the only thing you need on your development plan
Summary: STOP waiting for your company to develop you — and START designing short, meaningful experiments that accelerate your growth — on your terms.
The Problem
Tell me if this sounds familiar: You’re capable, motivated, and ready for more.
But inside many companies, development depends on permission, politics, and timing — none of which you control. It’s frustrating, I know. But here’s the truth: You can sit around waiting for the stars to align, or you can drive your own development.
And you’re no “pick-me,” waiting for a fairy god-boss to notice your potential. You’re the main character who’s about to write their own story. So, let’s get to it. 👇
The Solution
👋 Meet your new favorite development strategy: the Intentional Growth Experiment — or IGE for short.
I know, I know — another corporate acronym.
But typing “Intentional Growth Experiment” ever time feels like its own growth experiment. 🙃
So, what is it?
A short, targeted, self-designed experience that helps you grow by doing.
Think of it as a micro project with a macro return.
It’s time bound, purpose-driven, and built entirely around your goals and constraints.
It can be as small as a conversation or bigger, like a short-term project. The key is that it’s contained, intentional, and has a clear start and end.
Your IGE might look like:
Running a project hindsight session to practice meeting management
Mentoring a summer intern to build coaching skills
Partnering with another department to understand the business from a new angle
Leading a cross-functional effort to strengthen influence and collaboration
What it’s not? More job responsibilities or disguised scope creep.
The Benefits (aka: your real ROI)
If traditional development puts you in a classroom, an IGE is your lab — where you test, adapt, and improve in real time. It’s faster, smarter, and infinitely more useful than a workbook you’ll never open again.
And the payoff? It’s fivefold. Because IGEs…
💪 build capability
You don’t get better by reading about leadership. You get better by leading — ideally yourself before others — and reflecting on what worked (and what didn’t).
Example: Running a team meeting might sound basic. But doing it with the intention to improve communication, navigate team dynamics, and create alignment, turns “just another meeting” into leveling up your leadership.
🔍 improve clarity
You don’t really know… until you do it.
IGEs reveal what energizes you, what drains you, what comes easily to you, and where you might need to put in more effort.
Think of them as your career’s built-in beta tests. Each one gives you real data — the kind that makes your next career move smarter and more aligned.
🦁 increase courage + confidence
Success comes from being able to navigate uncertainty, figure it out as you go, and recover when things go sideways. But to get better at these things, you need opportunities and a willingness to practice.
This is how genuine confidence is built. Not from knowing everything, but from knowing you can figure it out — and it will be ok.
Over time, you learn to recover faster, take smarter risks, and quiet that inner critic — because you have evidence of your own capability. That’s the kind of agility that only comes from experience.
👥 strengthen connections
You don’t build meaningful networks over coffee chats. You build them by doing something together.
When people see you in action — solving problems, collaborating, leading — they remember it. Those are the folks who’ll vouch for your potential later, because they’ve experienced your value.
🌎 create credibility
Anyone can quote a book or drop a buzzword. IGEs give you real-life experiences you can speak to — and bond over. You can say, “Here’s how it went for me. Here’s what I learned.”
Even imperfect experiences create stories — and stories build trust. You’re no longer just reading about a topic or theorizing — you’re living it.
The Plan: Design Your IGE
You might be thinking, “Okay, sounds great — but how do I actually do it?”
Let’s make it real.
Here’s how to design an Intentional Growth Experiment that’s both doable and developmental.
🎯 01 | set your intention
What’s your goal here?
Maybe you...
Have your next role in sight and want to bridge critical gaps.
Want to grow your network with people who’ve seen you in action.
Have a specific skill you want to develop (or turn into a superpower).
Are exploring potential career pivots and want clarity on what energizes you.
Simply want to learn something new — because curiosity is reason enough.
Once you have your goal, narrow it down to one specific skill or experience — and start there.
There’s no wrong choice. One of the beautiful things about this process is its repeatability.
💡 02 | brainstorm potential experiences
Now ask: What’s a small way I could practice this in real life?
You’re looking for things you can do, not just learn about.
