Drawing up a personal life plan for self-development using an example.
Why make a plan
The point of making a plan for the year is to live a happier year than without a plan. The plan must guide us along the way happy life. Support our growth above ourselves. Expand our capabilities and grow our self-image.
The annual plan structures our development and pushes us lightly in the back when we stop. It should contain goals, the achievement of which is significant for us. It is extremely valuable to be effective; the annual plan serves this task.
And “keeping goals in mind” is a slingshot that smoothly turns into a TV remote control.
I've been planning goals for 5 years now. To convince you of the benefits of drawing up a plan and not clutter up the article, it is difficult for me to give not hundreds, but just one strong argument. I heard that everyone wants to “travel and lie under a palm tree.” Without work is a boring fairy tale. So I work and live in palm countries 260 days a year.
The plan must expand our freedom, and not squeeze us into the framework of old and imposed goals. If our lives are constrained: the obligation to earn a living or to work towards other people's goals, then it will be more far-sighted to make a plan to change our lives.
Basic principles of life planning
At the first stage, we make a draft list of goals. It’s convenient to start collecting goals and taking a closer look at them in December. You can test them to see if they suit you; if it’s vocals, go for a trial lesson.
But even before starting to draw up a plan, it is useful to accept the principles so that moving according to the plan will be a joy:
Target Sources
The main source of goals for the year is our personal meaning in life.. If we have compiled it, it will be much easier for us in the future: to determine what is valuable to us in the year and what to discard. Or we will start from the idea of what we want to achieve in 5 years. I give abbreviated examples.
My draft version of the personal meaning of life: figure out “Who am I?” and where I am.
Goals for the year: read books on psychology, philosophy, religion. Expand the “I” – unusual behavior, roles, habits, self-image, travel.
Results of year planning
We don't know what will happen in a year. We can be wrong about our desires. Example – we planned to move to the city center, but went abroad. The plan was not fulfilled - we just changed.
On New Year we make a plan. If it comes true, we will be delighted. And an unfulfilled plan will remain in our head as an unpleasant burden. That's why we're cunning.
The plan for the beginning of the year is taken as 100%. We fill that 25% of free space with new goals. We consider everything based on the original plan, and additional goals are considered as exceeding the plan.
A plan is necessary so that we feel better, so that it fills us with the will to move forward, and does not slow us down. An order of magnitude more will happen in life than is written in the plan. Unplanned meetings with friends, spiritual gatherings, some joyful moments. But they will not be taken into account in the plan. Remember that moving according to plan is part of life, not all of life.
What matters is not the correct plan, but the planning of life itself.
Sales plan. What kind of animal is this? Is this volume planning? Specific department work? Sales development? Or is it a summary work plan for each employee?
Let's try to figure it out. What is a plan for, Mr. Fix? In theory, it is necessary in order to achieve something. Accordingly, we can include any scenario that allows us to achieve any indicators as a sales department plan. Let's take a closer look at each type of department work planning.
1. Sales volume plan
There is a debate about whether you need a revenue plan or a margin plan?
— Why limit managers to some kind of plan? Let them sell as much as possible.
— Correct plans sales are difficult to establish without serious statistics, so why these games?
- Why create constant stress? The motivation system stimulates achievement, but the plan only makes you nervous.
Practice shows that having a plan that is close to reality increases sales. Due to what? Through a clear reference point that managers strive for. It works if it is within ±40% of the real one. This is where the most interesting question arises. How to set a realistic plan? There are several approaches to this task:
- 1. Based on indicators of previous periods +10%;
- 2. Based on an analysis of the performance of the best and worst managers;
- 3. Based on the situation of competitors;
- 4. Based on the sales funnel and the time spent on each stage;
- 5. Based on business needs (business plan).
Each of these methods is not ideal.
Indicators for previous periods may be greatly underestimated, and managers can easily implement them. Management will never know that you can actually sell twice as much. Moreover for effective use This method requires a sufficient statistical base, taking into account seasonal fluctuations and the general economic situation.
