Individual development plan template, with examples
A copy-ready IDP template, a six-step method for filling it in, three hypothetical examples for different roles, and how assessment and feedback results focus the plan.
- Written by
- TeamCheck Editorial Team
- Published
- Updated
- Reading time
- 10 min read
- Change language
- العربية
Key takeaways
- An individual development plan is a forward-looking agreement between an employee and their manager, not a performance rating.
- Two or three specific goals, each with on-the-job, social and formal learning actions, are usually enough for a year.
- Assessment results, 360 feedback and manager observations help choose priorities that appear across more than one source.
- Short monthly check-ins and a fuller quarterly review keep the plan in use instead of filed away after the annual review.
An individual development plan (IDP) is a short, written agreement between an employee and their manager that sets out two or three development goals, the actions that will build each one, the support needed and how progress will be reviewed. It focuses on growth, not on rating past performance, and it is updated as the person and the role change.
This article gives you a ready-to-copy IDP template, a six-step method for filling it in, three worked examples for different roles, and practical advice on using assessment and feedback results to choose what the plan should focus on.
What is an individual development plan (IDP)?
An IDP turns broad intentions such as "improve leadership skills" into specific goals and actions with dates and owners. It usually covers the next 6 to 12 months and is reviewed during the year.
The US Office of Personnel Management describes IDPs as a partnership between an employee and their supervisor, and notes that an IDP is not a performance evaluation tool or a one-time activity. That distinction matters. A performance review looks back and judges results. An IDP looks forward and asks what the person needs to learn next, for their current role or the one they are working toward.
IDP, performance review and personal development plan
| Individual development plan | Performance review | Personal development plan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main question | What will this person develop next, and how? | How well did this person perform? | What does this person want to develop for themselves? |
| Time focus | Forward, 6 to 12 months | Backward, the review period | Forward, often longer term |
| Owned by | Employee and manager together | Manager, with HR | The individual |
| Linked to pay | Usually not | Often | No |
| Typical output | Two or three goals with actions and dates | A rating and comments | A personal list of goals |
In practice the terms overlap: many organizations use "IDP" and "employee development plan" interchangeably.
What to include in an IDP
A useful IDP fits on one page.
The core sections
- Employee details. Name, role, manager, date and review dates.
- Career direction. One or two sentences on where the person wants to grow: deeper in the current role, a broader role, or a specific next position.
- Strengths to build on. Two or three strengths, ideally supported by evidence.
- Development goals. Two or three goals, each written as a behavior or skill the person will be able to show.
- Development actions. For each goal, a mix of on-the-job experience, learning from others and formal learning.
- Support and resources. What the manager, a mentor or the organization will provide: time, budget, access to projects.
- Success measures. How the person and their manager will know the goal has been reached.
- Review schedule. When the plan will be checked and updated.
A copy-ready IDP template
Copy this table into a document or spreadsheet and fill in one row per goal.
| Field | Goal 1 | Goal 2 | Goal 3 (optional) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development goal (what the person will be able to do) | |||
| Why it matters (link to role or career direction) | |||
| Evidence that prompted it (assessment, 360, manager observation) | |||
| On-the-job actions (projects, stretch tasks) | |||
| Learning from others (mentor, coach, shadowing) | |||
| Formal learning (course, reading, certification) | |||
| Support needed and from whom | |||
| Success measure | |||
| Target date | |||
| Progress notes at each review |
Many organizations balance actions across experience, relationships and formal learning. A widely used rule of thumb, often called 70-20-10, suggests most development comes from experience on the job, some from other people and a smaller part from courses. Treat it as a reminder to include all three, not as a precise formula.
How to create an IDP in 6 steps
The method below works for most roles. The employee drafts, the manager challenges and supports, and both sign off.
- Clarify the direction. The employee writes one or two sentences on where they want to grow over the next one to three years. The manager adds what the role or the organization will need.
- Gather evidence. Collect what is already known: the latest performance review, any 360-degree feedback, assessment reports, and manager observations. Look for themes that appear in more than one source.
- Choose two or three priorities. Pick the strengths to build on and the gaps that most limit progress. Fewer goals get more attention.
- Write each goal as a specific outcome. Describe what the person will be able to do, by when. Locke and Latham's (2002) review of goal-setting research found that specific, challenging goals generally lead to higher performance than vague goals such as "do your best."
