In a message dated 98-03-09 12:01:42 EST, you write:
Responding to your 09 March 98 post to MG-ED-DV listserv, I have much
experience with the instrument to which you refer. Here in the States, it is
often referred to as an "Individual Development Plan", or simply an IDP.
<< Does anyone has experience with applying such an instrument?
I have experience using it in both aerospace firms as well as in large public
sector agencies. My position is a career counselor within those
organizations. I feel I might be able to address some of your questions.
<< What are possible pitfalls?
The biggest pitfall I have seen is that it simply returns with the employee to
his/her desk & is shelved or filed, never picked up or followed-through. It
is simply seen by the employees as another "du jour" or "flavor-of-the-month"
activity provided by management as a "feel good" exercise. The worst I've
seen, and heard, is that it's a waste of time.
<< What are building blocks of such a plan of contract?
First and foremost: buy-in of the front-line manager. In my experience,
which is beginning to be substantial & across functional backgrounds from
high-tech to engineers to clerical, is that if the front-line manager doesn't
wholeheartedly support it, it's futile. I can explain this further if you'd
like.
Secondly and more obvious: top management must support it. Otherwise, the
front-line manager will ignore it or simply go through the paces of
implementing it.
Thirdly, the employees must be provided a thorough "marketing" plan to
understand it, and must be presented some "success stories" to gain
credibility. Absolute confidentiality must be insured by the neutral party
facilitating the process, preferrably an appropriately trained person such as
a career counselor. If you're in a union environment, the union must be
involved at the first step of introducing the concept.
Lastly, some type of evaluation measurement as well as a follow-up phase for
the participants must be insured.
<< How should it be designed and implemented?
The design is fairly easy: a simple "table" created in Word suffices. I
usually do a chart limited to 3 development goals. I always include space for
a very specific goal, what/whom it involves, and a to-be-completed-by column.
At the top of the page is a space for a short-term goal (accomplished within
3-months to 2 year period) and a long-term goal (within 5-10 years). At the
bottom of the page, space for 3 signatures:
mine (the counselor), the employee, and optional (per the employee), the
manager.
Implementation again should involve the counselor. I strongly advise getting
the active support of the first-line manager. Usually, it requires an hour
meeting. A marketing effort involving announcements by managers in regular
staff meetings, fliers, posters, mentions in newsletters, etc. should
immediately preceed the program's implementation.
<< How should it be applied and used?
IDP's, in my humble opinion, should be applied like the adult learning adage:
80% of it should involve on-the-job training (OJT) for maximum learning
effectiveness. The IDP should be aligned with the organization's mission as
well as the employee's group or team strategy. Again, follow-up within 6
months (preferably earlier) is a must. The manager really should be involved
at some point in the meetings with the employee & counselor.
<< Any other hints and tips? >>
Could I possibly have left anything out?!? :->
My only caution would be that this process can often be a difficult "sell" to
seasoned and/or highly technical employees expected to creat the IDP. My
experience has been the younger the employee (and more familiar with lack of
job security as a given), the more readily accepting of the process. I
remember once presenting this topic in front of a room of crusty, 15-20+ years
experience Systems Engineers. I know what it feels in front of a firing
squad...
The most difficult and elusive audience I've worked with around IDPs are
secretaries. For reasons repeated yet unknown, they are among the most
enthusiastic but consistently fail to follow-up. And with their jobs slated
on the extinction list, you'd think otherwise. This exasperating phenomena
leads me to believe no one less than the formidable Rosabeth Kanter can
explain it!
Hope this helps; I think I've just written myself another article to
publish?!?
Feel free to email me for
clarifications, further info, etc.:
Lynn Vavra
lynnvavra@aol.com