Growth Plans turn coaching into a system.
Instead of relying on memory or one-off conversations, Growth Plans give managers a clear way to develop their people—step by step, over time.
They connect directly to Performance Drivers and Role Skills, and live inside your 1:1 workflow so development actually happens.
Understand what you’re coaching toward
Before coaching begins, align on the goal.
Each Growth Plan starts with a clear direction:
- Build confidence in a new role
- Improve specific skills or behaviors
- Prepare for a future role
- Continue performing at a high level
This determines:
- What skills or drivers are selected
- What “good” looks like
- How progress will be measured
Tip: If the goal isn’t clear, the coaching won’t be either.
Use 1:1s as the coaching engine
Growth Plans are designed to show up in your 1:1s.
That’s where coaching actually happens.
In each 1:1:
- Review current focus areas
- Discuss what’s improving and what’s not
- Tie feedback to real work and recent performance
- Adjust direction if needed
Keep it simple:
- What are we working on?
- What progress did we make?
- What needs to happen next?
Coach to behaviors, not just outcomes
Performance improves when behaviors improve.
Use Performance Drivers to guide coaching:
- How they communicate
- How they manage time
- How they handle pressure
- How they follow process
Instead of saying:
“Your numbers need to improve”
Say:
“Here’s the behavior that will move your numbers”
This is how Growth Plans connect effort to results.
Use Role Skills to build capability
Role Skills define what someone can execute.
Coach toward progression:
- Not trained
- Trained
- Advanced
- Expert
Focus on:
- What they’ve learned
- What they can apply consistently
- Where they still need support
Progress isn’t about time.
It’s about demonstrated ability.
Define what success looks like
Every Growth Plan should answer:
“What does success look like?”
This could be:
- A measurable improvement
- A demonstrated skill level
- Consistent execution over time
If success isn’t defined:
- Coaching becomes subjective
- Progress becomes unclear
Clear expectations create better outcomes.
Reinforce through repetition
Growth doesn’t happen in one conversation.
It happens through:
- Consistent coaching
- Repetition
- Feedback over time
Use every 1:1 to:
- Reinforce expectations
- Recognize improvement
- Correct early
Small improvements, repeated weekly, create real development.
Adjust as you go
Growth Plans are not static.
As the employee improves:
- Raise expectations
- Shift focus areas
- Introduce new challenges
If something isn’t working:
- Change the approach
- Provide more support
- Break the skill down further
Coaching is dynamic. The plan should be too.
Close the loop and move forward
When a plan is complete:
- Review what was accomplished
- Call out specific growth
- Identify what’s next
Then start again.
Growth Plans are not one-time exercises.
They’re how development happens continuously.
What good coaching looks like
- Clear expectations
- Consistent conversations
- Focus on behaviors and skills
- Measurable progress
- Reinforcement over time
Growth Plans don’t replace coaching.
They make it consistent.
And when coaching becomes consistent, performance follows.