- Plan actions and support. For each goal, list concrete actions with dates and owners. Gollwitzer (1999) found that "if-then" plans, which state when, where and how someone will act, help people follow through on their goals. An action such as "After each weekly team meeting, I will write and send a summary within one hour" is easier to keep than "communicate better."
- Agree the review rhythm. Schedule short check-ins, for example monthly, and a fuller review every quarter. OPM notes that many agencies encourage employees to update their IDPs annually; many organizations review them more often.
Writing development goals that work
| Vague goal | Specific goal |
|---|---|
| Improve presentation skills | Present the monthly results update to the leadership team without notes by March, and ask two attendees for feedback each time |
| Become a better leader | Hold a 30-minute development conversation with each direct report every month for the next two quarters |
| Learn data analysis | Build one dashboard in the team's reporting tool that replaces the manual weekly report by the end of Q2 |
Individual development plan examples by role
The three examples below are hypothetical. They show how the same template can look different depending on the role and career stage.
Example 1: a newly promoted team leader
A hypothetical customer service specialist has just been promoted to lead a team of eight former peers.
| Field | Goal 1 | Goal 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Development goal | Delegate routine work so they spend most of their time on coaching and planning | Give clear, specific feedback in regular one-to-ones |
| Evidence | Manager notes they still handle escalations personally; direct reports' early comments ask for more feedback | Self-review shows low confidence in difficult conversations |
| On-the-job actions | Hand two recurring tasks to team members within the first month, with a short handover note | Hold a 20-minute one-to-one with each team member every two weeks |
| Learning from others | Shadow an experienced team leader during weekly planning | Monthly session with a mentor to practice feedback conversations |
| Formal learning | Short internal course on delegation | A workshop on giving feedback |
| Success measure | Delegated tasks completed by the team without escalation | Team members say in a follow-up check that they get useful feedback |
| Target date | End of first quarter | End of second quarter |
Example 2: a technical specialist growing in depth
A hypothetical data analyst wants to become the team's specialist in forecasting, without moving into management.
| Field | Goal 1 | Goal 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Development goal | Build and maintain a quarterly demand forecast for one product line | Explain technical results to non-technical stakeholders |
| Evidence | Technical assessment showed a gap in statistical modelling | Stakeholders' feedback asks for clearer summaries |
| On-the-job actions | Take ownership of the forecast for one product line, reviewed by a senior analyst | Present the forecast to the sales team each quarter |
| Learning from others | Pair with a senior analyst for code reviews | Ask a product manager for feedback after each presentation |
| Formal learning | An online course in time-series forecasting | Guidance on writing executive summaries |
| Success measure | Forecast delivered on time each quarter, with documented accuracy review | Sales team can state the key forecast and its assumptions |
| Target date | Two quarters | Two quarters |
Example 3: a high-potential employee preparing for a broader role
A hypothetical operations manager has been identified as a possible successor for a regional role.
| Field | Goal 1 | Goal 2 | Goal 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development goal | Lead a cross-functional initiative outside their own department | Manage a budget end to end | Build relationships with senior stakeholders in other regions |
| Evidence | Assessment and 360 results suggest strong execution and an opportunity to broaden influence across teams | Limited budget ownership so far | Few contacts outside their region |
| On-the-job actions | Lead a six-month process improvement project with members from three departments | Own the budget for that project, with monthly reporting | Attend the regional leadership meeting each quarter as an observer |
| Learning from others | Mentoring from a regional director | Monthly review with the finance business partner | Introductions from their manager |
| Formal learning | A leadership program module on influencing without authority | A finance-for-managers course | None needed |
| Success measure | Project delivered with agreed outcomes; feedback from project members | Budget reported accurately and on time | Named contacts in each region who know their work |
| Target date | Six months | Six months | Twelve months |
A plan like this is often part of wider succession planning, where development plans help prepare named successors for critical roles.
Using assessment and feedback results to focus the plan
The hardest part of an IDP is choosing what to focus on. Without evidence, plans tend to reflect whatever the employee or manager happens to notice. Assessment and feedback results give the conversation a firmer starting point.
