How to Coach Your Team Member on Crafting A Career Development Plan

Introduction:

According to Forbes, companies that prioritize employee development enjoy 11% greater profitability and are twice as likely to retain their top talent.  

The role of managers is deeply intertwined with every moment of truth of an employee or staff life cycle in an organization. Despite significant development dollars spent on manager training, we continue to see a dominant theme: companies need to re-think how they approach manager maturity to aid in team retention.  

Companies need managers equipped with these management disciplines not only to aid in staff retention but to ensure they nurture and retain talent within their teams for future roles. Coaching and career development are fast emerging as top skills managers need to achieve this.  

In this blog, we will delve into: 

Why is Career Development Important? 

Career Coaching vs Consulting

6 Steps to Write a Career Development Plan 

How Can External Career Coaches Help? 

Why is Career Development important? 

Before diving into the management skills needed for coaching, it's crucial to understand why career development matters. 

Managers who invest time in career development conversations with their team members, and who do it right, can be a trump card in helping them feel supported. They would also be more likely to be motivated, innovative, and committed to the organization's success.

Career development holds significant personal importance to employees as it enables them to pursue their professional aspirations, achieve personal growth, and attain a sense of fulfillment in their work. According to a report by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), career development opportunities rank among the top factors influencing employee job satisfaction and retention. Additionally, research conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) highlights the intrinsic motivation individuals derive from advancing their careers, leading to increased job engagement and overall well-being. By investing in career development, employees can enhance their skills, expand their knowledge, and pursue meaningful career paths that align with their values and aspirations, ultimately fostering a sense of purpose and satisfaction in their professional lives.

Coaching to be able to deliver a comprehensive career development plan with an employee requires managers to master questioning, listening, and empathy, adapting their approach to individual team members' needs. To learn more about coaching, you can refer to our comprehensive guide on coaching skills for managers and supervisors. 

Here are 6 Steps to Craft a Career Development Plan With Your Employees: 

Crafting a career development plan is a collaborative process, and requires discipline and commitment from both the manager and team member.  Here are 6 steps you or your management team can follow in crafting a career development plan.   

Step 1: Learn About Your Team Member’s Aspirations

The first step in coaching your team members to write a career development plan is to learn about what the end state is that they wish to move towards.   You can run a thought experiment, where you encourage your team member to visualize the future and what skills they need to get there.

Here’s an example of a thought experiment: 

“Visualize yourself on December 31st, 20XX. You feel like you are on ‘Top of the World’. Your career is at an all-time high. You are having a conversation with your best friend. Describe what you do, whom you interact with, the impact that you make.’ 

By understanding their aspirations, you can tailor the development plan to their individual needs, increasing their engagement and commitment to the organization.

Don’t make promises at this point - it’s important that while you’re getting to understand and share in your employee's aspirations, you’re not committing to promoting them into their dream role or ‘making it happen’ for them. All you can do is listen, paraphrase back what you hear ‘success’ looks like to them, and commit your time to their planning process. At this stage, you should only commit the effort from your own side if you see the employee is also showing their initiative. Don’t own this process for them!

Step 2: Conduct a Skills Assessment

Once you've identified the aspirations, have your team member conduct a skills assessment.  In the absence of formal skill assessments for their role, you could also use a simple SWOT analysis to assess their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats or use a simple self-assessment survey.  

To make the reflection process holistic, triangulate feedback from performance reviews and peer reviews. 

This assessment forms the foundation for identifying the skills and competencies they need to develop to achieve their career objectives.

Have your staff think: “What is most important for your future state?” and mark out those skills for further reflection.                                             

What’s most critical for the role? 

Strengths 

Opportunities 

Weaknesses 

Threats 

Step 3: Set Goals Using the GROW Model 

Once the development opportunities are identified, help your team members by using the GROW Model to set goals. This is a very critical step and requires time commitment.   