Analyzing the performance of the best and worst managers is highly subjective. The best in this company may be the worst in its competitors and vice versa. In addition, there is a rule that in each group the best and worst are still determined, and the indicators will depend on the overall dynamics of the group, and not on the execution of scale by individual managers.
Information about competitors is, firstly, difficult to access, and secondly, it may not be suitable for the company’s realities. Best official way collecting information about the business processes of competitors means inviting employees from these companies to an interview. Then you can find out not only the plans, but also the business processes within which they are achieved.
The sales plan is divided into online and offline. Costs can be written down there or in a separate document.
1. Online
Internet sales. The specificity of this type is that it is necessary to have special knowledge in Internet marketing to draw it up. Here, the execution result depends on fine-tuning and optimization of each parameter in the advertising environment.
1) Information about the past(by month). The purpose of filling out this item is to determine the company’s development trend in the online environment, evaluate your performance and compare them with the maximum possible at the moment. In the plan, such information is presented in the form of graphs for years/months/weeks (depending on what period you need).
1.1. Volume of sales
1.2. SEO Metrics:
1.2.1 Traffic
1.2.2 Brand traffic
1.2.3 Leads
1.2.4 Website visibility in search engines
1.2.5 Visibility relative to competitors
1.2.6 Amount of traffic and conversions to core frequency
1.2.7 High-frequency queries in Tops (10-30)
1.2.8 Low-frequency queries in the Tops
1.2.9 Degree of advanced queries (taking 1st, 2nd, 3rd place in search results)
1.2.10 Number of requests for landing page (and important pages)
1.2.11 Share of incoming requests in Tops from indexed ones
1.2.12 Share of organic traffic impressions to advertising traffic
1.2.13 Average CTR
1.3.1 Traffic
1.3.2 Leads
1.3.3 CTR dynamics
1.3.4 Advertising costs
1.4. Average check
1.5. Trend in average bill and product range (number of services)
1.6. Industry Trend
2) Information about the present. The purpose of this item of the sales department plan is to assess the achievability of its implementation by the company with available indicators and resources.
2.1 Analysis of competitors (quality of sites, prices, USP on the site, places of promotion)
2.2 Budget for online promotion
2.3 Target audience
2.4 Fullness and customer base in CRM
2.5 Number of clients per manager
2.6 Motivation of sellers
2.7 Industry trend
3) Information about the future. Most likely on at the moment, you have already uncovered a bunch of problems and have accumulated a folder for the necessary operational actions, after solving which it will be possible to proceed to this point in the sales department plan - strategic decisions. Here you need to write down specific (and calculated) planned actions:
3.1 Possible promotion channels
3.2 Automation services or manual control advertising
3.3 Possible promotions, discounts from you and competitors
3.4 Implementation: CRM, Call-Tracking, call recording, answering machine, time tracking, bonus and fine systems.
2. Offline
Sales that do not depend on the Internet (purchases at a sales office/store), as well as optimization of the sales department.
1) Information about the past(by month). The goal is to understand how high-quality your product (service) is in the eyes of your customers and whether you can (know how) to satisfy their needs. Also, this section of the sales department plan may include points of analysis of past periods, which are not always appropriate in the online section.
1.1 Sales volume (source and effectiveness)
1.2 Quantity regular customers
1.3 Brand demand (the client found out about you through word of mouth and used you before)
1.4 Number of managers
1.5 Average sales volume of managers
1.6 “Passability” of a retail outlet, office
1.7 Dynamics of sales of related products
2) Information about the present. In this section, you need to pay close attention to the product (service) itself, sales organization, and competitors. The goal is to find problems within the company.
2.1 Structure of the sales manager’s working day (real time for cold calls, preparing proposals, communicating with potential clients, filling out CRM, working with other departments, paperwork, rest). Schedule of managers' performance (commercial proposals/meetings/agreements/transactions). And also, the trend of assessments of the quality of calls and requests processed by managers (analysis of call recordings and Call-Tracking)
2.2 Sales structure (what product/service is sold and in what volume)
2.3 Margin of each product/service
2.4 Comparative table of product/service quality relative to competitors - developing your own USP
2.5 Competitive analysis (size of staff, product range, price policy, services, market share)
“For a ship that does not know where to sail, no wind will be favorable.”
