PDP for ongoing development

To improve a specific skill, sometimes you have to practice it—and not merely study it in a conference or classroom.

Similarly, the Performance Development Partnership (PDP) process emphasizes on-the-job or experiential training because it has been proven to be the most effective way of gaining new knowledge and learning skills.

At Boeing, PE and PDP rely on ongoing manager and employee discussions to ensure organizational objectives and employee development goals are met.

PE focuses on linking business objectives with what employees do at their jobs, while the PDP emphasizes activities that support an employee's personal and professional growth. PDP can identify learning opportunities such as job shadowing, job rotations, special projects, conferences, certificate programs, and Boeing online and Web-based learning programs, etc.

According to recent survey data, about 79 percent of salaried employees participate in PDP. The company would like to see more people participate.

In support of Boeing's philosophy of lifelong learning, PDP can assist employees in reaching both professional and personal goals. Some skills can apply to both work and non-work activities, such as improving project-management skills you can use as a leader for a new-business proposal team—or for your child's scouting troop.

Because PE and PDP work hand-in-hand to track and meet both company and employee goals, it makes good sense to integrate these processes into a single process. In the next few months, Boeing will announce more details about this integration plan, which will be called Performance Management.