What each source tells you
| Source | What it shows | How it helps the IDP |
|---|---|---|
| Psychometric assessment | Preferences, motivations and reasoning strengths | Explains why some behaviors come easily and others take effort; suggests where to stretch |
| 360-degree feedback | How colleagues experience the person's behavior | Shows blind spots and hidden strengths across manager, peers and direct reports |
| Technical or skills assessment | Current level in job-specific skills | Pinpoints skill gaps against the role's requirements |
| Performance review | Results against goals | Shows where outcomes fell short or exceeded expectations |
| Manager observation | Day-to-day behavior in context | Adds examples and nuance that structured tools can miss |
Turning results into two or three priorities
- Look for themes across sources. A gap that shows up in a 360 report and in a manager's observations is a stronger candidate than one that appears in a single source.
- Separate strengths from gaps. Plans that only fix weaknesses can feel discouraging. Include at least one strength to use more widely.
- Check relevance to the direction. A gap matters more if it blocks the role the person is aiming for.
- Agree the priorities together. The employee should be able to explain, in their own words, why each goal is on the plan.
Feedback alone does not guarantee change. Smither, London and Reilly (2005) found that improvement after multisource feedback is generally small on average, and more likely when people set goals and take action. An IDP is that next step. The 360-degree feedback guide explains how to read a 360 report before planning, and a skills gap analysis helps when the main question is which job skills are missing.
In TeamCheck, Psychometric Assessments link individual development plans to assessment results and produce exportable reports, so the evidence and the plan sit together. For job-specific skills, Technical Assessments include gap analysis and IDPs.
Common IDP mistakes
- Too many goals. Five or six goals dilute effort. Two or three are usually enough for a year.
- Goals with no actions. "Improve communication" with no projects, dates or support rarely leads anywhere.
- The manager writes it alone. Plans the employee did not shape tend to feel imposed. Let the employee draft first.
- No link to evidence. Goals based on a single impression may target the wrong area.
- Set and forget. A plan filed after the annual review and not opened again is an administrative exercise. Put review dates in the calendar.
- Mixing it with the pay conversation. Holding the IDP discussion in the same meeting as a rating or pay decision makes it harder for people to talk openly about gaps.
Frequently asked questions
What should an individual development plan include?
An IDP should include the employee's career direction, two or three development goals, specific actions for each goal, the support needed, success measures, target dates and a review schedule. Many plans also note the strengths the person will build on and the evidence behind each goal, such as an assessment report or 360 feedback. Keep it to one page.
How often should an IDP be reviewed?
Most organizations agree an IDP once a year and review it during the year. A short monthly check-in between employee and manager keeps actions on track, and a fuller review each quarter lets you adjust goals as work changes. Update the plan sooner if the person changes roles or a major project ends.
Who is responsible for an individual development plan?
The employee and their manager share responsibility. The employee usually drafts the plan, leads the actions and records progress. The manager helps choose priorities, provides opportunities such as projects or time for learning, and holds regular check-ins. HR typically provides the template, guidance and access to learning resources.
What is the difference between an IDP and a performance improvement plan?
An IDP is a development tool for any employee, focused on growth for the current role or a future one. A performance improvement plan is used when performance falls below expectations, sets required standards within a fixed period and may have formal consequences. Keep the two separate so that development planning stays open and constructive.
Summary
An individual development plan sets out two or three specific development goals, the experience, relationships and learning that will build them, the support needed and when progress will be reviewed. Draft it together, base the priorities on evidence from assessments, feedback and observation, write goals and actions that are specific, and review the plan regularly. To connect assessment results directly to development plans, explore TeamCheck's Psychometric Assessments.
References
We cite sources so you can read further. Links open external websites.
- Career Development (Individual Development Plans). U.S. Office of Personnel Management. www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/training-and-development/career-development/ (opens in a new tab)
- Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey (Locke & Latham). American Psychologist, 2002. doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.57.9.705 (opens in a new tab)
- Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans (Gollwitzer). American Psychologist, 1999. doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.54.7.493 (opens in a new tab)
- Does performance improve following multisource feedback? A theoretical model, meta-analysis, and review of empirical findings (Smither, London & Reilly). Personnel Psychology, 2005. doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2005.514_1.x (opens in a new tab)
Written by
TeamCheck Editorial Team
TeamCheck is an HR talent intelligence platform. Articles are researched and written by the TeamCheck editorial team.