Developing the Leader in You - Transforming Your STEM Career Through Leadership and Innovation - page 104

variety of methods including activities within your place of employment or pro-
fessional society, or community-based activities and personal actions. As you
create your developmental activities, evaluate each using the SMART model
where each activity needs to meet the following criteria:

Specific : know exactly what you are trying to achieve. l

Measurable : know how to determine when you've achieved it. l

Action oriented : define the activities you must perform to attain it.

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Realistic : make sure it is achievable in your current environment; use
resources, technology, and relationships to exercise the utmost resourcefulness
in assessing realism.

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Time bound : make sure you have a deadline and milestones if it will take more
than a year to achieve.

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Development activities should be created with the SMART model in mind. Evaluate each
opportunity to ensure that it is:
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Action Oriented
R - Realistic
T - Time bound
Source: Haughey, D. SMART Goals, www.projectsmart.co.uk/smart-goals.html
(accessed July 6, 2012)

To begin the development of your plan, consider Figures 5.6a to 5.6c [5] .
This series of templates can be used as a concise reference to contain your
vision, goals, actions, and plan to track outcomes. The templates should be used
as follows:

Figure 5.6 a Vision, Mission, and Goals: Insert your vision statement,
mission statement, and goals that you have identified in the previous
sections.

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Figure 5.6 b Strength Enhancement: In this table, you will list the areas that
you want to develop within your strengths. If you are doing this as an activ-
ity aside from your job, consider asking a mentor or trusted friend to serve in
the manager's role. Alternatively, it would be a demonstration of leadership
on your part to present such a plan to your manager, even if the organization
doesn't currently have an employee development program. Be cautioned in
these situations, as your manager may or may not be receptive to your for-
ward thinking with respect to your career.

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Figure 5.6 c Developmental Needs: In this table, you will list the top two areas
that you want to focus on developing in the next six months. Your individual
development plan should be updated at least every six months and the status
of development be documented within each area.

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