personal development plan -PDP

Personal Development Plan

Steven Michael Kellerman

Ohio Dominican University

Presented March 5, 2014

Personal vision statement

With nearly 15 years of progressive planning experience in the public sector, Michael Kellerman is a well-known and respected veteran in the realm of land use policy and implementation within central Ohio. Mr. Kellerman began his career in public service with the Kanawha County Economic Development and Planning Department (EDP) in 2007, in which he held the position of Planning Project Coordinator. In this capacity, Michael served as the primary point of contact for the Planning Department and administered various planning and zoning related programs. One of his many crowning achievements in this role was the supervision of a complex project involving the strategic integration of a multifaceted case management system.

Throughout the scope of the project, Michael was instrumental in orchestrating numerous working group meetings where he was afforded the opportunity to develop and hone his interpersonal skills and forge mutually, beneficial relationships with various department heads and stakeholders. Furthermore, the project introduced Michael to the skills necessary for efficient project management, which included budgeting, conflict resolution and time management. Prior to his participation in this project, Michael had struggled with some of these components. However, the experience strengthened his organizational and communication skills which lead to the project being completed on time and successfully implemented well under budget.

Having been exposed to project management, Michael’s unquenchable thirst for knowledge and determination prompted him to learn about and develop the skills necessary to excel. Over the next two years, Michael enrolled in several courses at The Ohio State University John Glenn School of Public Affairs concentrating on Management Advancement for the Public Sector (MAPS). These classes offered excellent tools and strategies for dealing with difficult people and situations, effective communication and presentation skills, problem solving concepts, time management solutions, and productivity and satisfaction models.

Building a foundation in these areas ultimately helped Michael advance his career at EDP, where he was promoted to the position of Planner in 2012. This position offered him the prospect of managing additional projects as well as the flexibility and discretion to update and implement new internal and external policies, procedures and regulations. Michael’s commitment to excellence helped to restructure EDP’s internal auditing procedures relative to zoning case files and was instrumental in the application of best management practices to ensure compliance with State environmental regulations.

Culminating Michael’s achievements in 2012, he was recognized by his peers as EDP’s Employee of the Year. This accolade demonstrated that his work was making a difference in the community. His interest and desire to improve the built places where people, live, work and play was unquestionable and it proved that Michael’s continued enthusiasm to improve the quality of life for central Ohio residents had become his passion.

To help nurture this passion and to further enhance Michael’s personal and professional attributes, he capitalized on the opportunity to earn his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Ohio Dominican University. Here he concentrated on coursework in Public Administration, which provided him with the knowledge that eventually led him to being named Deputy County Administrator last fall.

Mr. Kellerman now concentrates his time serving primarily in an executive management capacity, overseeing the day to day functioning of several agencies under the supervision of the Kanawha County Board of Commissioners. In addition to Mr. Kellerman’s professional responsibilities, he also serves as co-chair of the County Commissioner’s Association of Ohio where he champions for the evolution of annexation procedures and is also an active member of the Kanawha County Local Food Council, an initiative he sponsored.

Outside of Michael’s successful professional career, he continues to be extremely active in the community and is heavily involved in a student mentorship program at the Ohio State University. In this capacity, Michael provides guidance to young adults and helps them to develop the skills necessary to be successful as leaders in public administration. The time he spends with the students is an excellent opportunity for him to share his experiences and tribulations and to assist them in their professional development and future endeavors.

Assessment Instrument Summary and Interpretation

Competency Card Sort Results

Self-Assessment
1 (Strong)	2 (Some capability)	3 (Weak)	4 (Undeveloped)
1. Trustworthy & straightforward 6. Presentation skills 9. Learns through experience 10. Manages conflict 11. Time management 22. Creating value for customers 28. Negotiation skills 30. Organizationally intuitive 31. Understands the business 5. Written communication skills 33. Critical thinking and problem solving skills	2. Builds & repairs relationships 3. Emotionally literate 4. Listening skills 7. Oriented toward action 12. Organized 13. Technologically capable 16. Gives and receives feedback 18. Leading through shared vision and values 19. Inspiring & influencing others 20. Strategic thinker 24. Deals with ambiguity 25. Change management skills 26. Team skills 27. Facilitation skills 29. Effectively works across functions 34. Decisive	8. Capacity to take risks 15. Mentoring and coaching skills 17. Confronts problem employees 21. Global perspective 23. Exhibits creativity and innovation 32. Planning 35. Management & control 14. Delegation skills

