Professional Development Topics ➜ Goal Setting


Title & Content Type Due Date
Pre-meeting Assignment

The difference between a goal and a dream is the written word. -Gene Donohue 

Think about where you see yourself in 1-5 years. Record your responses and be ready to share and discuss these with your mentor.

  • What does success look like for you? What kind of work are you doing? What is the career you have? 
  • What about areas other than careers, such as health, family, education, spirituality, and social life?
  • What kind of resources and information would be helpful to you in formulating your long-term goals?
Pre Meeting After -2 Days
Meeting One - Conversation Starters
  • Where would you like to be in one year? In five years? 
  • What would be the perfect role for you? Imagine you are in that role. It’s 3 pm on a Thursday. What are you doing? Why would you like it so much?
  • Why are these goals important to you? How do they align with your values, interests, and passions? 
  • Has your definition of success changed over the years?
  • What framework or tools do you use for long-range visioning and planning around your personal and professional goals?

REMINDER: During this meeting, you must discuss a time to schedule Meeting 2, please refer to the Timeline below for the date for Meeting 2 and work with each other to schedule time for Meeting 2 on the date indicated in the Timeline item: Meeting Two – Conversation Starters.

Event After 0 Days
Deliverable

Review the Indeed article SMART Goals: Definitions and Examples to learn more about the SMART goals framework and its use for formulating and setting goals.

Use the SMART framework to formulate, define, and prepare a written draft of 1 professional goal and 1 personal goal (outside of profession/career). Recognize this is the first draft, and make note of any criteria that need clarification or further development in the following meeting. Make sure you address the following questions for each goal:

  • Specific: What exactly do you want to accomplish? What outcome(s) or change are you wanting to make happen?
  • Measurable: How can you track your progress? What kind of inputs and/or outputs will you use to measure progress?
  • Achievable: Can you achieve the desired outcome with your current resources (time, skills, etc.)? If not, what resources are needed?
  • Relevant: How does this goal align with your values and ambitions? Why is this goal important to you?

Time-bound: By what point in time will you accomplish this goal? Can you identify a specific date or month, for instance?

Submission Required After 11 Days
Meeting Two - Conversation Starters
  • How was your experience with the goal-setting exercise using the SMART framework? Are there criteria you would like to further develop or refine?
  • What strengths and experiences will help you achieve your goals? What are some potential sources of support?
  • What are some potential obstacles? 
  • What are the action steps you need to take this year to make progress and focus your efforts?  What about in the next 2-5 years? 
  • How will you monitor and assess your progress to stay on track or make adjustments if needed?

REMINDER: During this meeting, you must discuss a time to schedule Meeting 3, please refer to the Timeline below for the date for Meeting 3 and work with each other to schedule time for Meeting 3 on the date indicated in the Timeline item: Meeting Three – Conversation Starters.

Event After 13 Days
Final Deliverable

Document your SMART Goals and create an Action Plan using the SMART Goals Action Plan Worksheet (1 goal per worksheet) and share your plans with your mentor.

Submission Required After 18 Days
Meeting Three - Conversation Starters
  • What feedback can you the Mentor offer on the Final Deliverable?
  • What questions do you the Mentee have for the Mentor?
  • What are the next steps in continuing to develop the knowledge, skills, strategies, etc. you’ve been working on?
Event After 20 Days
Post-Engagement Survey

Mentors and Mentees please use the following link to complete the Post-Engagement Survey

Evaluation After 21 Days