Instructions for Development Plan

Achieving Your Leadership Potential
Completing the Development Action Form
Instructions: Use this form to think about your development before meeting with your leader. At
that meeting the two of you will discuss and answer the questions on the front page. Afterward, you
will fill in that page completely and provide a copy to your leader as a record of your meeting.
Part 1: Skill/Knowledge/Competency Development Goal
Goal:
• Specify your skill, knowledge, or competency, and add clarifying information as needed, such
as specific key behaviors under a target competency. You can list more than one goal on this
form only if the method of acquiring the skill, knowledge, or competency is the same and the
application and measurement are the same as well.
Group or organizational payoff:
• Note why your goal is important by explaining how it relates to the organization’s strategic
direction or your group’s goals.
Personal payoff:
• Explain how your development in this area will enhance your success in your position and
prepare you for future roles or positions.
Part 2: Skill/Knowledge/Competency Acquisition (if required)
(Note: This section is usually needed. Most people require coaching before a new assignment.)
How will the learning be acquired (e.g., training, observation, coaching)?
• You should have identified your preferred learning approach during your discussion with your
leader. Choose methods that work best for your learning style and that will produce measurable
changes in your skills, knowledge, or competency.
What barriers/challenges might be encountered?
• It is important that you and your leader together anticipate and discuss potential barriers and
challenges. Those that have arisen in the past are a good starting point.
What support/resources will be provided?
• Make sure you have the time, budget, and resources to accomplish the development activity
(e.g., attending a training program or taking on an assignment requiring extensive travel).
Measures of successful acquisition:
• List the measures you and your leader have agreed on for capturing your acquisition of the new
skill, knowledge, or competency.
Part 3: Skill/Knowledge/Competency Application
Application opportunity:
• Define the first application in appropriate detail.
© Development Dimensions International, Inc., MMV. 1
Permission is granted to photocopy this page for internal use only.

Achieving Your Leadership Potential
How will progress in the application be tracked (progress measures)?
• List the short-term progress measures (e.g., leader, peer observations) that will show how
effectively you are applying your new learning.
How will the outcome of the application be measured?
• List the outcome measures you and your leader have agreed on for capturing the success of the
application (e.g., quality data, changes in customer ratings).
What barriers/challenges might be encountered?
• As with skill acquisition, you will need to anticipate potential barriers and challenges to
applying your new skill, knowledge, or competency.
What support/resources will be provided?
• Make sure you and your leader discuss the support and resources you will need to apply what
you have learned.
Development Results
(Note: Complete this section once you have the outcome measures from your initial application.)
Outcome of learning acquisition (or explanation of why not) (corresponds to Part 2):
• Did the training or coaching occur, and was it helpful? If possible, document the learning (such
as a report from a coach to your leader detailing how you demonstrated the skills, knowledge, or
competency).
Outcome of application (or explanation of why not) (corresponds to Part 3):
• What were the results of your initial application? Include the outcome measures that capture
your success.
What insights did you gain from your development efforts?
• If you were to undertake your development efforts again, what would you do the same or
differently? What did you learn about how you develop best?
What is the next use of the skill/knowledge/competency? More challenges necessary?
• Have you achieved the development goal, or do you need more practice (i.e., another
application opportunity)? Should you take on an opportunity that will be more challenging?
What could have made your development process easier and more rewarding?
• What could have speeded your development? Who could have helped?
Unplanned Development
What unplanned opportunities did you take advantage of to build on the skill/knowledge/competency?
• Did you have any unforeseen opportunities to develop the skill/knowledge/competency or to
apply what you had learned? If so, what were they? What were your accomplishments?
What were the outcome measures?
• What measures show the outcome of the application opportunity or opportunities?
© Development Dimensions International, Inc., MMV. 2
Permission is granted to photocopy this page for internal use only.