Create a Development Plan for Team Growth
Empower your team to make decisions and watch them rise above obstacles.”
Ralph Nader
From Managing Performance → Growing Future Leaders
Great organisations don’t rely on talent by accident.
They systematically grow capability, strengthen retention, and prepare future leaders.
A structured Employee Development Plan (EDP) is one of the most powerful tools a leader can use to achieve this.
The Real Cost of Poor Development
In fast-changing environments, organisations that fail to grow their people fall behind.
High staff turnover creates:
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Lost productivity during disengagement
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Recruitment and onboarding costs
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Overtime pressure on remaining staff
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Increased mistakes and quality risks
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Lower morale and customer experience
Retention is not driven by salary alone.
Growth opportunity is one of the strongest predictors of loyalty.
Core Retention Drivers 🧲
Effective organisations combine:
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Competitive pay and benefits
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Recognition and purpose
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Flexibility and wellbeing
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Values-driven leadership
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Visible career development pathways
Development planning is where all five drivers connect.
🎊 Organisational Benefits of Structured Development
Well-implemented development plans produce:
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Stronger internal capability and institutional knowledge
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Higher productivity with less supervision
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Improved efficiency and innovation
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Better customer satisfaction
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Clear succession pipelines
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Early visibility of talent gaps
In short:
Development planning converts potential into performance.
🧠 Development
Development includes any activity that strengthens:
Knowledge
Training, qualifications, professional learning.
Skills
On-the-job learning, projects, job rotation, coaching.
Attributes & Mindsets
Leadership, communication, adaptability, judgement.
High-impact organisations use a blended approach, not training alone.
✨ Key Reminder: Development covers both hard skills (technical, job-specific) and soft skills (communication, leadership, adaptability).
The 70-20-10 Development Model
If development is mostly classroom-based, it will underperform. So aim for this evidence-based guideline:
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70% Experiential → projects, stretch roles, real work
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20% Social → coaching, mentoring, feedback
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10% Formal → courses, certifications, workshops
🔦 Identifying Team Development Needs
A Skills Matrix maps:
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Required role competencies
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Current employee capability
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Priority development gaps
This creates objective clarity about where to invest.
Here’s an example of a skills matrix of a marketing team:
Personal Development Plans 🛠️
Personal development plans should address two main areas:
- Business Performance
Upskilling that improves results. - Individual Growth
Career aspirations that drive retention and motivation.
When both align →
engagement and productivity rise together.
“The whole purpose of education
is to turn mirrors into windows.”
Sydney J. Harris
📊 The 5-Step Employee Development Plan
Follow this step-by-step process to identify team development needs:
Step 1: Align Team Goals with Business Goals
🎯 Define:
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What must improve this year?
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Which capabilities enable that success?
Rule:
No development activity without strategic relevance.
Step 2: Identify Competencies Needed
🧩 Clarify:
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Technical skills
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Behavioural capabilities
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Leadership readiness
This becomes your future capability map.
Step 3: Match Personal Goals and Identify Gaps
👥 Hold a structured development conversation:
Ask:
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What skills do you want to build?
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Where do you see your career progressing?
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What support would help you succeed?
Compare aspirations with the Skills Matrix gaps.
Step 4: Set Development Goals and Methods
⚙️ Choose suitable methods (training, mentoring, job shadowing, online learning, etc.).
📌 Balance short-term and long-term goals.
💡 Consider practical implications.
Step 5: Monitor and Review
🔄 Hold regular check-ins to track progress:
Monthly check-ins → progress & support
Quarterly reviews → adjust goals
Annual review → promotion readiness & succession
Development fails without consistent follow-through.
📝 Refine and adapt the plan as needed.
🤝 Provide extra support when challenges arise.
🎁 Bonus:
➡️ Next
Proceed to the next lesson.