Storm Beach

I have to be honest Personal Development Plans (PDPs) do tend to make me cringe at times. I remember collating them once in a retail organisation, and one manager had simply written in every column for each of his team members: ‘get on a course!’ They can of course be a lot more resonant and meaningful than that.

One of the best places to start is by considering your own unique situation and expertise. Are you newer to your role? Are you mastering your role? Or, are you preparing for the next role? Then the context for your planning can focus on career, development or talent:

1. Career Planning – sets the long-term direction and aspirations. Your primary objective if you manage a team is their development.
2. Development Planning – build the capability to move in that direction. This time the objective needs to focus inwards, leader development.
3. Talent Planning – align individual plans with organisational strategy. Naturally the objective becomes about the system around you, leadership development.

It might sound pedantic to split up the planning process in 3, but it does give greater accuracy. Whilst accommodating overlap and alignment across all areas if needs be. Below you will find a more detailed breakdown…

Career Planning

Focus on the individual’s long‑term direction, aspirations, and sense of purpose. Appreciating where someone wants to go over the span of their working life, what roles or pathways interest them, and what kind of impact they want to make. Personal and future‑oriented — linking strengths, motivations, and evolving ambitions with possible career trajectories inside or outside the organisation.

Development Planning

Tactical and skills‑based. Concentrating on what a person needs to learn or improve right now to be more effective in their current role or prepared for their next step. Focus on the capabilities, experiences, behaviours, and knowledge required to get there. Short-term goals such as projects, training, coaching, or stretch assignments that build specific competencies.

 Talent Planning

An organisational perspective rather than an individual one. Identifying, assessing, and preparing the people the organisation needs to deliver its strategy — now and in the future. Succession planning, identifying high potentials, workforce planning, and deploying talent where it will create maximum value. Owned by the organisation and ensures there is a strong, diverse pipeline.