Avoiding the Development Plan Cemetery

Every year, people around the world enter January with one or more New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, many of these well-intentioned aspirations end up in the New Year’s Resolution (NYR) cemetery.

For those unfamiliar with the NYR cemetery (it’s a bit tricky to locate), you might not know that just across the road lies the Development Plan (DP) cemetery. Unlike the NYR cemetery, which experiences a seasonal rush, the DP cemetery remains busy all year round. Much like New Year’s resolutions, development goals and plans often start with good intentions but frequently meet a similar fate.

So, as we begin a new year, here are five key tips—and traps to avoid—when setting and executing a development plan.

1. Keep it Realistic and Relevant

A cornerstone of SMART goals is realism, yet development goals are often neither realistic nor relevant. While there’s nothing wrong with being aspirational or aiming high, setting goals that are unattainable can lead to frustration and disappointment.

One common pitfall, particularly for leaders and individuals, is trying to address too many priorities at once. Focusing on one meaningful goal at a time increases the likelihood of success. If this one goal aligns with what matters most to you, your team, and your organisation, you’re far more likely to stay committed.

Additionally, consider that sometimes the most impactful focus areas involve leveraging an underused strength. Finally, don’t forget the importance of context. What’s happening in your world that could influence both your areas of focus and your ability to execute your plans effectively?

2. Integrate Development into Daily Work

When identifying development actions, people often default to activities that fall outside their regular responsibilities. However, there are usually numerous opportunities to weave development into your current work.

If you’re leveraging your existing responsibilities to support development, it’s vital to be intentional. Put mechanisms in place to track progress or assess your growth. For instance, if you’re working on becoming more inclusive in meetings, create deliberate strategies to encourage participation and regularly seek feedback on your progress.

3. Know Yourself: The Enabler and the Saboteur

The one constant you bring to work is yourself. When considering a new skill or behaviour, take the time to reflect on your existing skills, experiences, and personal tendencies—both the ones that enable success and those that might derail it.

For example, if your goal is to delegate more effectively, consider the beliefs or tendencies that might hold you back. A person with perfectionist tendencies, for instance, may struggle to let go of control. Without addressing the root cause, no number of frameworks or strategies will yield sustainable change.

4. Don’t Blame Time

Research consistently shows that the biggest challenge in development is time—or rather, the perceived lack of it. While people are undoubtedly busy, blaming time isn’t productive. Time can’t defend itself, after all.

Development planning is about personal choice. If you’re truly committed to a goal, it’s about prioritising and making meaningful choices regarding how you use your time. If you’re hoping for “more time” or a “better time,” chances are you’ll struggle to find it. The key is to integrate development into your existing commitments rather than treating it as an add-on.

5. Create Productive Tension

As Robert Fritz wisely observed, “Tension seeks resolution.” Adding a little tension to your development process can foster focus and energy, making the journey more engaging.

One way to create productive tension is to involve others. Share your development priorities with colleagues or mentors who can provide support and accountability. While you remain responsible for your growth, the involvement of others can add a healthy level of external motivation.

Another approach is to use time as a friend rather than an enemy. For example, if one of your goals is to enhance thought leadership, commit to producing a quarterly article or blog on the topic. This strategy introduces both time-bound pressure and public accountability.

Final Thoughts: Simplify, Focus, Energise

There’s plenty of advice available on development planning, but some frameworks can overemphasise structure and drain the energy from the process. To stay focused and motivated, it’s helpful to centre your planning around these three core questions:

Context: What does success look like for you? What is being asked of you, and what are you asking of yourself?
Person: What strengths and attributes do you bring to the table? What tendencies might get in the way?
Growth: What strengths can you leverage? What needs to change? How will you manage and sustain that change?

Not surprisingly, many of these tips can also be applied to New Year’s resolutions. If you’ve set personal goals for the year ahead, now is a great time to pressure-test them against these principles. By doing so, you might just avoid becoming the next resident of the NYR cemetery.