Performance planning:
Tools and templates
Development plan checklist
A good development plan can position you to build both the skills you need to improve your
performance in the short term and the skills you will need to achieve your long-term career
goals. As you think about creating a development plan, remember three things:

Performance and learning are linked to each other: You can build the skills you need by
focusing on the work experiences and assignments that are most closely tied to your
performance objectives.
 While the skills may change, the strengths you draw upon do not: The strengths that have
made you successful in the past do not go away. Although you may need to address
development weaknesses, do not forget to continue to build your strengths.
 Your success depends on the people you ask to help you: By sharing your development
goals with your leader, peers, mentor, or their direct reports, you can check in at various
points to make sure that you are making a strong plan.
Once you have completed a draft of your plan, use the checklist below to ensure that your
development plan focuses on the right goals, provides concrete action steps, and allow you to
measure your progress.
Development Plan Checklist1
Step
Category
Completed
Have I shared the plan with my leader and incorporated his/her
feedback?
Development
Goals
Do I focus on the skills I’ll need to successfully do my job now and
those I’ll need to achieve my career goals?
Do I focus on continuing to build my strengths at least as much as I
focus on closing any gaps?
Does this development plan push me to the edge of my “comfort
zone”?
Have I identified a clear action plan that will help me reach my
development goals?
Action Steps
Have I made sure that at least 80% of my action steps are tied to my
day-to-day job responsibilities and project assignments and fewer than
20% are training programs?
Have I shared my development goals with others so I can measure
progress along the way?
Success
Measures
Have I created realistic and achievable metrics to measure my
progress?
Have I tied the metrics to realistic deadlines to assess my progress?
Have I created milestones to ensure I’m on track?
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The Boeing Leadership Center, “Development Plans That Aren’t a Waste of Time,” Boeing Management Company (2004).
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Sample performance log
Use this worksheet to record performance-related information throughout the review period. Be
sure to include the date you shared the information with the person, as well as the person's
reaction. Also, record any follow-up items you agree on.
Staff Member’s Name: ___Seth____________
Date Shared
Feedback, Data or
Information
Comments /
Reactions
2/11
Letter from Mary at AbCom
(on file). Impressed with
Seth's responsiveness to
their technical problems.
Very pleased, of
course! And
surprised – he hadn't
realized they
appreciated the
effort.
3/19
Roger and Eileen both
mentioned that Seth hasn't
been returning phone calls
promptly. In one case, it
took more than a week.
Seth was already
Set meeting for 3/26
sensitive to the issue. to review his
He's in "serious
responsibilities.
overload mode."
4/7
1st quarter results: 112% of Relieved -Q1 target
target.
was ambitious.
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Agreed Upon Action
Items
Seth will continue to
implement MSO Q2
results.
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Performance log template
Use this worksheet to record performance-related information throughout the review period. Be
sure to include the date you shared the information with the person, as well as the person's
reaction. Also, record any follow-up items you agree on.
Staff Member’s Name: ___________________________
Date Shared
Feedback, Data or
Information
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Comments /
Reactions
Agreed Upon
Action Items
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End of year preparation checklist
Follow this checklist to prepare yourself and your staff member for a focused discussion before
the end of year discussion.
Prepare the staff member




Discuss with the staff member the purpose of this discussion, why it is important, what
outcomes you would like, and why you need his or her active participation in the
process.
Agree on the process to follow and the people to be contacted if the staff member is
going to be gathering feedback from customers and/or co-workers.
Identify and provide a list of the questions you’d like the staff member to answer as part
of his or her self-evaluation. For example:
o In your view, how do your responsibilities support the organization’s strategy?
o What do you consider your most important contributions and accomplishments
during the performance period?
o What competencies (skills, knowledge, or abilities) have been most important in
achieving those accomplishments?
o What feedback have you received from co-workers and/or customers?
o What do you need to do in order to enhance your performance further?
o How satisfied are you with your accomplishments during the performance
period?
o What have you learned that can be applied in the future?
o How have I helped your performance during this performance period?
o What else could I have done?
Give the staff member enough time to write his/her assessment.
Prepare yourself





Review the quantifiable data on results achieved for pre-established goals, priorities,
and/or standards (e.g. volume of work completed, accuracy rates, deadlines)?
Review examples of specific situations in which the person was particularly effective or
ineffective in accomplishing organizational or group goals.
Review verbatim feedback from customers about the person's performance.
Review verbatim feedback from co-workers about the person's performance.
Identify specific examples of competencies (skills, knowledge, or abilities) used to
accomplish results.
Prepare your core message