Seneca.
“The essence of active sales: sales must be manageable and predictable!”
I think there is no need to explain the importance and necessity of planning. Planning is like a goal, a guideline and a place where you need to move. It is plans that help us move forward and conquer new peaks and cities.
Each department or organization has its own specifics and characteristics that must be taken into account when creating a development plan for the sales department, such as seasonality, experience, competition, etc. But there are also general points that help and that must be taken into account when building a sales line for the future.
First of all, the sales department development plan is based on from the profitability of the enterprise, which shows us a sample and example of the numbers necessary for the break-even existence of an enterprise. Therefore, this figure is passed down to the sales department as an indicator for the year and then monthly distribution occurs.
When operating a company for more than a year, it is necessary take inflation into account and also include this percentage of the previous period in the plan. Well, then we consider assortment innovations and the distribution of plans by product groups.
Must be noted planning the development of the sales department by product groups, and not based on total sales. This will eliminate sales in the main only popular, popular positions with customers (HotLine).
All these points will help to build planned figures for the department. But there are a number of features that need to be taken into account when planning.
— Potential number of clients.
There are large and medium-sized players among clients who do not work with you as suppliers to their full potential. AND only accept certain groups goods. These are the clients who make up reserve for manager. It is the work for such clients that needs to be planned individually and work with them constantly monitored. It is necessary to find out why they do not work for other groups and make an appropriate proposal.
— Assortment analysis. We compare the sold and not so sold product groups by line and manager, compare the number of clients selling the assortment that is falling in sales and prepare proposals and plan growth for these groups. Control of these actions is necessary.
Breakdown of sales department development planning into shorter periods will allow you to quickly influence the situation, a week can serve as a sample.
Below is a typical sample of a sales department development plan for a week.
Enterprise development plan- these are the goals chosen by the company’s management and the methods by which they are going to achieve them. Strategic planning creates the basis for all subsequent management steps.
In this regard, the majority of companies are trying to develop strategic development plans. Behind a clearly structured system of this type of planning, key management actions are hidden.
Without strategic plan development of the enterprise, both companies and individuals risk being left without an understanding of the achievability of the goal and the adequacy of the chosen development path.
Such planning is essential for the management of the company's employees.
The role of plans in the development of an enterprise
IN last years the key role of strategic behavior has become noticeably clearer. It enables organizations to win in the competitive environment in the long term. Since today there are conditions for a serious struggle between competitors, and the situation in the market is actively changing, managers must monitor not only the situation within the company. They need to work on a long-term plan for the development of their enterprise that will allow them to keep up with changes observed outside the company.
The need for strategic management has become urgent due to the following factors:
- new requests;
- changing consumer demands;
- increased competition for raw materials;
- changes in the role of human resources;
- transition of business to an international format;
- development of additional business opportunities that make work easier and faster;
- information networks accessible to anyone modern technologies etc.
A strategic development plan for an enterprise sets out what the company must do now in order to achieve specific goals tomorrow. This takes into account the fact that the environment and conditions in which the company exists are also evolving.
Let us note that great efforts and investments are needed for the implementation of the enterprise development plan to begin. Its creation and implementation is fundamentally different from the creation of long-term plans, whose implementation is mandatory under any circumstances. The strategic development plan of the enterprise must adapt to all changes occurring both inside and outside the organization. Obviously, this will require even more investment. Therefore, marketing and public relations departments acquire special importance.
Strategy is recognized as one of the basic parts of this type of management. Strategic management and planning set the goal for further progress.
Let us repeat that an enterprise development plan, based on the choice of goals and ways to implement them, is necessary for managers to make subsequent decisions. In addition, it is important for the operation of the company, stimulating employees and controlling them.
