Development planning framework

Empower your people to grow with a structured, easy-to-use plan.

Our development planning framework helps you and your employees create personalized growth paths that align individual aspirations with organizational goals.

Whether you’re focusing on short-term skill building or long-term career moves, this framework keeps everyone on track and inspired.

What is a development planning template?

The development planning template is a practical guide that walks you through every step of creating an employee development plan.

It covers everything from capturing current strengths and career aspirations to setting SMART goals, tracking progress, and planning recognition and rewards.

With 13 clear sections, it helps you support growth in a way that’s both personalized and tied to your company’s objectives.

Who is it for?

This template is designed for people leaders who want to take a proactive approach to talent development.

If you’re a HR professional looking to support employees in building new skills, preparing for future roles, or aligning personal growth with business strategy, this framework is for you.

It’s also ideal for managers and mentors partnering with employees on their career journeys.

How to use the template

You can use this template collaboratively with each employee to co-create a development plan:

1. Kick off with clarity: Start with basic details and set timelines for reviews.
2. Explore current state and aspirations: Document strengths, feedback, and long-term career goals to set a baseline.
3. Align with business needs: Link individual ambitions to team or organizational priorities.
4. Set SMART goals and actions: Create measurable objectives and outline the specific steps, resources, and support needed to achieve them.
5. Plan for success: Identify learning preferences, potential barriers, and recognition opportunities to keep motivation high.
6. Track and reflect: Monitor progress, celebrate wins, and update goals as employees grow.

This template is flexible enough to fit different roles, departments, and career stages so you can focus on what matters most: helping your people thrive.

Download your development planning framework

If you’re not already a member, simply sign up for our free plan and refresh this page to access your template.

Development planning framework

Development planning framework Purpose of this framework To provide a clear, structured, and practical guide for people and HR professionals to support employee growth, development, and career progression. It can be used for both short-term skill development and long-term career goals. How to us…

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