What Goals Should Form a Manager’s Development Plan?
A successful development plan needs goals that focus on both soft and hard skills, including:
Leadership and communication
People management and team culture
Performance and results
Strategic thinking and decision making
Coaching, feedback, and development
Personal effectiveness and resilience
These are the core requirements for a manager to focus on improving to successfully meet personal ambitions and support organisational goals.
A strong development plan builds a manager’s confidence, allows them to stay accountable, and continuously develops the skills that make a difference to their team and the business.
What is a manager development plan?
A manager development plan is a documented agreement between a manager, their line manager, and often HR or L&D. It sets out the skills, behaviours, and performance outcomes for the manager to acheive over an agreed period.
Most effective plans include:
Goals that cover both performance outcomes and skill development
Actions such as workshops, coaching, courses, mentoring, or stretch projects
Timelines that keep progress steady and prevent goals drifting
Success metrics so everyone can tell whether development has actually happened
Alignment with organisational priorities and values
They should be a helpful guide rather than an admin-heavy task. It should be short enough to use, but detailed enough to be meaningful.
An example of a basic manager development plan
A basic one-year plan for a customer service manager might include:
Goal 1: Improve delegation and ownership in the team
Action: Attend a delegation workshop by March, identify 3 recurring tasks to delegate by April, review progress monthly
Measure: 20% reduction in overtime hours by Q4, team feedback on ownership
Goal 2: Build confidence in handling difficult conversations
Action: Shadow HR during two employee relations meetings, roleplay scenarios with line manager, use a conversation framework in real meetings
Measure: Manager self-rating, line manager observation, fewer escalated conflicts
Goal 3: Strengthen cross team collaboration with sales
Action: Join monthly cross-functional meetings, co-lead one customer improvement project
Measure: Joint project outcomes, feedback from sales lead
How a development plan supports managers and organisations
A well-designed plan supports individual managers in several ways:
Managers understand their strengths and the gaps to address.
Provides focus by working on two or three priorities.
Increases motivation as visible progress on agreed goals builds confidence.
Creates a record of achievements that can be referenced in performance reviews and promotion discussions.
For organisations, a consistent approach to development planning helps to:
Raise the overall standard of management behaviour
Support succession planning by preparing people for the next level
Align development investment with strategic priorities
Reduce the risk of staff turnover as they see a progression path
When plans are handled competently, they become a key part of talent management.
Key elements of an effective manager development plan
To be successful, a manager’s development plan should:
Be based on evidence, such as feedback, performance data, and 360 assessments
Focus on observable behaviours, not vague personality traits
Include a mix of learning methods, not just classroom training
Break big goals into smaller milestones so that progress is visible
Build in check points, usually every quarter, to review what is working and adjust where needed
With this foundation in place, the next step is to decide which types of goals to include.
Six must-have goals for any management development plan
Leadership and communication goals for managers
Leadership and communication sit at the heart of every management role, and will allow a manager to:
Set direction and explain priorities
Hold effective one to one and team meetings
Communicate during change or pressure
Adapt their style to different audiences
Management training courses, practice presentations, feedback from peers, and coaching are great activities in supporting achieving these goals.
In many organisations, supporting effective communication with different channels include face to face, video, email, chat is vital for managers, especially those that manage hybrid teams.
For managers who want structured support in this area, our Leadership Training Courses help them build confidence in communication, direction and influencing others.
People management and team culture goals
Goals focused on people management and culture help a manager to build and maintain a great team environment as well as support in recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and day to day relationships.
Example goals:
Strengthen the approach to setting objectives and reviewing performance
Build a culture where issues are addressed early
Improve inclusion by ensuring all team members have a voice and fair access to opportunities
Reduce staff turnover by improving conversations and career discussions
Measurements include reduced conflict escalations, improved engagement scores, higher quality performance reviews and better retention in key roles.
Performance and results focused goals for managers
Managers exist to deliver results through others. Development plans should include goals that link directly to business performance, not simply targets, but those that drive performance.
Examples include:
Ability to translate high level business goals into clear team plans.