- Strategic development plan: 4 mandatory elements
Types of enterprise development plans
Strategic- This is a plan usually designed for no less than ten years. It forms the company’s key objectives for a given period, as well as specific goals with a certain time, allocated resources and overall strategy.
Long-term– are formulated for several years and are aimed at solving specific business problems. The preparation of such plans is part of overall plan enterprise development.
Current– detailed plans that take into account all areas of the company’s activities and its departments for the current reporting year. Must cover sales, production, innovation, supply, promotion, employee training and financial results.
Operational– detailed plans for the development of the enterprise, aimed at solving certain issues regarding the organization’s work in short terms. Always narrowly focused, very detailed and distinguished by a large selection of proposed solutions.
Investment projects– long-term plans for capital financial investments necessary to create additional production capacities.
Business plan- a plan for organizing a new company, its functioning and ensuring the profitability of its activities.
What tasks does the enterprise development plan fulfill?
1. Development of the mission of the enterprise. A clearly formulated company mission responds very important question: “What will the company look like in five to fifteen years?”, that is, the manager must understand:
When developing an enterprise development plan, it is extremely important to start from the purpose of the enterprise and its business goals. Thus, during the mission statement, founders and senior managers have a major decision to make. In essence, changing the mission will mean abandoning the old enterprise and opening a new one, even if the name remains the same. Mission is the ideological foundation of the company, its most stable part. This means that strategic planning is about helping an enterprise achieve its mission.
2. Presentation of the mission in the form of long-term and short-term objectives. A fairly streamlined formulation always requires certainty, that is, setting specific goals and objectives at the stage of drawing up an enterprise development plan. This must be done by senior management. Let's look at examples of goals:
Strategic goals, such as beating competitors, remain relevant all the time.
3. Developing a strategy to achieve your goals. The formulation of the mission and setting of objectives should end with the creation of a strategic plan for the development of the enterprise.
Strategy (in general) is a system of management decisions necessary to achieve the company’s objectives and a specific mission.
How to create a development plan for a blue ocean strategy
The blue ocean strategy is one of the most successful in terms of business profitability. It provides ample opportunities for innovation. Within the framework of the strategy, two approaches are possible. The first is when a company enters a highly competitive market and creates a new niche. This is a deep blue ocean that requires large investments for a full-fledged startup, which is not always within the capabilities of small and medium-sized businesses.
How to draw up a development strategy according to the philosophy of the blue ocean, the editors of the magazine " CEO» said practical experts.
What are the stages of developing an enterprise development plan?
Stage 1. Formation of goals for long-term development of the enterprise. When determining the goal when drawing up an enterprise development plan, the results of the company’s work for the long term are assumed, guidelines and a mission are created. There are a number of rules for creating a goal:
- What is his company?
- What specific niche areas does it serve?
- In what directions is development possible?
- increasing the professional level of employees;
- increasing market share, etc.;
- Measurable goal – the goal is extremely clear.
- The goal is realistic – it can be achieved in a short time.
- Comparability of goals and objectives - may include a number of tasks aimed at achieving it, that is, it is possible to create a so-called “tree of goals”.
- The specificity of the goal - it sets the purpose of the company for a certain period.
The goal is determined by top management with the understanding that from now on efforts should be concentrated precisely on its implementation. This definition is critical because the goals:
- form the basis for planning, management and control;
- set the opportunity for the company’s development;
- are a beacon during the creation of the organization's image.
The goal varies depending on external factors, systems for regulating entrepreneurship by the state, the capabilities of the company and the means of doing business used: the lifespan of the organization, subjective factors such as the qualifications of managers, pressure from other market players, etc.
They define 8 spaces within which any company sets goals when drawing up an enterprise development plan.
- Place in the market (share and competitiveness).
- The level of innovation in the processes of production and sale of products and services.
- Income.
- Resource-intensive production and the possibility of attracting additional resources.
- Mobility of control.
- Qualification of employees and the possibility of changing the composition.
