IDP Revisited - MAC094

This past week at my day job, we went through an organizational restructuring. Some of my team is now reporting to a new manager and I have new people on my team. If you find yourself on a new team, this is the perfect time to review your Individual Development Plan.

It's been a while since I last talked about your IDP, but I believe it is a critical tool for ensuring your advancement. For a more detailed explanation of the different sections of the IDP and how to incorporate one into your one-on-one discussions with your leader, review Episodes 036 to 040 of this podcast ( https://www.managingacareer.com/36 ) and if you need a copy of my IDP template, you can reach out via the Contact Form on the Managing A Career website ( https://managingacareer.com/contact ).

But, to summarize, the IDP is a document that YOU own that takes a systematic, top-down approach towards breaking down your career plan. It starts with the Vision and Roadmap sections ( https://www.managingacareer.com/37 ) that looks at your five or ten year goal and helps you identify the major steps it will take to get there. Next are the Assessment and Next Role sections ( https://www.managingacareer.com/38 ) where you look at just the first step on your journey towards your Vision. In these sections you focus on identifying your strengths and weaknesses in your current role and what is holding you back from reaching the next step on the roadmap. Once you have completed the assessment, you can document an Action Plan ( https://www.managingacareer.com/39 ) of how you will address the gaps. And the final section of the IDP is the one where you document your Successes. It is important to document your accomplishments and periodically review them to remind yourself of the progress you've made.

While your IDP should be a consistent component of your regular one-on-ones, any time you change leaders is a good time to review it. With new management comes new expectations and new opportunities. By taking the time to review and update your IDP you can ensure that your path forward is not derailed by not understanding how to impress your new leader.

Start by validating your current Vision statement. Since you last updated your IDP, has anything changed about where you see your career heading? Have you learned anything more about what you like and dislike about your career trajectory? Or maybe you've grown and can see further into the future about where you want to be.

With a refined Vision, do you need to adjust how you get from here to there? Consider how your new team fits with your defined roadmap. Does it put you closer or further from your goal? What experiences or connections does your new manager have that you can benefit from their mentorship? Will this new team or new manager provide you with any shortcuts to your goal?

With a new team comes a new focus and a new role. A new leader brings new standards and values. As you perform your self-assessment, you will need to determine if your strengths are in alignment with these new expectations and what you need to prioritize working on. The earlier you can understand what your new leader considers "next level" performance, the more likely you can stay on your original timetable. Update your action plan to take advantage of the focus of the new team and volunteer for stretch assignments that give you immediate visibility to your new team.

Finally, update your Successes section with all that you accomplished with your previous team. Use the guidelines outlined in Episode 044 ( https://www.managingacareer.com/44 ) on Reporting Status to ensure that you capture the value you provided. During your first few one-on-ones, review these Successes with your new leader so that they understand where you started and what you are capable of.

Not every change moves you forward on the road to your ultimate goal. If you're lucky, they will, but when they don't, there can still be benefit to the reassignment. At a minimum, you can use the new team to expand your network, but always be on the lookout for new skills and projects that you gain exposure to. You may enjoy the new focus and decide to change your Vision statement. However, never be afraid to look for a different opportunity if you ultimately determine that the new team is a dead end when it comes to what YOU want.

Your IDP is a critical piece to your career advancement, especially during times of change. It provides you a clear focus to make sure that you keep heading where YOU want. If you need a copy of my template or if you need help filling it out, reach out to me via the Contact Form on the ManagingACareer.com website ( managingacareer.com/contact ).

Are you looking for a career coach? If you reach out to me via the contact form, I will arrange an introductory session where we can talk about your career goals and how I can help. If we're a good fit, we can schedule regular coaching sessions.