We’ve all heard the phrase “personal development” thrown around, but let’s be honest—it’s a term that comes with some baggage. For some, it evokes cheesy motivational quotes. For others, it’s tied to those dreaded corporate “personal improvement plans.”
But personal development is worth embracing. At its core, it’s about progress and challenging yourself to grow in deliberate ways. I like to think of it in terms of refining. In a refinery, you apply time, heat, and pressure to bring out the best in a raw material.
The same is true for you. With time, effort, and focus, you can address what’s holding you back and bring out your best.
Here's a quick breakdown of how to put together a personal development plan to help you make progress toward your goals. Download the template and work along with this article:
To create an effective plan, you need to spell out what you’re working on because not all development is the same. You may assume development is about acquiring knowledge, but that's only one (and the easiest) of the elements of development. First, we want to use the KSAO framework—Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics—to design our plan.
Each of these can be developed! Knowledge can be acquired, skills can be practiced, abilities can be honed, and other characteristics can change.
Take a moment to reflect: Which area, if you spent focused time developing it, would have the greatest impact on your life and work?
Growth isn’t a straight path. It’s iterative, incremental, progressive loops.
In Great at Work, Morten Hansen describes this as Loop Learning, which is built on three pillars:
Use our template, or create your own, and work through each of these five steps:
Choose a Focus Area
What is the outcome you're after?
It could be improving a technical skill, gaining knowledge in a new area, or enhancing a leadership ability.
Use the KSAO framework to identify one area to target and be specific. Avoid aspirations like “Be a better communicator.” Instead, narrow it down to something like “Improve how I run team meetings so that everyone contributes."
Write this under Objective.
Set a Timeframe and Use SMART Goals
Next, set a deadline for achieving your objective.
When do you want to have this done by? Defining a clear timeframe can apply the right amount of pressure to facilitate action.
Record this under Timeframe.
Break It Down
What will I do to get there?
Break your goal up into manageable steps. What specific steps will you take to meet your objectives?
Write this under Action. This part outlines the “how” of your personal development. Each action should be focused and doable, helping you make steady progress.
Track Your Progress
What will I see as evidence of progress?
Keep tabs on your growth. Did you nail that presentation? Did your team respond better to a new meeting format? Reflect regularly.
Under Key Results, record the tangible signs of progress you would expect to see along the way.Get Feedback
Finally, you'll need to consider: What is the benefit?
How will achieving this goal impact not just you but also your organization or team? This brings context and meaning to your development.
Record the expected Impact.
Refine
Reread your entire plan and check yourself. Will it add benefit, are the actions clear, is the objective the right level of challenge?
Finally, share your plan with someone who can hold you accountable. External insights, whether from your manager, a coach, or a trusted peer, will give you a better perspective.
Feedback is an essential part of the learning process. The development plan encourages you to get feedback from peers and managers so that you can adjust your plan as needed. “Loop Learning” is crucial here—you’ll learn from each iteration and continuously improve.
Expect roadblocks. Growth is often uncomfortable, but that may be a sign that you’re on the right track. There should be a careful balance of challenges to encourage rapid growth.
What’s one area—knowledge, skill, or ability—you want to focus on for a period of time? Design it, plan it, work the plan.