Improve the way performance data is used to identify trends and take early action.
Follow up on agreed actions so projects are delivered on time.
Strengthen prioritisation to focus the team on high priorities.
Here, success might be measured through improved KPIs, better project delivery rates, reduced rework, or more predictable performance against deadlines.
Strategic thinking and decision making goals
As managers become more senior, they’re expected to think beyond their immediate team. Strategic and decision making goals help to adopt a broader commercial perspective.
Examples:
Strengthen the ability to consider long term implications when making decisions
Increase comfort with ambiguity by practising structured decision making when information is incomplete
Build confidence in challenging assumptions and contributing to strategic discussions
Develop a clearer understanding of how the business makes money and how their function supports that
Actions might include participating in collaborative projects, attending strategy workshops, reviewing financial statements with a mentor, or working on business cases for new initiatives.
Coaching, feedback, and development goals
Managers need to become genuine coaches, so goals in this area move beyond instruction and become genuine coaches.
For example:
Hold regular coaching style conversations that encourage team members to generate their own ideas
Provide timely, balanced feedback that supports improvement without demotivating
Identify development opportunities for each team member and follow through on them
Spot and nurture potential successors for critical roles
Success can be assessed through feedback from direct reports, observed behaviour in meetings, and evidence of team members taking on new responsibilities. Over time, strong coaching and feedback skills tend to show up as more confident, capable team members who solve more problems themselves.
Personal effectiveness and resilience goals for managers
Finally, development plans should include goals that focus on the manager’s own personal effectiveness and resilience. Without this foundation, it is difficult to sustain performance or support others.
Goals might include:
Improve prioritisation and time management to focus on high value activities
Strengthen boundaries and energy management to reduce the risk of burnout
Develop habits that support continuous learning, such as reflecting after key events or keeping a learning journal
Build confidence in saying no or renegotiating deadlines when the workload becomes unrealistic
Many managers build these habits quickly with Time Management Training, which gives practical tools to protect focus and handle competing priorities. These goals often involve techniques that managers can apply immediately, such as weekly planning routines, batching similar tasks, or short mindfulness practices. They also send an important signal that the organisation values healthy, sustainable performance.
How to set strong goals in a manager development plan
Identifying themes is a useful start. The next step is to turn them into specific goals that managers can work towards with confidence. This requires clear links to business objectives, realistic expectations, and agreed responsibilities.
Linking manager goals to business objectives
Development goals should never feel detached from real work. A simple test is to ask: if the manager achieves this goal, how will the team or organisation benefit?
For example, a goal to improve delegation is stronger when it is linked to freeing up capacity for strategic work or developing successors for key roles. A goal to improve communication becomes more meaningful if it supports a change initiative or customer experience project.
Practical steps include:
Reviewing the organisation’s strategy, department plans, and major projects
Identifying where the manager’s role contributes most directly to those priorities
Choosing goals that make that contribution more effective or more sustainable
This link gives managers a clear “why” and makes it easier to secure support and resources.
Making goals measurable and realistic
Goals in development plans should be ambitious but achievable. Using a structure such as SMART shows what success looks like. For instance:
Vague goal: “Become a better coach.”
Stronger goal: “By the end of Q3, hold at least one 45 minute coaching conversation each month with every team member, using a consistent framework and capturing agreed actions.”
Measures do not have to be numeric. They can include:
Observable behaviours, such as using specific questioning techniques
Feedback ratings from direct reports or stakeholders
Evidence such as improved handover quality or fewer escalations
The key is that manager and line manager can look at the same evidence and reach a shared view on whether the goal has been met.
Agreeing actions, timelines, and accountability
A list of goals is not enough. The plan should also specify:
Actions the manager will take, such as attending a course, shadowing a colleague, or leading a particular project
Support they will receive, such as coaching, mentoring, or resources from L&D
Timelines and milestones, usually over a twelve month period
How and when progress will be reviewed, for example in quarterly check ins
Responsibility should be shared. The manager owns their development, but the line manager is responsible for providing opportunities and feedback, and HR or L&D are responsible for supplying appropriate learning solutions.
