Personal Development: Goals and Objectives - Coursework Example

Introduction It can be said humans’ whole endeavour is aimed at creating and realising goals. Goals are part of our daily lives. They shape how we manage our relationships, how we use our free time, how we want our careers to grow, etc. Everything we engage in narrows down to objectives and priorities, and what we would like to achieve in all aspects of our lives. Goals also decide whether we make conscious decisions or opt for subconscious choices (Hayden and Deng, 2013:17). When we lack goals and objectives, our lives become a sequence of haphazard occurrences that we cannot control. We become toys of coincidence and regrets. Landmark achievements like sending man to the moon and developing operating systems are the products of goals that were created at one point; visions that were planned and realised. Part 1: PDP I am a navigation and maritime student and my mission statement is to help improve training in the Qatari Navy. My goals are the following: Short-Term To graduate from the university of Plymouth with a bachelor’s degree in Navigation and Maritime Science in 3 years time. To get a Deck officer's training experience and graduate as an officer from Britannia Royal Naval Collage in 4 years time. Long-Term To go back to work again in the navy but as an officer. To pass the officer of the watch tests and be able to take control on the bridge while sailing in 5 years time. To participate in the Qatari Royal Naval College, which will be opened in 7 years’ time I want to apply the experiences I have learned during my training period in the naval collage when being authorised to train cadet officers which will be in 8 years time. I want to be executive officer on board in 9 years time to get prepared and experienced to be the captain on board. I want to become a captain on board in 14 years time. After retirement I want to be a Maritime science lecturer to teach my knowledge from the experience I have been through to the next generations which will be after 34 years. Part 2: Analyzing PDP Techniques a) SMART Specific The goals are short, precise, and to the point. There are no loopholes or ambiguity left for the readers to deal with (Kotlar and Massis, 2013:1270). The goals are simple and clearly show what will be done. For example, the goal “to graduate from the University of Plymouth with a bachelor’s degree in Navigation and Maritime Science in 3 years time” is as specific as it could be. The reader can see what the objectives and intentions are without wasting time. The goal objectives address the 5 WS: who, what, when, where, and why. The Who is the person who sets the goal. The What is graduate from the University of Plymouth with a bachelor’s degree in Navigation and Marine Science. The When is 3 years. From the information provided the Where is probably the location of the University of Plymouth. The Why is known to the person who set the goal. More often than not, the where and the why remain ambiguous because integrating all Ws in a single goal makes them lose meaning. Measurable The goals are measurable so that there is concrete evidence that goal has been achieved. The whole goal statement should be a measure for the project, but there often short-term and long-term metrics built into the goals (Kotlar and Massis, 2013:1276). For example, in the goal “to get a Deck officer's training experience and graduate as an officer from Britannia Royal Naval Collage in 4 years time” the metrics are getting a Deck Officer’s training experience and graduating as an officer. Therefore, in 4 years, it would be considered a failure f graduation and Deck Officer’s training are not accomplished. These two are the metrics of the goal statement. Ideally, goal objectives should have descriptive or numeric metrics that define quality, cost, quantity, etc. How will the individual know when the goal has been realised? Focus should be on elements like cycle time, observable actions, efficiency, quality, flexibility to gauge result, and quantity. Achievable The goals are within the individual’s influence and control; a goal should be “stretchable” if need be but still remain logical. Can the goals be achieved with the available resources? Can the goals be achieved within the timeframe originally set? Factors like authority, working conditions, influence, and resources should be considered. For example the goal “I want to become a captain on board in 14 years time” is achievable. The goal-setter should possess the necessary skills, knowledge and abilities to realise the goals, which is true in this case (Day and Tosey, 2011:515). All goals can be achieved when steps are planned wisely and appropriate frameworks are created that support the implementation of those steps. As you follow through with the steps, you can accomplish goals that might have looked impossible at the beginning. On the other hand, goals that are not achievable might be demoralising and discourage any effort to realise it. Relevant/Results-focused Goals should be focused on results and relevant to not just current but future conditions. For example, it does not make sense to set an objective to buy a car worth $500,000 when one is earning $10,000 annually