A construction crew does not begin to build a new house without the architects blueprint. Though issues may arise during construction that require changes to the blueprint, a blueprint serves as the necessary plan for construction and helps the crew visualize and track the impact of any changes.
Most business initiatives begin with some sort of plan, though type and quality vary. As a business professional, you may have heard of the value of strategic planning and may have even been part of a strategic planning process. Yet, many independent scholars begin a doctoral program without a clear vision or plan for achieving their goals.
Detailing your goals and developing a plan in writing provides you with a document to which you can refer in order to maintain your focus. Having a plan in place will help you visualize the impact of challenges and opportunities that arise so that you can make changes to your plans and goals as often as necessary to ensure your personal and professional satisfaction and success.
To prepare for this Assignment, consider the personal SWOT analysis you completed and the goals you developed in Week 1. Reflect upon your experiences so far in this program and any insights you have gained since you created those goals. In addition, review your PLN plan from Week 4 and the results of “The New Drivers of Leadership” Self-Assessment that you completed this week. Explore the Doctoral Degree Coach and review the content specifically for opportunities that will aid you in the transition from coursework to doctoral capstone. In your capstone courses, you will complete a Term Plan each term, outlining what your overall completion goal is and specific tasks that you will complete by the end of the term. Finally, return to the interactive media “Voices of DBA Students.” This time, focus on the independent scholars’ descriptions of their goals, their plans, and the challenges they faced in achieving their goals. You will use the Professional Development Plan template to complete this Assignment.