The GROW model is a widely recognized and utilized coaching model that offers a systematic approach to help individuals and teams achieve their objectives. This model is primarily used by new coaches and supervisors using a coaching approach in the workplace, however, it is fundamentally sound for coaching in all situations.

Understanding the model:

Goal: The first step in the GROW model involves establishing a clear and specific goal your team member wishes to achieve. This entails defining the desired outcome and setting measurable, attainable, and time-bound targets.

A common pitfall is making the goal generic and a wishful statement ‘I wish to be a data scientist in 2 years from now’. 

Instead, encourage your team member to call out: 

• What would you want to be
• Who would you like to serve? 
• What is the value you wish to add? 

“My aspiration is to be a data scientist who interacts with CXOs in key industries where we have a presence. The value which I would like to bring is to influence customer experience and revenues by X’ by building data visualization and algorithms". 

Reality: The next phase requires a comprehensive assessment of the current situation. During this stage, the coach and coachee work together to identify existing resources, potential challenges, and any gaps between the current reality and the desired goal. The self-assessment comes in handy here.  

Options: In this stage, the focus shifts towards brainstorming various strategies and encourages creativity and critical thinking to identify multiple pathways to success. Encourage your team member to freelist options. 

1. Every month, I could have 1 lunch or a virtual coffee , with a person new to me. 
2. Shadow Jane in her data scientist role. Seek her guidance on what are some challenges she faces, and how does she address them? 
3. Attend a learning program on ‘Topic X’.  
4. Do a personal project

Will or Way Forward: The final step in the GROW coaching methodology revolves around commitment and action. The coachee selects the most suitable options and develops a concrete action plan, outlining specific steps and deadlines. The coach's role is to ensure accountability, support, and motivation throughout the implementation process.

BOLDLY’s comprehensive Coaching Skills for supervisors workshops have equipped more than 500 managers with this critical skill. 

Encourage flexibility and adaptation as they navigate their development journey, allowing room for adjustments based on evolving priorities and feedback. By creating a clear roadmap for success, you'll empower them to take ownership of their development and drive their career forward.

Step 4: Provide Ongoing Support and Feedback

Coaching doesn't end once the career development plan is created; it's an ongoing process. 

This is where your team member could fall into the classic trap of the Knowing-Doing gap.

According to Alexandra Lamb, CEO of BOLDLY,  “  The knowing-doing gap refers to the disparity between knowing what needs to be done and actually taking action to accomplish it. It’s very common to see. Getting commitment and follow through to taking action on coaching goals can involve various strategies depending on the coachee and their situation. Some strategies include visualization, establishing accountability partnerships with colleagues or mentors, or loved ones at home, tracking progress through regular check-ins and reflection, and celebrating milestones. Each of these approaches can help both the coach and coachee stay focused, motivated, and committed to achieving their outcomes” 

Managers and HR business partners who are career coaching should put on the hat of an active listener, offering encouragement and constructive criticism to fuel the employees growth and development. You should schedule regular check-ins to review progress, celebrate small wins, and address any concerns or obstacles they encounter. 

Step 5: Monitor and Evaluate Progress

The coachee should take accountability for regularly monitoring and sharing progress towards their goals to ensure they are on the right path.  It’s important that the coachee is responsible here, so that they are activated in owning their own career outcomes. 

Step 6: Encourage Reflection and Adaptation

Encourage your team member to reflect on their experiences and learning throughout the process. 

Harvard Business Review highlights the importance of asking questions such as "What worked well?" and "What could be improved?" Encourage them to adapt their career development plan as needed, revisiting and adjusting goals based on changing priorities and circumstances.  

Coaching your team members to write a career development plan is a collaborative and iterative process that requires patience, empathy, and follow-through. 

Remember, investing in your team's development isn't just beneficial for them; it's an investment in the future success of your organization. By providing guidance and support every step of the way, you'll empower them to take ownership of their professional growth and achieve their career aspirations, driving both individual and organizational success.

If you're interested in learning more about how BOLDLY can help your organisation, we invite you to explore our or write to us at here.