together.
Sources
How a tool works on Mentornity
- 1The mentor picks a tool from the library and sends it with a short message.
- 2The mentee fills it in step by step; the answers are saved as they go.
- 3Both see the answers, comment on any part and agree the next steps.
- 4Only the two of them see the answers, not the program admins.
Guides for both sides
-
Development Plan for MentorsFor mentors and coaches: when to send the Development Plan, what to look for in the plan, which questions to ask and how to follow it up. -
Development Plan for MenteesFor mentees and coachees: what the Development Plan is, how to fill it in, where to find it and what your mentor does with it.
More tools: Career and network
- Support Network Map15 min
Place the people who support you on three rings and mark the role each one plays. The empty roles show whom to look for.
- Negotiation Prep20 min
Prepare for a talk about pay, a promotion, a role or an investment. You go in knowing what you want, your limit and your alternative.
- Stakeholder Map15 min
Place the people who can affect your goal by power and interest. Then plan your next move with the two who matter most.