
We know from years of experience that setting goals and especially BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) is stimulating. When converted into a rich sensory vision, these become incredibly motivating and stimulating, but to make progress we must stop talking and start taking action.
You are now ready to bring all of these pieces together to create your plan. When done, you will have a comprehensive and measurable action plan to monitor your progress and fulfill your dreams.
If you have not taken our GAPPS4 assessment you will need to undertake a skills audit now to ensure that you know what you are good at currently and the areas that you need to develop. If you have taken our full GAPPS4 assessment, use the findings from this to identify your skill strengths and gaps. If you have a report and you want to use a different benchmark (because your career mission has changed) ask your coach for advice.
Remember to add the technical skills and knowledge you will need for your chosen career mission.
Review your SWOT and PEST weaknesses and threats. Do these point to skills that you need to develop to achieve your major career goals? Rate your current ability in each of these skills using a simple scale:
- High Strength: Skills that I do very well and easily
- Strength: I can do this and I can improve easily
- Develop: I need to improve this area
Then against each area, rate each skill area with how important it is for you to achieve your major career goal(s). Use the following scale:
- Not very critical or important
- Important
- Very Important, critical
Then against each skill/ability/knowledge area, identify how easy it is for you to develop in this. Consider such matters as, cost of developing, time to develop, experience needed, access to development (tutors, coach, mentor, boss). Use the following scale:
- Not easy (e.g. high cost, long time)
- Reasonably easy
- Very easy (e.g. I know much of this already or someone to help me)
When you have rated each one, multiply the scores with each other for each ability. The highest score using the scale is 9, the lowest 1.
A 9 is a critical development need that is easy for you to develop and should be a priority – work on these immediately, then deciding between ease of development and how critical that development is for your secondary priorities.