| Course | MLDR 6010 Managing People and Promoting |
|---|---|
| Week | Week 6 |
| Paper type | Development plan |
| Length | About 770 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Walden University |
| Program | MS in Leadership |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MLDR 6010 Week 6
Two Columns of Promises: A Development Plan for a Senior Technician Aiming at the Next Lead Opening, With the Clinic's Commitments Dated Beside Hers and What She Can Do if the Clinic Falls Behind
Student Name
Walden University
MLDR 6010: Managing People and Promoting
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Two Columns of Promises: A Development Plan for a Senior Technician Aiming at the Next Lead Opening, With the Clinic's Commitments Dated Beside Hers and What She Can Do if the Clinic Falls Behind
Aim
This plan is agreed between Kelsey, a senior technician in Westerville, and me as her practice manager. Its aim is readiness for the next lead technician opening in the chain, defined by the two criteria on which the selection exercise found her weakest: rebuilding a surgery day's schedule after a call-out without leaving the board, and giving each task only to someone whose training covers it. Readiness will be judged by repeating the same work-sample exercise, with a different day's board, at the plan's final review. Both parties accept this definition, and neither will substitute a vaguer one later.
Structure
The plan follows the 70-20-10 heuristic associated with Lombardo and Eichinger (1996): most development through experience on the job, a smaller share through relationships and the least through formal coursework. The weighting matters here, because running the board is the skill the exercise found missing, and no course supplies it. DeRue and Wellman (2009) found that challenging assignments build leadership skill most when feedback is available, so every experience row is paired with a feedback row.
Commitments
Writing the clinic's commitments first changed the plan. My first draft had Kelsey running the board every Saturday. When I wrote the clinic's half of that row, I found the Saturday schedule could not spare a second senior technician every week, and without that cover Kelsey would be pulled back into surgery whenever a case got difficult, repeating the very pattern the plan is meant to change. Two Saturdays a month is what the schedule can actually support, so that is what the plan says.
Table 1
Paired Commitments, Dates and Checks
| Block | Kelsey commits to | The clinic commits to | Date | Check | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experience | Run the treatment board on two Saturdays a month, staying off the surgery floor | Schedule a second senior technician on those Saturdays so a clinical gap does not pull her in | From April | Lead technician's board log | |
| Experience | Rebuild the schedule after any call-out on her board days, recording each decision | Give her edit access to the scheduling software and the training records | By March 31 | Software access confirmed | |
| Experience | Assign kennel and technician staff each board day by training record | Bring every staff training record up to date | By April 15 | Records audited by practice manager | |
| Relationships | Meet monthly with the lead technician at the Dublin clinic to review two of her board days | Release one paid hour a month and cover her absence | From April | Meeting notes | |
| Relationships | Ask Andrea for a short debrief after each board day | Ask Andrea to give that debrief as part of her role | From April | Andrea's notes | |
| Coursework | Complete one practice-management module on scheduling and delegation | Pay the module fee and give four paid study hours | By September | Certificate | |
Composite employee and clinic. All rows were agreed at the planning meeting on March 14.
If the Clinic Falls Behind
Development plans often fail on the organization's side. Kraimer et al. (2011) found that organizational support for development improves performance and retention when employees also see real career opportunities, and that support without such opportunities can increase turnover. If any clinic commitment is more than two weeks late, Kelsey may raise it directly with me, and I will respond in writing within one week with a new date. If a second commitment slips, she may take the plan to the regional operations director, who has agreed to review it. If a lead opening arises before the final review, the plan does not guarantee her the role, but it does guarantee her an application and the exercise, and the record of her board days will be available to the panel.
Reviews
Reviews are spaced by what can be observed between them. The first, at the end of June, looks at the board log for six Saturdays and asks whether she stayed at the board throughout. The second, in September, looks at her scheduling decisions and the Dublin lead's notes. The final review, in December, repeats the work-sample exercise with the same anchors used in the selection. A review that finds the clinic behind on its commitments records that finding first.
Signatures
The plan is signed by Kelsey and by the practice manager, with a copy kept by each. Either may ask to revise it at a review, and any revision is signed again.