- Social results of changes and the dependence of the company’s level of development on them.
- Ability to quantify the target.
Further, even before the implementation of the enterprise development plan, the goal is divided into the block of tasks necessary to achieve it, then the latter are divided into activities. Those, in turn, are specified by target standards necessary for the ideal future of the company.
Stage 2. Justification of the concept of long-term development. A concept is a proposal for a development perspective. It is based on the opportunities, risks and resource potential of the future: technologies, equipment, personnel, etc. The need to realize the chosen goal requires consideration when justifying the concept of three basic conditions in terms of enterprise development:
- the strength of economic ties within and outside the company;
- the effectiveness of the organization’s functioning at all stages of its development;
- introduction of new strategic directions.
These conditions depend on 3 main approaches.
- Reducing the costs of creating and selling products and services, which allows you to create competitive advantages.
- High degree of specialization, allowing to improve the quality of the product. Definition of the main service with further diversification of related offers. They create synergy by creating integrated system production, promotion and sales.
- Focus on one of the market segments, study its needs and focus on meeting them when implementing the enterprise development plan.
Based on these conditions, it is customary to distinguish 4 types of basic conceptual strategies.
Concentrated growth strategy. It includes strengthening market positions, searching for territories for promoting goods and services; modification of a product for sale within an existing market.
Growth strategy by increasing the number of structures(integrated growth). This includes a horizontal merger of companies engaged in the same market segment, production or sales, that is, the creation of a network. And also vertical mergers, along the way, “production-distribution-sales”, carried out under different organizational and legal conditions. Conglomerate mergers of companies operating in different areas economy, which will increase the number possible types work.
Diversified growth strategy through the introduction of additional goods and services.
Reduction strategy. Involves liquidation, used in the event that a company is unable to carry on this business, therefore forced to sell it completely or partially.
It is important to note that strategic plans for enterprise development come at different levels.
- Corporate is associated with strengthening market positions, creating common goals and a team culture in the company.
- Business (business strategy) is built in accordance with the areas of activity chosen by the strategy.
- Functional or managerial defines approaches that ensure effective management when implementing business strategies.
- Operational includes the strategy of logistics, commerce, production, sales and is aimed at implementing the business strategy.
Stage 3. Development of forecasts for the long-term development of the enterprise(at least 3 options). Forecasting changes in a company is based on changes outside of it, that is, it requires:
- determining market opportunities and conditions;
- changes in quality needs for goods;
- increasing purchasing power and areas of its application;
- changes in the internal environment:
- growth in production and sales volumes;
- qualitative and quantitative changes in resource potential;
- competitiveness and sustainability of the company.
Forecasting can be carried out using trend models, target standards, using economic-mathematical, simulation and network modeling.
His tasks include:
- Analysis and forecasting of the economic situation inside and outside the company.
- Analysis and forecasting of markets and logistics.
- Development of plans for the further work of the company.
Each model makes a separate forecast. All of them are compared and analyzed, after which the reality of the enterprise development plan in possible situations. Then a decision is made to the extent possible to control the forecast indicators. In general, you need at least three forecasts: minimum, maximum and close to reality. It is better to create them for periods beyond the period of implementation of the long-term plan.
Stage 4. Assessment and selection of the most effective and realistic forecast option, specification. In an enterprise development plan intended for a long term, goals are expressed in indicators and tasks.
- Development of a manufacturing enterprise: a step-by-step strategy
An example of an enterprise development plan from life
Let's consider the development plan for the enterprise of the Strobi group of companies as an example. This organization is engaged in the wholesale and retail sale of construction and finishing materials, as well as the completion of construction projects.
1. Structure strategic planning. The most convenient and accessible remedy planning - strategic map. It includes four levels.
- Financial goals are the amount of money a company would like to earn over a certain period of time. The target indicator can be the volume of net profit, the volume of EBITDA profit, the level of capitalization or any other financial parameter important for the company.
- Business and clients are the areas of activity and projects that the company expects to engage in during a given period.
