Why do these?

You want to be the architect of your career, not a passenger. No one is going to invest more in your career than you, because no one else is gonna live your life.

Here’s a secret from the perspective of a manager — seeing someone be proactive about sharing their goals, reflecting on their own performance and seeking out feedback… you just naturally want to help them more than someone who isn’t.

There’s really two parts to this…

1️⃣ Looking back—reflecting on your work/skills and talking to your manager about it

2️⃣ Looking forward—your Career Development Plan

How often should you have one?

Typically people do these every 3, 6, or 12-ish months but do it when you need it (like maybe your personal situation has changed, or there’s a particular role you’ve got your eye on).

This is different to a typical Performance Review meeting (which is usually linked to company compensation systems and timelines), but there’s some overlap so think about how a 1:1 like this sits with your company's formal process (if they have one).

👉🏼 Give your manager a heads-up

• Ask them if they have a format, otherwise use the one below.
• Share the agenda and questions you plan to ask in the calendar invite.
• 60mins is usually enough time, in-person is best if you can swing it.