| We believe that good planning
will help you find and become good mentors. This is the third
activity in our series on planning. If you missed the first
two, see Creating or Revising Your Personal
Vision (Tool #1) and Writing a Personal Vision Statement
(Tool #2).
If you've completed the first two exercises, you're now ready
to write a Personal Development Plan for yourself.
Below you'll see a sample Development Plan and a blank one
for you to use. The sample is only to trigger your thinking.
Your own plan will probably look very different. Notice how
the person plans to work on three objectives. For each objective,
there are measures, development activities, potential mentors,
and a timeline. Try these steps:
1. Print out the blank Plan.
2. Look at your completed Draft Vision Statement again, and
choose one goal that will help you take a first key
step toward reaching your vision.
3. Write the goal in the space, "My First Major Goal."
4. In the first column, write up to three steps/objectives
that will help you accomplish one key part of your Goal.
Write the objectives as skills, knowledge, or attitudes
to attain. Some people choose easy objectives that can be
reached immediately (in order to build success and momentum).
Others choose the most important objectives that will ensure
they'll master the goal.
5. For each objective, choose a measure/proof to show
you've reached it, at least one learning/development activity
(class? book? internship? research on the Web?), some potential
mentors who could help you, and finally a target completion
date (December 31, 2003?) by which you'll reach the objective.
Take at least an hour to work on your plan. Use a pencil
if that feels better than a pen or computer. Talk to someone
you respect about your proposal, and make changes as needed.
Be sure your plan is challenging and compelling
enough to excite you every day but not so difficult
that you won't do it.
Tool #3: Personal Development Plan: SAMPLE ONLY
| My First Major Goal:
I will make significant progress on my formal education
by the end of 2000. |
Knowledge to Gain/Skills
to Build/Attitudes to Develop (What must I
acquire/improve?)
|
Proof
(How will I know
I did it?) |
Development
Activities
(How will I
actually gain/
build/develop
these?) |
Potential
Mentors
(Who might
help me with
my development?)
|
Target
Completion
Date
(When will I
be there?)
|
| 1. Enroll in an
appropriate Internet-based degree program. |
-Have list of programs
-Receive acceptance letter |
-Research Web
-Contact potentials
-Submit transcript
-ID best
Apply |
-Mary (did this last year)
-Chen (knows Web) |
End of month 3 |
| 2. Complete 2 required
courses for degree |
-Receive final grades (at
least B+) |
-Do all assignments |
-Assigned instructors
-Jack (retired teacher) |
Ends of months 6 and 9 |
| 3. Complete 1 elective
course that counts toward degree |
-Receive final grade (A) |
-Do all assignments
-Teach my sister the subject |
-My spouse
-Assigned instructor |
End of 2003 |
Tool #3: Personal Development Plan
| My First Major Goal:
|
Knowledge to Gain/Skills
to Build/Attitudes to Develop (What must I
acquire/improve?)
|
Proof
(How will I know
I did it?) |
Development
Activities
(How will I
actually gain/
build/develop
these?) |
Potential
Mentors
(Who might
help me with
my development?)
|
Target
Completion
Date
(When will I
be there?)
|
| 1.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2.
|
|
|
|
|
| 3.
|
|
|
|
|
Repeat this process for your second and third major
goals.
Congratulations! You've not only prepared a draft of your
Personal Vision, you've also identified several steps you
can take to make it happen. You now have something tangible
to use as you identify potential mentors and negotiate
helping partnerships with them. |