- Internal processes are business processes that are important to begin applying for the successful operation of an organization.
- Personnel development and training – obtaining by company employees the knowledge and skills necessary to implement the strategic development plan of the enterprise.
During planning, it is better to move from top to bottom: at the first step, set financial goals, then highlight business areas, then decide what processes need to be established, and at the last stage, plan employee training. However, it is necessary to implement the plan in reverse order: from personnel to financial indicators.
2. How to choose the right financial goals.
When determining the financial goal, Stroby management chose the amount of net profit planned for the fifth year out of five - this is the first level of planning. The management associated the second level with the beginning of the sales organization, since the company sold exclusively goods on a pick-up basis. Therefore, it was important to set up the activities of representatives and administrators, as well as accepting orders and paying for them, delivery and more - the third level. The fourth level was devoted to employee training, which was necessary for the goals chosen by the company .
Marketers carried out an analysis to calculate possible financial indicators. It was decided to open branches in medium-sized cities where there are no other players operating at the country level. Each applicant was considered for the possibility of selling goods online and introducing retail, and sales volumes and potential profitability were studied in each option. Only after drawing up a picture of the company’s development for the next 5 years and creating a development plan for the enterprise with the stages of the path to the goal, the Strobi management handed it over for further consideration to the finance and economics departments. They built a financial model and assessed the chances of lending and refinancing profits, after which they made adjustments to the managers’ plans. Despite the fact that the initially planned income after this stage decreased by 20%, the result was a plan with fairly realistic indicators.
3. How ideology should help achieve financial goals
If you really want to achieve the volumes specified in the enterprise development plan, you need to streamline processes within the company and create an incentive for constant increase qualifications of workers. Since in in this case management decided to create a network, and the need for typification arose. It was decided to test business processes at the main office and only after that transfer the practice to the branches.
Since Stroby sold goods produced by other companies, it was obvious that it was impossible to influence two indicators: quality and type of product. In addition, they did not appear to be a unique seller for any supplier. Therefore, it was possible to attract a potential buyer exclusively high level services.
Superiority in the field of service quality has become the main idea of Strobi and has become a key task in the implementation of the enterprise development plan. One of his main criteria turned out to be logistics. Even if you are very polite to the client, know a lot and sell, a person will evaluate the company by the quality of delivery. When a buyer receives a product late or in the wrong quantity, it can be lost altogether. To become leaders in the delivery segment, it is important to train employees.
4. How to line up personnel policy to realize your plans
In this task, 3 subtasks were identified:
- training a highly professional team;
- building employee loyalty;
- customer-oriented work.
An in-house university, MBA programs for senior management and training for the rest of the staff, which were provided at company expense, helped raise the level of staff.
An important matter was the creation of an incentive system. Under it, most of the income depended on the variable part of the salary. It was issued if the plan was fulfilled. Thus, purchasing managers were awarded bonuses for good performance in fulfilling orders. Thus, managers managed to raise this figure to 100% for networks and 87% for shipments to wholesale customers. During manual picking, storekeepers and selectors were given a standard of “1 error per 1000 selections.” It has been reached. The chosen credo, “What’s good for me is what’s good for the company” worked extremely effectively.
Strobi especially tried to pay attention to internal corporate communication. A website appeared for internal use, where, in addition to news, blocks with instructions, management orders, templates, etc. were displayed. The files had screenshots demonstrating the sequence of work. Thus, no one could claim that he did not hear something.
- Company development: 5 stages to strive for
Implementation of the enterprise development plan
An enterprise development plan makes sense only when it is effectively implemented. This means that implementation management becomes part of strategic planning and management. The effectiveness of management depends on clearly communicating specific goals and objectives to all departments and employees, as well as providing them with the required resources.
Among all the methods for organizing management of the implementation of an enterprise development plan, the two most common are:
1. Budget method. Such management of the implementation of the enterprise development plan is a method of allocating resources expressed in quantitative form. Goals are also presented quantitatively.
