Creating a Growth Plan
Growth Plans give employees and managers a shared plan for development — what the employee wants to work on, what success looks like, and what they need to do to get there.
In Dual Dash, Growth Plans are connected to your recurring 1:1s so development becomes part of the regular coaching conversation.
Step 1: Set Up Your 1:1 Meeting
Before creating a Growth Plan, make sure you have a recurring 1:1 Meeting set up with your manager.
Your 1:1 is where you and your manager will review your Growth Plan, talk about progress, work through challenges, and determine what comes next.
Once your 1:1 is set up, you're ready to build your Growth Plan.
Step 2: Choose Your Career Direction
Go to your profile and select the Growth Plan tab.
Start by answering the Career Direction question:
Which statement best describes where you're focused right now?
Choose the option that most closely reflects where you are today:
- I'm new to this role and focused on becoming confident and consistent in it.
- I'm established in my role and want to get better at specific skills or behaviors.
- I'm performing well in my role and thinking about long-term growth opportunities.
- I'm happy in my current role and want to continue doing great work here.
There isn't a right or wrong answer. Choose the statement that best represents what you want to focus on right now.
Then select Save.
Interested in a Future Role?
If you select “I'm performing well in my role and thinking about long-term growth opportunities,” Dual Dash will ask an additional question about where you'd like to go next.
You can select a future position already available in your organization's system or type in a role yourself.
This helps you and your manager connect today's development with where you'd eventually like your career to go.
Step 3: Create Your Growth Plan
Under Active Growth Plan, select Create Plan.
You'll now build the plan that you and your manager will work on together.
Give Your Growth Plan a Title
Start with a simple title that describes what you're working toward.
For example:
Build Stronger Ownership Habits
Keep it specific enough that you and your manager can immediately understand the focus of the plan.
Choose a Success Driver
Next, choose whether your Growth Plan focuses on a Technical Skill or a Performance Driver.
Technical Skills are the job-specific knowledge or abilities you need to perform your role.
Performance Drivers are competencies — the behaviors and capabilities that contribute to success in your role.
Depending on what's available in your organization, you can select from the dropdown menus or enter your own response.
Define What Success Looks Like
Answer:
What will success look like once this Growth Plan is achieved?
Be as specific as you can. Think about what would be noticeably different if the Growth Plan were successful.
Instead of simply writing:
“Get better at communication.”
You might write:
“Communicate priorities clearly with my team and consistently follow up on commitments.”
This gives you and your manager something meaningful to coach toward.
Set Your Current Status
Use the status to indicate where you currently are in completing your Growth Plan.
Update this over time as you make progress.
The purpose isn't just to reach 100%. It's to give you and your manager an easy way to see where things stand and talk about what's helping — or getting in the way.
Choose Your Development Methods
Next, identify how you plan to develop.
You can select one or more development methods, including:
- Coaching
- Mentoring
- Shadowing
- Training
- On-the-job Practice
Choose the methods that make the most sense for what you're trying to accomplish.
Step 4: Add Growth Outcomes
Growth Outcomes are the things you need to do to accomplish your Growth Plan.
Think of your Growth Plan as the destination and your Growth Outcomes as the concrete steps that will help you get there.
For example, if your Growth Plan is:
Build Stronger Ownership Habits
Growth Outcomes might include:
- Lead the weekly team huddle for the next 30 days.
- Complete assigned work without manager reminders.
- Ask for feedback from my manager at the end of each week.
You can add multiple Growth Outcomes to a plan.
The more specific and actionable they are, the easier it will be to discuss progress during your 1:1s.
Step 5: Identify the Support You Need
Finally, answer:
What support do you need from your manager?
Growth isn't something employees have to figure out alone.
Think about what would actually help you succeed. That might be coaching, feedback, additional training, opportunities to practice, introductions to other people, or simply greater clarity about expectations.
When you're finished, select Create Growth Plan.
Step 6: Use Your Growth Plan in Your 1:1s
Once your Growth Plan is created, it becomes part of your ongoing 1:1 experience.
This is where the plan comes to life.
Use your 1:1s to talk about what's working, where you're stuck, progress on your Growth Outcomes, support you need from your manager, and what you should focus on next.
Your Growth Plan can change as you grow. Update it as priorities change, outcomes are completed, or new development needs emerge.
A Growth Plan isn't something you fill out and forget. It's a plan you and your manager work on together.
Quick Recap
1. Set up your recurring 1:1
This creates the place where you'll discuss your development.
2. Choose your Career Direction
Tell your manager where you're focused right now.
3. Create your Growth Plan
Identify the skill or competency you want to develop and what success looks like.
4. Add Growth Outcomes
Define the things you'll do to make progress.
5. Identify the support you need
Make it clear how your manager can help.
6. Keep talking about it
Use your 1:1s to review progress, coach, adjust, and celebrate growth.
