Free template
Personal Development Plan Template
A free personal development plan with goals, practical actions, support and progress measures. Copy it, print it or save it as a PDF.
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The template
Plan details
- Employee and role:
- Space for your response
- Manager or supporting colleague:
- Space for your response
- Plan period:
- Space for your response
- Date agreed:
- Space for your response
Development goal
- Skill or experience to develop:
- Space for your response
- Why it matters in this role:
- Space for your response
- What improved practice will look like:
- Space for your response
Actions and support
- Learning or practice action:
- Space for your response
- Employee’s responsibility:
- Space for your response
- Manager’s support:
- Space for your response
- Time, resources or budget needed:
- Space for your response
- Target date:
- Space for your response
Progress review
- Evidence of using the skill:
- Space for your response
- Feedback to collect:
- Space for your response
- Check-in date:
- Space for your response
- Progress and obstacles:
- Space for your response
- Changes agreed:
- Space for your response
- Next action and owner:
- Space for your response
Written and reviewed by the Appraisal Software team ·
Choose one or two development priorities
Start with the skill or experience that would make the biggest difference to the person’s work. Explain why it matters and what improvement would look like in a real situation. A long training wish list is difficult to follow through.
Learning can include coaching, observing a colleague, supervised practice or taking responsibility for a small piece of work. A course can help, but completing a course is not the same as using the skill.
Completed example: leading a project update
Fictional goal: “By July, I will lead the fortnightly project update so that attendees understand risks, decisions and next steps.”
Actions: observe two experienced colleagues; prepare an agenda with my manager; lead three updates; ask attendees whether the next steps were clear. Support: thirty minutes of preparation time with the manager before each update.
Evidence: each meeting ends with named owners and dates; outstanding decisions are recorded. Review: discuss feedback after the third meeting and agree what to practise next.
Review the plan
Book the first check-in when you agree the plan. Ask what the employee has tried, what changed in their work and what support is missing. Adjust the plan if priorities or available time change.
Keep performance objectives and development goals connected but distinct. One describes the result the role needs; the other describes a capability the person wants to build.
Continue with a useful next step
Appraisal Objectives and Examples
Practical appraisal objective examples with success measures, deadlines and support, for managers and employees planning the next review period.
Annual Appraisal Template
A free appraisal form for UK managers and employees. Copy it, print it or save it as a PDF.
Annual Appraisal Guide
How to prepare, run and follow up an annual employee appraisal, with a practical checklist for UK managers and small teams.
Connect the plan to the appraisal conversation
Include development prompts in your Appraisal Software form so the employee and manager can prepare their priorities. Agree the final actions together in the meeting.