The budget is most widely used in the formal drawing up of an enterprise development plan when it comes to management within the company. Quantifying all resources and goals is a time-consuming but important part of planning. These quantitative indicators allow any manager to see, compare, and combine different elements to ensure the success of each division and the entire company.
The procedures for the formation and approval of budgets are carried out sequentially and consist of stages.
- Quantitative determination of the goals of the enterprise (as a corresponding project) and their transfer to departments in the form of specific goals and objectives. Enterprise and departmental budgets are determined based on projected sales volumes and specific departmental objectives.
- Prepare budgets that determine department resources needed to accomplish their missions. They are developed taking into account the time interval, including medium-term and short-term (annual, semi-annual, quarterly, etc.).
- Analysis of the budgets proposed by the divisions and the resources available to the enterprise, clarification of the distribution of resources between divisions based on the results of consideration of their proposals and issuing instructions to them to clarify the proposals of the divisions.
- Preparation of final budgets for departments and the enterprise as a whole, their approval and control of implementation.
Further management is carried out in accordance with the approved budgets and the enterprise development plan. The task is to eliminate deviations from them during the implementation of specific goals and objectives.
2. Management by goals, also called the MBO method, is recognized effective method results-based management. Its meaning is that the leader has formed plans that support the goals of the superior. The activities of each manager are assessed based on the result of his contribution towards the goals of the company and the implementation of the enterprise development plan, and not on his own characteristics and responsibilities. The basis of this principle is a clear and detailed division of goals into levels and functional areas. It is carried out from top to bottom: from top managers to lower-level managers and other employees. The method is a chain of interconnected steps. It includes:
- highlighting goals at all levels of management;
- planning steps to achieve the goals found;
- verification and evaluation of each manager;
- carrying out corrective measures.
The success of the method is associated with several circumstances that stimulate performers and their management.
Its use requires personal responsibility of everyone for the work necessary to achieve the goals.
To increase the productivity of both managers and the rest of the staff, it is important to present clear goals. This is due to the need to apply certain efforts and the ability to predict results.
Increased efficiency can be achieved by providing information about the results achieved in the process of achieving goals and objectives. When this data is accurate and provided on time, it helps in operations.
Problems may stem from the following factors.
- Lack of interest among other managers and employees in relation to the enterprise development plan.
- Incorrect perception of the essence of the method if subordinates see in it only a strengthening of the control function.
- Difficulties in choosing tasks caused by inaccuracy in their systematization and assessment.
- Resistance from subordinates due to increased volume of paperwork.
- The level of managers that does not allow full use of the technology, the inability to select the main ones and distribute the available time resources when implementing the enterprise development plan.
- Low level of personal interest in completing tasks.
- Poor understanding of the relationship between goals management work and other obligations directly included in the functionality of managers and the rest of the team and inaccuracies in the implementation of the MBO program.
Every employer is interested in the development of an employee, especially if the person works in a leadership position. Improving employee qualifications increases the overall efficiency of the enterprise. The development of an employee is facilitated by the preparation of an individual development plan (IDP).
What is an individual development plan?
A development plan is a set of training measures that help improve competence, professional growth. It is individual because it is compiled in accordance with the characteristics of the work of a particular employee.
When developing a plan, you need to take into account the needs of the specialist, as well as the needs of the company. For this reason, an individual development plan is beneficial to both the company and the specialist.
An employee's fulfillment of the plan can be rewarded financially. The individual development plan specifies development strategies and provides recommendations. The plan may indicate a list of books to be read, a number of seminars and lectures to be listened to.
Goals of the plan
An individual development plan is drawn up with the following goals:
- Increasing staff loyalty.
- Professional development.
- Increasing the competitiveness of goods produced by the enterprise.
- Increased labor efficiency.
- Systematic development of a specialist.
- Coordination of work goals.
- Improving control efficiency.
- Turning hypothetical goals into actions.
- Simplifying the analysis of strengths and weaknesses specialist
- Timely preparation for enterprise modernization.
