Business Link.

Byline: By Nicki Clark

Personal-development plans provide a flexible way to link employees' professional and personal development with the development of your business. Business Link Tyne & Wear manager Nicki Clark outlines what a personal-development plan involves and how to implement one.

A personal-development plan (PDP) is a short, unambiguous document that maps out how a person can develop skills and progress in their job.

Using PDPs can engage your employees' abilities, commitment and knowledge to maximise their, and your business's, potential.

More than training

Using PDPs is not the same as putting employees through traditional training programmes. PDPs focus on the development of an individual. They are personal for each employee, reflecting their aspirations and they look at long-term development rather than short-term training needs.

PDPs are typically based on objectives for the next year. The objectives do not always have to be directly related to work tasks and may be long-term objectives broken down into short-term goals. Employees should define their own PDP objectives, which can form the basis of a document. Once you have agreed on objectives, you can decide how best to achieve them. Consider what resources you may need.

Regular reviews are essential to ensure a PDP is on track. Reviews should be held at least twice yearly and can be built into appraisals.

Setting objectives

To help employees determine PDP objectives, try using a questionnaire. This can trigger issues for discussion and shows everyone is being treated the same. Useful questions may include:

* What do you want to get out of work?

* What are your strengths and which parts of your work would you like to improve?

* Where would you like more responsibility?

* What is preventing you from developing as you would like?

* Which new skills, or improved skills, would enhance your performance?

* Who would you like to oversee your plan?

With the questionnaire you could also provide a copy of the company's objectives. This will make it easier to agree what is, and is not in line with your business plans. You may need to compromise; for example, agree on one objective which suits the company and one which suits the employee.

PDP reviews

Like any growth strategy, PDPs must be monitored to yield results. Use the PDP session to offer feedback.

This should be done in a positive spirit ( recognise achievements and focus on improving areas where development may have been slow, rather than writing them off as failures.

PDPs in action

The power of PDPs is that they focus on the individual.

* Ambitious employees need to be challenged. If they are not constantly developing at the speed they feel necessary, they may leave.

* Under-performers need clear-cut, short-term objectives. An under- performer needs encouragement to recognise their problem area or there is no motive to improve.

It is essential to secure employees' trust. Let them know you are committed to meeting expectations set and enlist the commitment of managers.

* Call Business Link on: [phone].