Project manager Nicholas shows us the truth about creating and living an IDP.
Key Takeaways:
- You can use an IDP for personal goals as well as professional.
- How well an IDP performs depends on the amount of energy you put into it.
- IDPs are beneficial to employees of every level.
One of my favorite things about being able to offer our Susco-specific IDP to my teammates is how easily it conforms to any role in the company. From new hires to senior execs, it can help you achieve your goals – at work and in life. I’m pretty proud of that.
When you show someone their inherent value right now without changing a thing, it grants an unprecedented explosion of self-love that is a joy to behold. The sky is the limit, and you see a person bloom before you – how can that not be great for business?
Let’s take a look at how the Susco IDPs can help employees at all levels of the company and how one of our project managers, Nicholas, reaped the rewards.
Multilevel support
Anyone who wants to improve their skills, outline their goals, and enhance their lives can benefit from an IDP. That means anyone from the CEO to the new hire. There’s a reason these simple documents are so helpful across the board, and it’s because they focus on the person and not the job.
Some ways this makes them especially helpful are:
Helping longtime employees find new skills
It can become a habit when you’re in the same position for several years. You do the same tasks in the same way day after day. It’s easy to forget that there’s more to learn and experience without changing jobs.
IDPs help by showing longtime employees how to use their talents to discover new depths and interest in their work. There’s always another project to delve into or position to strive for.
Showing new hires what their future can hold
The first few weeks of a new job are always exciting, albeit a little harrowing. There’s a lot to learn, and no one wants to make a bunch of mistakes as the new kid on the block. IDPs show new hires how well they’re suited for their position, but also other positions in the company they may find suitable.
They help new hires plan for promotions and even better positions outside the company.
Accountability
IDPs teach accountability. CEOs, mid-level employees, and new hires are all trained to be responsible for their future. Careful strategizing and making power moves is the only way to get what you want. It’s up to you to get started.
Employees at every level of a company benefit from individualized attention and support. People do their best work when they are valued and appreciated for their personality, talents, and authentic self. An IDP is a great way to do that, and it starts with a simple Q&A.
Asking questions and getting honest feedback you can work with is the only way to make a real connection with your team members.
Q&A with Nicholas
We asked one of our über-talented project managers, Nicholas, about his experience with the Susco IDP.
Q: Have you had a lot of experience with IDPs?
A: No, Susco was my first experience.
Q: What was your initial reaction to being offered an IDP?
A: Interested. It’s nice that he cares enough to help people develop a plan for continued growth.
Q: How did you prepare for your IDP?
A: I attended a meeting where I was walked through the process of short- and long-term goals. We discussed the importance of setting timelines for our goals and how an IDP can help me do that so I’m better positioned to achieve the goal.
Another way I prepared was by changing my ideas about part of the IDP. I felt some goals were too personal to share but quickly realized it would give me more motivation, and I also got support and accountability partners I didn’t have access to before.
Q: What benefits did you see from participating in an IDP?
A: I learned a lot of skills I never associated with business before. For instance, I learned to meditate and how to use it in my career. I also learned how to clarify my goals by picturing myself in five years and researching the steps to get there.
Q: What specific areas of your life did the IDP focus on?
A: Having someone to talk to whom you’re comfortable sharing personal experiences with. I learned to find supportive people in my life and how to be more supportive of myself.
Q: What were the goals outlined in your IDP?
A: High-level career goals, expanding my family, moving from New York to Florida, and the plan to move back to New York and rent out my Florida property as an investment property.
Q: How did you track progress toward your IDP goals?
A: Smaller-level goals are easier to track, so I keep everything as a daily goal. I walk a certain number of steps and eat under 2500 calories. Health and leisure goals are just as important to track as business goals because you’re not productive if you’re unhappy. I track tasks such as self-education for my career.
Q: Were there any unexpected outcomes or benefits from your IDP?
A: Things I thought would be more important goals have become less important once everything was put down and priorities were set. I was surprised to find that my priorities weren’t what I thought they were.
Q: Were there any challenges or obstacles you encountered while implementing your IDP?
A: Initially, I felt the IDP was sort of generic, not SMART goals, so I struggled with tracking days. I used journaling to break through the challenges by tracking what worked and what didn’t.
Q: Were there any aspects of your IDP that you struggled with or found particularly challenging?
A: Working to identify achievable goals for success. I started using 1-3-5-10 plans, where you identify stops on the way toward the big 10 goals. But I had trouble identifying those stops along the way.
You might find your first experience very similar to Nicholas’s, or it might be entirely different. That’s the beauty of an IDP. They adapt so seamlessly to anyone’s situation to make it a wholly unique and personal experience every time.
Give your IDP everything you’ve got. Think carefully about the questions and dig deep in your soul to find the answers. This one simple document can change your life if you let it.
Show the world what you’re made of
One of the reasons I get out of bed and go to work every morning is to see people I care about reach their full potential. There is something so moving about witnessing someone realize their worth and see the world suddenly open before them.
Using your personal transformations to get ahead in business is a strategy many people overlook. My life’s purpose is to help people live more holistically and find their true power in personal transformation. Visit my LinkedIn and Twitter pages to see what personal transformation looks like, why it matters, and learn more about what it can do for you!