- Ensuring self-organization.
- Prioritization.
Without a plan, an employee can also develop, but it will be chaotic. In addition, the employer will not be able to track development results.
Who creates an individual development plan and for whom?
For whom is the development plan being formed? It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to this question. A company can choose one of the following strategies:
- An individual development plan is developed for each employee. This model is based on the fact that every employee, regardless of his position, can improve the efficiency of the company.
- The plan is issued only for employees applying for high positions. The model is based on the fact that developing an individual plan is a complex and expensive process. Therefore, it is better to develop a plan only for high potential individuals.
- The plan is issued only for management personnel. The model is based on the view that the effectiveness of a company is determined by the effectiveness of management.
The choice of model depends on which employees contribute to increasing the productivity of the company. The development of these specialists will increase efficiency at minimal cost. It is in these employees that it makes sense to invest the most effort.
The formation of the plan should be carried out by the manager together with the employee. However, to draw up a high-quality plan, the manager must have all the relevant knowledge. Not every manager has this knowledge. Therefore, you should hire a professional coach to help you.
Stages of developing a development plan
Let's consider the main steps to develop an individual development plan:
- Preparation. Development recommendations are developed and then reviewed by the employee. The employee forms the person’s development priorities. A consultation on drawing up a plan is ordered, if required.
- Planning. A table is compiled indicating priorities and development activities.
- Approval of the plan. The formed plan must be agreed upon with the manager. If necessary, adjustments are made.
- Plan approval. The manager also approves the plan.
The drawn up development plan is analyzed for compliance with the following criteria:
- Availability of logic, reasonable consistency. The employee is expected to first decide simple tasks, and only then complex ones.
- Compliance with the main purpose. The plan identifies the skill that the employee must develop. The assigned tasks should contribute to the formation of this skill.
- Setting deadlines. Developmental activities must be completed within a certain time frame. This will make it easier to monitor their implementation.
It is important that the plan is realistic. That is, the employee must have time to complete all developmental tasks. For this reason, his standard workload must be taken into account.
Elements that make up a development plan
The structure of an individual development plan depends on the needs of the company and the employee. Typically, the plan includes these elements:
- Information about the employee. This is the full name, position, department in which the employee works, planning period.
- Tasks. It is necessary to list current professional tasks.
- Recommendations. It is necessary to list recommendations for the development of professional competencies.
- Goals. It is necessary to list the goals for the implementation of certain activities, as well as indicate the time frame for achieving these goals.
- Results of plan execution. The results are recorded. Comments may be included in this section.
If required, the plan may include additional items.
When developing an individual development plan, it makes sense to be guided by these recommendations:
- No more than two areas of development are established per year. Only in this case can proper efficiency be achieved.
- Each direction should include a full range of activities: theory, training under the supervision of experienced specialists, practice.
- Ensuring uniform load throughout the year.
- One and the same developmental method cannot be grouped in one period. Their correct combination is important. For example, you should not give an employee the task of reading books all month. Theory must be combined with practice.
Managers must evaluate the resources to execute the plan. These are material costs and time.
IMPORTANT! In order for the plan to be even more effective, it makes sense to involve several specialists in its creation: employees, representatives of human resources departments, consultants, coaches.
Example of a development plan
The development plan is drawn up in the form of a table. Let's look at an example. First you need to indicate personal information: the employee’s full name, date of birth, position, period during which the plan will be valid. Then this information is written:
| Tasks | Formation and introduction of a quality management system at the enterprise |
|---|---|
| Recommendations | The employee should:
|
| Development Goals | Acquiring the skill of distributing responsibility |
| Development methods | The plan uses the following methods:
|
| Plan creation date | 28.09.2018 |
| Signatures (employee and manager) |
The second part of the plan is results. They include an employee’s self-assessment of his development and assessment by his manager. The manager can also give certain comments.
IMPORTANT! Each task should have its own deadlines. For example, an employee needs to read the specified book before June 1 and attend training before August 1.
