Individual Development Program (IDP): How Do Adults Learn?

The Individual Development Plan (IDP) is an executive program that is developed to improve a person’s professional knowledge and skills based on our own competency model at Dana Energy. The individual development plan, by providing a specific framework, makes the path for individual development clear and sets the scene for the upcoming year. The primary goal of the personal development program is to help people achieve their goals and improve their performance in their current roles.

We have implemented this program for executives and managers to identify their strengths and areas for improvement. The ultimate goal is to foster a culture of feedback and encourage commitment. The program aims to inspire managers to formulate their own personal development plans and enhance their skills.

The tool used in the implementation of this program is 360 Assessment. This evaluation method provides an opportunity for individuals to evaluate themselves, as well as receiving comprehensive feedback from their managers, colleagues of the same rank and under supervision. This assessment is conducted based on Dana Energy’s competency model, which includes detailed descriptions of each competency at two distinct levels: managers and leaders.

Last year, 75 managers in the organization were included in the evaluation cycle and after receiving the 360 Assessment report, they devised their personal development plan in a meeting attended by their direct supervisor and a facilitator from the Human Resources department. In order to facilitate this process, an IDP compilation workshop was held, presenting different mechanisms of learning, and a catalogue of personal development programs. Furthermore, educational contents were provided to the attendees in order to develop their knowledge and skills in various fields.

It is noteworthy that the personal development program is not a one-time activity; 360 Assessment is conducted every two years and individual development plans are reviewed and measured annually.

Zahra Hatami

HR Business Partner