and the prospects of getting a better job are low (Bipp and Kleingeld, 2011:322). This goal is irrelevant to current and future circumstances. Goals should be important to the individual’s mission. Why is the goal important? How will the goal contribute to the realisation of objectives? For example, the goal “I want to be executive officer on board in 9 years time to get prepared and experienced to be the captain on board is both relevant and results-focused. Time-bound Goals must be linked to a timeframe that develops a pragmatic sense of urgency between current conditions and the objectives of the goals. Without such urgency it is unlikely that the goals will be achieved. Goal objectives should set a definite date for completion or accomplishment, as well as frequencies for precise activities that are vital to achieving the goal (Bipp and Kleingeld, 2011:317). How regularly should the individual work on the goals? By what date should the goal be achieved? Specific dates, timeframes, calendar milestones should be set. For example, the goal “To participate in the Qatari Royal Naval College, which will be opened in 7 years’ time” is bound by 7 years. b) SWOT Strengths: What advantages do I have? What do I do better than anyone else? What rare or lowest-cost resources can I harness that others cannot? What do people in my domain see as my strengths? What conditions mean that I "get the sale"? What is my Unique Selling Proposition (USP)? Strengths should be considered from an internal and external perspective. If there are any problems in identifying strengths one should try writing down a list of their attributes. Strengths should be considered in terms of competition. For instance, if all my rivals have university degrees then that is not one of my strengths; it is a necessity. Weaknesses: What could I improve? What should I avoid? What are people in my environment likely to see as weaknesses? What factors damage my credibility or reputation? Opportunities: What good opportunities can I identify? What interesting trends do I know? Useful opportunities can emerge from things like: Changes in markets and technology on a broad and narrow scale. Changes in government policy related to my field. Changes in population profiles, lifestyle, social patterns, etc. Local events. Threats What obstacles do I face? What are my rivals doing? Are specifications or quality standards for work, products or services changing? Is technological change threatening my position? Do I have bad debt or cash-flow challenges? Could any of my weaknesses seriously hinder my growth? These questions form the core of SWOT analysis on an individual level. They can be modified to suit organizational needs depending on conditions. Part 3: PDP Technique Chosen and why I have chosen SMART. This approach to goal setting offers structure and the benefit of being able to track one’s goals from the moment they are set to the moment they are achieved, and then to the moment they are revised to suit new conditions. Rather than vague decisions, SMART goal setting develops verifiable paths to certain objectives, with explicit stages and a measurement of the goals’ reality (Sinnema and Robbinson, 2012:140). Conclusion All goals, from beginner phase to life-defining objectives, can be made S.M.A.R.T and more realistic. In the corporate world, SMART goal setting is one of the most powerful yet least used instruments for realising goals. Once the outlines of a project have been charted, specific intermediary objectives should be set. Armed with the SMART checklist, organisations can assess their objectives. The SMART approach also enables transparency at all management levels; it explains how the goals came about and the criteria their achievement will adhere to (Kotlar and Massis, 2013:1275). Besides SHARP, which is also an effective tool for goal setting, SMART is easily the best option for individuals and organisations that want to move forward in a structured and purposeful manner. Of course, accomplishments can be made whether or not goals are set, but who wants to operate relying on luck and coincidence? Nobody Appendix A.1: Figures Illustrations of SMART Illustrations of SWOT References Bipp, T. & Kleingeld, A. 2011, Goal-setting in practice: The effects of personality and perceptions of the goal-setting process on job satisfaction and goal commitment. Personnel Review, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 306-323. Day, T. & Tosey, P. 2011, Beyond SMART? A new framework for goal setting. Curriculum Journal, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 515-534. Hayden, D. & Deng, F. 2013, The Science of Goal Setting: A Practitioner's Guide to Goal Setting in the Social Marketing of Conservation’ Social Marketing Quarterly, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 13-25. Kotlar, J. & Massis, A.D. 2013, ‘Goal Setting in Family Firms: Goal Diversity, Social Interactions, and Collective Commitment to Family-Centered Goals’ Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, vol. 35, no. 6, pp. 1263-1288. Sinnema, C.E. & Robinson, V.M. 2012, ‘Goal Setting in Principal Evaluation: Goal Quality and Predictors of Achievement’ Leadership and Policy in Schools, vol. 40, no. 11, pp. 135-167. Read More