Good experiments are:
Singular: One targeted action or commitment
Scoped: Has a clear start, stop, and deliverable. It’s something you can complete
Stretchy: Puts you outside your comfort zone — but not in panic mode or burnout
Selfish: Something you want to do — or are at least a little motivated to try
Start with the minimum viable version for now. You can always repeat or evolve it in the future if you choose.
Examples:
Volunteer to co-chair one event
Run a 30-minute lunch and learn for new hires
Draft the first version of a pitch deck
Have a hard conversation you’ve been putting off
Test a specific workflow, technology or process
Delegate one task (to completion)
Participate on a 3-month steering committee
Partner as a subject matter expert for one deliverable
Remember: This is an experiment, not a part-time job.
⚖️ 03 | gut check — then choose one
Pick one idea that serves your goals — and fits your current situation.
Ask yourself:
What’s my true capacity right now — time, energy, focus? What can I realistically commit to?
How important is this to me? If it matters most, what am I willing to pause or trade to make space for it?
Which idea feels most energizing or exciting to try first? (That’s usually your best starting point.)
What kind of support, access, or partnership would set me up for success? (See Step 4.)
If it’s a busy season, choose something light and quick. If you’ve got space and passion, push a little harder.
Most importantly, choose something that feels fun and doable. Progress beats perfection. Every time.
📣 04 | ask for access or advocacy
If your IGE requires visibility or collaboration, ask for it directly. You don’t need to overthink it — clarity wins here.
Sounds like: “I’m focused on building [skill or experience area] and thought [specific IGE] would be a good way to do it. Would you be open to me taking the lead or partnering on that?”
Most people are more open to helping than you think — they just need to know what you’re asking for and why it matters to you.
And if you hear “no”? Don’t take it personally.
Instead, get curious — and work to uncover the why behind it. Is it timing? Visibility? Competing priorities?
Then bring them into problem-solving mode with you.
Sounds like: “Got it — if this one’s not the right fit, what might be a better way to build [that skill or experience]?”
When you treat it like collaboration instead of rejection, you usually end up with a smarter opportunity — or at the very least, an ally who knows you’re serious about growing.
🙌 05 | reflect + repeat
This is where awareness expands — and new intentions start to take shape.
After each experiment, take a few minutes to jot down:
What went well — and why. Get specific about what contributed to the wins this time.
What didn’t go as expected — and what you learned from it. Note what you’d do differently next time.
What you’re proud of — that isn’t an end result. What part of the “how you did it” was most satisfying?
What you want to do next. Repeat and refine? Do it a new way? Level it up? Move onto something new?
Then celebrate! Acknowledge what you learned, thank the people who helped, and share your insights — because reflection doesn’t just build self-awareness, it builds connection.
You’re turning experience into wisdom — and wisdom becomes the fuel for your next experiment.
The Mindset Shifts
The real magic of IGEs isn’t the experiment itself — it’s how you start to think about growth.
You’re moving from:
Permission 👉 Ownership — You don’t need approval to grow
Perfection 👉 Experimentation — It’s about learning, not flawless execution
Static Plan 👉 Repeatable Practice — Your approach is continuously evolving, like you
Avoiding Mistakes 👉 Leveraging Them — All experiences are input and data
Each shift moves you from waiting for growth to creating it.
The Recap: Your Career Is Your Lab
If you want to grow faster, stop waiting for the “perfect opportunity — and start designing small, purposeful ones — right where you are.
Intentional Growth Experiments give you something most professionals never get:
A repeatable process for developing capability, confidence, and clarity — without waiting for permission.
Your company might not have a plan for your growth. But you can. And it can start today — with one small, intentional experiment.
Want Help Doing This?
While talking about intentional growth experiments is fun, helping people do them successfully is even better.
If you want help making this real — for yourself, your team, or your company — let’s chat. I offer different levels of support based on where you are and what you need most.
And hey, I’m also building a community for professionals who want to take ownership of their growth. It’s still coming together, but if you’d like to be part of shaping it — or just want first dibs when it launches — message me and I’ll add you to the list 🙂
