But, “How do I help someone else create a plan when I’m not even fully sure what mine is…or how to get there?”
The term spring cleaning didn’t start as a cute seasonal trend. It started because people didn’t have a choice.
After a long winter of fireplaces, closed-up houses, and stale air, everything felt grimy and soot-filled (literally). When spring arrived, people opened the windows, dragged their rugs outside, scrubbed surfaces, and reset their space. It was necessary.
And while that still holds true (have you heard of the new trend to “burp your house”? And if so, are you doing it?), I’ve realized spring cleaning at work and at home has taken on a slightly different look.
It comes down to seasons, planning, and how intentional we are about what we carry forward (or throw away!).
LEADERSHIP This time of year, organizations start asking, “How is it already almost mid-year?” And while mid-year reviews get the spotlight, personal development plans often don’t get the attention they deserve.
Personal development plans are one of those things leaders know they “should” do. The idea makes sense. But if I’m being honest (and I’ve been here myself), there can be this underlying thought: “How do I help someone else create a plan when I’m not even fully sure what mine is…or how to get there?”
It’s that mix of we should…but also, how do we actually do it well? Right up there with flossing, inbox zero, and organizing that one drawer everyone avoids. We know it’s good for us. We just don’t always know where to start.
Too often, development plans become a document you fill out once and revisit only when someone asks for it again.
But lately, this has been coming up a lot in my leadership coaching conversations, especially when a leader says: “My employee wants more money. They want to be promoted and don’t want to wait.” Or… “Morale feels off with a few individuals.”
When we dig in, there are usually a few things at play:
Something personal spilling over into work (not a development conversation)
Frustration around things they can’t control (not a development conversation)
A desire for more growth, opportunity, or advancement (this is an opportunity)
Or a lack of challenge…feeling stuck, bored, or in a rut (this is the opportunity)
Here’s the thing: When people feel stagnant, they start labeling their work in unhelpful ways. When they feel ready for more, they start looking for ways to contribute at a higher level and feel annoyed when they aren’t put in a position to do so.
That’s where a personal development plan becomes useful. It creates a focus.
And this isn’t something you wait to do after someone is in a rut. The best development plans happen before that.
Think of it like spring cleaning. A chance to open things up, take a look at what’s been building over time, and decide what stays, what grows, and what needs to go.
At its best, a development plan creates ownership and forward movement. It helps someone assess where they are, identify where they want to improve, and take action—not just for a future role, but for how they show up today.
That might look like:
Building a skill they’ve been avoiding
Taking on a stretch opportunity
Gaining exposure outside their usual scope
Improving how they operate day to day
And it doesn’t need to be complicated to work:
One or two focus areas (not ten)
Clear behaviors to practice (not just general goals)
Real opportunities to apply it in current work
Most importantly, it stays alive. Used in 1:1s. Revisited in real time. Adjusted as priorities shift.
If you want to get started, let me know and I can send you the template I use. Because when it’s done well, it doesn’t just prepare people for the future. It creates a ripple effect for them, the team, and the organization.
And just like spring cleaning, sometimes the most valuable thing you can do isn’t add more. It’s clear out what’s been sitting there so growth has somewhere to go.
LIFE What does spring cleaning at home look like for you? For me…
It’s the power washer coming out. Patio furniture making its way back outside. Trying on shorts and t-shirts to make sure they still fit. Trips to pick out flowers or decide what we’re planting in the garden this year.
It’s less about deep cleaning every corner (though… the house could probably use that too) and more about getting ready.
Getting ready to be outside more. Walking paths, here I come. Getting ready for longer days and later nights. Fire up the grill. Getting ready for sports and activities. No more cooped-up feeling.
And that has me thinking.
Spring isn’t just a season to clean up what’s behind us. It’s a season to think ahead to what we want to create. The plans we start making. The ideas and activities that feel a little more possible with sunshine and space. The trips (and yes, staycations count too) we start talking about.
There’s something about this time of year that invites a different kind of reset. Not just clearing out the grimy, but making room for what might be possible…what makes this next season more meaningful, or just a little lighter.
Maybe that’s the real version of spring cleaning now. Not just what are you getting rid of. But what are you getting ready for?
What do you want more of in the next few months? What would make this summer feel like one you actually experienced, not just moved through?
Because just like opening the windows for the first time, small shifts can change how everything feels. And this might be the season to decide what kind of energy and action that you want more of, and start creating it.
Have Good Ripple Effect,
Lisa