Employee: Kelsey, senior technician, March 14.
Practice manager, Westerville clinic, March 14.
References
DeRue, D. S., & Wellman, N. (2009). Developing leaders via experience: The role of developmental challenge, learning orientation, and feedback availability. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(4), 859-875. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015317
Kraimer, M. L., Seibert, S. E., Wayne, S. J., Liden, R. C., & Bravo, J. (2011). Antecedents and outcomes of organizational support for development: The critical role of career opportunities. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(3), 485-500. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021452
Lombardo, M. M., & Eichinger, R. W. (1996). The career architect development planner. Lominger.
Reading the MLDR 6010 Week 6 instructions
Week 6 asks you to write a development plan for an employee after a difficult decision. Define the aim in terms both parties accept and can observe, ideally borrowed from the criteria already used. Organize development mainly around on-the-job experience, with relationships and coursework in smaller shares. Pair every employee commitment with an organizational commitment, a date and a check. Draft the organization's side first, since that reveals promises the manager cannot keep. Explain what the employee can do if the organization misses a commitment. Space review dates by what can be observed between them, and close with signatures from both parties. Make sure each row includes a way to check it that does not depend on anyone's memory.
Inside the MLDR 6010 Week 6 example
The plan opens with an aim taken from the two selection criteria and a final repeat of the work sample. A section explains the 70-20-10 structure, citing Lombardo and Eichinger and DeRue and Wellman. A table pairs six commitments across experience, relationships and coursework, from Saturday board days to monthly meetings with a lead at another clinic. A paragraph explains how drafting the clinic's half first reduced Saturdays from four to two. A recourse section, citing Kraimer and colleagues, sets steps for late clinic commitments. Review dates in June, September and December and a signature block close the plan. Each row has a check, such as a board log or meeting notes, so progress can be confirmed by someone other than the employee.
Where the marks sit in the MLDR 6010 Week 6 rubric
Development plans are marked on whether the employee could hold the organization to its side. An aim both parties accept, defined in observable terms, earns credit. Paired commitments with dates and checks are weighted heavily, especially when the organization's commitments are concrete. Evidence that the manager tested the organization's promises against real constraints shows good faith. A recourse section demonstrates that the plan is enforceable. Experience-based development aimed at the gap the decision identified shows the plan fits its purpose. Plans that list only employee tasks, rely mainly on courses or set vague aims such as "grow as a leader" generally score lower. Review dates spaced by what can actually be observed between them show that the plan was built to be used, and a signature block for both parties completes it.
MLDR 6010 Week 6 help: mistakes that cost marks
Take the criteria that decided the original choice and turn them into the plan's aim, so the employee knows exactly what readiness looks like. Then, for each development activity, write first what the organization will provide, such as cover, access or paid time, and check that it can actually provide it. Only then write the employee's commitment. Add a date and a way to check each row. Most plans list what the employee must do and nothing the manager owes, which makes them feel like probation. Another weakness is a plan built on training courses when the gap is something only practice can close. If you are unsure what recourse to offer, our writers can suggest options that fit your organization's structure.
Get a MLDR 6010 Week 6 example written to your instructions
Bring the Week 6 prompt and rubric along with the earlier appraisal or feedback the plan should follow from, and a two-sided development plan returns in 24 to 48 hours, with no fee on an opening request. Plans for roles outside animal care use the same paired table; a sentence about the job is enough to rebuild it.
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MLDR 6010 Week 6 questions, answered
Where can I find a free MLDR 6010 Week 6 sample paper?
The two-sided development plan is shown below in full and is free to use as a model.
What is the aim of the MLDR 6010 Week 6 plan?
Readiness for the next lead opening, judged by repeating the selection work sample.
How is the plan structured?
By the 70-20-10 heuristic, with most rows built on experience running the treatment board.
Why were Saturday board days cut from four to two?
Drafting the clinic's side first showed the schedule could not cover a second senior technician every week.
What happens if the clinic falls behind?
She can raise it with the manager, then take the plan to the regional operations director.