HS 215 Week 5 Goals, Focus, and Success Plan

Complete the Goals, Focus, and Success Plan worksheet.

Submit your completed worksheet to the Assignment Files tab.

Goals, Focus, and Success Plan

Instructions

Read this entire document. Then, complete the chart with as much detail as possible. Your finished product will include this worksheet and a 700-to 1,050-word synopsis of your findings. Address each topic included in this worksheet in your final document.

Why is professional development and continuous improvement necessary?

For many of you, this may be your first experience with the helping professions field. In this field, your behaviors could potentially be emulated by your clients. You may be an example to a young child, young woman, or older adult, each looking to make improvements in their life. In this course, you have learned about what it takes to work in this field, as well as what types of people can thrive and change society for the better. Continuous improvement and professional development is something that will be part of a long and successful career in the helping professions. Experience and achievement of goals is paramount for success and will improve your ability to guide others. It is a crucial part of a systematic approach that translates goals into concrete action steps.

What should I include in my plan?

Include a goal or goals that will enhance a skill area where you currently have strengths, or develop skill areas or acquire new skills in an area of your field responsibility. It is important that you set goals that are SMART:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Reasonable
• Time-based

This typically means identifying one to three areas based on your priorities and the priorities of your professional environment. The plan should be action-oriented, outlining the steps needed to realize your goal or goals.

How will the plan benefit me? 

The plan is designed to help you reflect on your strengths and areas of improvement as a person who wants to work in the helping professions. It is equally important to chart a course to reach your personal, professional, and developmental goals.

How do I proceed?

First, set a goal. Your goal should be concrete enough to guide behavior change and growth. For example, rather than making a vague statement such as, “Get a job at the child crisis center,” you could say, “I want to have the skills and utilize what I have learned in my coursework and volunteer experiences to obtain the position, and immediately start contributing to the benefit of the child crisis center.” Next, identify as many activities or strategies as are needed to reach your goal. You may want to brainstorm all possibilities and then sort through and specify which will work best for you. Finally, identify the resources to which you may have access to accomplish your goals. These can range from formal courses, school assignments, or self-directed tasks, such as babysitting or working with a shelter or pet rescue center, depending on availability and effectiveness.

Examples include the following:

• Formal learning opportunities: workshops and classes
• Self-directed learning: training videos, books, and audio tapes
• On-the-job experiences: observing other workers, being mentored, or mentoring
• Small group learning: discussion groups and focus groups

Goals, Focus, and Success Plan

Goals, Focus, and Success Plan – Review Form

Identify or describe the goal: _______________________________________________________________________________________