Examples of goals for different types of managers
Different managers will need tailored goals. A new supervisor, an experienced middle manager, and a leader of a hybrid team will not share the same priorities, yet all will benefit from a structured plan.
Goals for first line managers
New managers often move from being a strong individual contributor to leading former peers. Their development plans usually focus on foundational management skills and mindset shifts.
Example goals:
Shift from doing tasks personally to delegating effectively and holding others to account
Establish regular form communication, including weekly team updates and monthly one to ones
Learn and apply the organisation’s performance management process in a consistent way
Develop confidence in handling basic people issues such as absence or performance concerns
Actions might include attending a first line manager development programme, working with a mentor, and practising new skills with feedback from a senior manager.
Goals for experienced managers
More experienced managers who are aiming for senior roles need goals that broaden their perspective and build strategic impact.
Example goals:
Lead a cross functional project that contributes to a major organisational priority
Strengthen commercial awareness by understanding key financial drivers and metrics in their area
Build a stronger internal network, particularly with peers in other functions
Develop two potential successors by delegating stretch responsibilities and supporting their growth
These goals prepare managers not only to perform in their current role but also to step into more complex responsibilities in the future.
Goals for managers of remote and hybrid teams
Managing remote or hybrid teams brings specific challenges around communication, trust, and inclusion.
Typical goals include:
Establish clear expectations about availability, responsiveness, and use of communication channels
Adapt communication style to suit different media, such as video, phone, and written updates
Foster team cohesion by introducing regular virtual team sessions that include both business and relationship building elements
Monitor wellbeing and workload remotely, using regular check-ins and open questions rather than relying on visual cues
Actions may involve targeted training on virtual leadership, experimenting with collaboration tools, and collecting feedback from team members about what is working.
Common mistakes in manager development plans
Even with the best intentions, development plans can fall short. Recognising common mistakes helps to avoid them.
Frequent issues include:
Goals that are too vague to act on
Plans that list many goals, with no clear priorities
A focus solely on formal training, with little emphasis on application
Plans that are written once a year and then forgotten
Goals that are not aligned with the realities of workload and resource
When these problems occur, development planning becomes a tick box exercise rather than a driver of performance.
Signs a development plan is not working
Warning signs include:
The manager cannot clearly explain their own development goals
There is little or no evidence of changed behaviour six months into the plan
The same goals reappear year after year with minimal progress
Line managers treat development discussions as an afterthought in performance reviews
Team members do not notice any difference in how they are managed
These signals suggest that the process needs attention, not that development plans are inherently flawed.
How to fix and refresh an outdated plan
Refreshing a development plan does not always require a complete restart. Use these tips to enhance the objectives;
Holding an honest conversation about what has and hasn’t worked so far
Narrowing the focus to two or three high impact goals
Updating actions so that they fit current priorities and capacity
Involving HR or L&D to suggest new learning approaches or support
Setting shorter milestones and agreeing to more frequent check-ins
A refreshed plan that feels realistic and relevant is far more likely to drive real change.
Many organisations choose to work with an external management training provider to support development plans. External partners bring fresh perspectives, proven content, and experienced facilitators who specialise in management behaviour and performance.
They can help to:
Design frameworks for manager development plans that are consistent across the organisation
Provide modular management training programmes aligned to the goals in those plans
Offer coaching and follow up support to help managers apply new skills
Supply tools such as 360 feedback, skills diagnostics, and online resources that feed into the planning process. For a wider look at the elements that make learning stick, see our blog What Makes Management Training Work.
Working with a provider also reduces the burden on internal HR and L&D teams, who may be stretched across multiple priorities. Some organisations also use digital learning platforms to give managers flexible access to bite sized content that supports their goals.
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If you want to turn these development plans into real progress, our Management Courses give managers the core skills they need to lead confidently.
CEO of MTD Training and Amazon bestselling author. Sean writes about leadership, business, and personal growth, drawing on 20+ years of experience helping over 9,000 companies improve performance.
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