Select the major responsibilities/objectives that you want to focus on in the review.
Identify two or three competencies and/or areas for improvement or learning.
Organize specific examples to illustrate competencies or areas for improvement.
Decide on the two or three thoughts you want this individual to remember throughout the
next year.
Identify the potential areas of agreement and disagreement.
Consider how the person may react and how you will respond.
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Engaged feedback checklist
According to Dr. Brene Brown, Harvard research and author of Daring Greatly: How the
Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, delivering
feedback can be an uncomfortable experience fraught with uncertainty and risk. In order to
approach the act of providing feedback with the right mindset, she suggests asking yourself the
following questions to check whether or not you are ready to give feedback.
I know I’m ready to give feedback when:

I’m ready to sit next to you rather than across from you;

I’m willing to put the problem in front of us, rather than between us (or sliding it toward you);

I’m ready to listen, ask questions, and accept that I may not fully understand the issue;

I want to acknowledge what you do well instead of picking apart your mistakes;

I recognize your strengths and how you can use them to address your challenges;

I can hold you accountable without shaming or blaming you;

I’m willing to own my part;

I can genuinely thank you for your efforts rather than criticize you for your failings;

I can talk about how resolving these challenges will lead to your growth and opportunity; and

I can model the vulnerability and openness that I expect to see from you.
(www.brenebrown.com)
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Ten tips for delivering performance feedback on weaknesses
Use caution when providing feedback on performance weaknesses
The discussion of performance weaknesses is often the most dreaded part of a performance
review and with good reason. Managers who stumble in this part of a review can negatively
impact their direct reports’ future performance. However, managers who can effectively deliver
this type of feedback can positively impact employee performance. If you have to deliver these
types of messages, be prepared to do it well.
Most managers experience some degree of anxiety when delivering feedback on performance
weaknesses. While it can be a sensitive topic in informal sessions, poor performance can be a
more difficult discussion during a formal performance review due to implications on
compensation and record keeping. While the tips below are good rules to follow regardless of
forum, they tend to take on more meaning during the formal review process.
Before the review: Create a platform for a constructive discussion
1. Work on your employee relationships – Employees will not receive constructive
criticism well if they feel the foundation of your evaluation is rooted in personality
differences. While you do not need to be your employee’s “friend,” you should work to
create the perception that you are fair and reasonable. The healthier the relationship, the
easier it is to deliver this type of feedback.
2. Clearly explain performance expectation – There is nothing more frustrating for an
employee than to spend an entire review cycle working towards goals that turn out not to
matter. Make sure you and your employee are on the same page as to the type of
behaviors, activities, or skills that demonstrate expected performance.
3. Provide informal feedback between reviews – It is important to try to address
undesirable behavior or performance problems as they arise. This increases the
chances that you can improve performance sooner. It also ensures that your employee
does not hear about a development area for the first time in the review, which can be
months after the problem first arose.
4. Collect concrete examples – It will be easier to provide this type of feedback if you can
cite specific examples where the behavior or lack of skill had a negative impact on a
task, project, or assignment. Additionally, you can use these examples to point to any
improvements you witnessed across the review cycle, allowing you to cast the
development area in a more positive light.
During the review: Ensure messages are received
5. Start with and focus on the good news – Everyone likes to be told they’re doing well.
Providing examples of how performance helped the business is critical as it sets the
stage for using examples when you discuss performance problems or development
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areas later. Additionally, you’re letting your employees know that you value the
contributions they make to the business and mitigating against any feelings of “my boss
is out to get me” when the discussion move to development areas.
6. Avoid making judgments – Avoid words like “poor performance” or “weakness”;
instead, present these issues in the context of developmental opportunities. Indeed, by
tying this feedback to the impact performance has on specific business objectives, you
increase the chances your review will be perceived as fair.
7. Don’t just talk, listen – It’s not unnatural for people to be defensive or feel the need to
make excuses for their poor performance. You can help prevent these instances from
becoming confrontational by listening to their counterpoints. Sometimes the excuses are
valid, others not. In either case, you can use this part of the discussion as the
groundwork for building a plan together for closing this performance gap.
8. Prepare for negative reactions – Regardless of your planning and preparation, there is
always a chance your employee will react negatively. In those situations, it is critical to
listen to their points, appear calm, and to make sure you present an unbiased view of the
development area. Once your point has been made, you can attempt to develop a plan
for addressing the performance problem then, or you can wait until the employee
appears more receptive to your perspective.
9. Summarize the conversation and provide next steps – Begin to develop a plan for
addressing the performance weakness and provide an overview of how you plan to
support your employee through this process. You may also take this opportunity to
discuss your expectations for the next review cycle. Even if the consideration has been
tense, make sure you provide a summary that includes performance strengths.
After the review: Follow through on your commitments
10. Lay the groundwork for the next review – By following through on your commitments,
you not only guarantee that you provide informal feedback across the review cycle, but
you also build trust with your employee, which helps ensure the next review you deliver
will be successful.
Adapted from www.hrleadershipcouncil.com
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