Assessment Instrument Summary and Interpretation

Competency Card Sort Results

Job Assessment (Kanawha County Planning Dept.)
1 (Important)	2 (Important at times)	3 (Seldom Important)	4 (Not important)
1. Trustworthy & straightforward 4. Listening skills 5. Written communication skills 6. Presentation skills 9. Learns through experience 11. Time management 33. Critical thinking and problem solving skills 34. Decisive 26. Team skills 28. Negotiation skills 31. Understands the business 22. Creating value for customers 28. Negotiation skills 16. Gives and receives feedback 20. Strategic thinker 21. Global perspective 24. Deals with ambiguity 25. Change management skills 27. Facilitation skills 29. Effectively works across functions 30. Organizationally intuitive 32. Planning 35. Management & Control	2. Builds & repairs relationships 3. Emotionally literate 7. Oriented toward action 10. Manages conflict 12. Organized 13. Technologically capable 14. Delegation skills 15. Mentoring and coaching skills 16. Gives and receives feedback 18. Leading through shared vision and values 19. Inspiring & influencing others 8. Capacity to take risks 17. Confronts problem employees 23. Exhibits creativity and innovation 22. Creating value for customers

Assessment Instrument Summary and Interpretation

Competency Card Sort

Vision Assessment
1 (Important)	2 (Important at times)	3 (Seldom Important)	4 (Not important)
1. Trustworthy & straightforward 2. Builds & repairs relationships 3. Emotionally literate 4. Listening skills 5. Written communication skills 6. Presentation skills 10. Manages conflict 11. Time management 12. Organized 14. Delegation skills 15. Mentoring and coaching skills 16. Gives and receives feedback 17. Confronts problem employees 19. Inspiring & influencing others 20. Strategic thinker 21. Global perspective 22. Creating value for customers 24. Deals with ambiguity 25. Change management skills 26. Team skills 28. Negotiation skills 29. Effectively works across functions 30. Organizationally intuitive 31. Understands the business 32. Planning 33. Critical thinking and problem solving skills 34. Decisive 35. Management & control	8. Capacity to take risks 18. Leading through shared vision and values 9. Learns through experience 7. Oriented toward action

Assessment Instrument Summary and Interpretation

Competency Card Sort

Strengths	Weaknesses that need improvement
1. Trustworthy & straightforward 11. Time management 22. Creating value for customers 28. Negotiation skills 30. Organizationally intuitive	14. Delegation skills 23. Exhibits creativity and innovation 32. Planning 35. Management & control 15. Mentoring and coaching skills

The competency card sort assessment is a tool aimed at gauging a person’s skill set relative to their current skills, their current job and the job that they aspire to have based on their vision statement. 35 competencies make up the assessment and are ranked based on the relative strength of the individual’s current skills and on their relative importance to the individual’s current job (job assessment) and future job (vision assessment). Comparing the competencies listed for each phase of the assessment is useful in identifying gaps that exist in an individual’s skill set and allowing the individual to recognize which competencies may present a challenge and must be strengthened in order to achieve their vision.

The competency sort results provide a clear indication of how I view my current skill set and help to identify and measure what skills are necessary in my current job and the job described in my vision statement. The assessment can act as a road map in helping me achieve my future goals and reaching my full potential. Reaching this potential as Kaplan (2008) suggests requires knowing yourself and taking ownership of your career by completing an accurate self-assessment of your current skills and performance.

The competency sort revealed that I am currently in a job position that can provide me with the challenges and opportunities necessary to strengthen many of my undeveloped skills. As Browning and Van Velsor (2000) describe, I possess a “developmental balance” (p.8). This meaning I have a strong foundation in many of the skills that are important to my current job functions which allows me to perform consistently; however, additional skills are important to meet new burdens, but the challenge offers prospects for growth and development (Browning and Van Velsor, 2001).

Possessing the balance referred to by Browning and Van Velsor (2000) is a key component of being successful in reaching my future career goals and realizing my vision. However, it is also important to recognize areas in need of improvement and to take advantage of opportunities that allow you to evolve. According to the results of the competency sort, I lack confidence in my ability to delegate tasks. Other areas that are identified as underdeveloped include creative insight, effective planning, mentoring, and the capacity to take risks. Strengthening these skills will require that I build stronger habits to ensure that I remain in control and take advantage of activities that will benefit me (Buckingham, 2007).

Assessment Instrument Summary and Interpretation

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

ISTJ

Introverting, Sensing, Thinking, Judging

Strengths of an ISTJ

Growth Opportunities for an ISTJ

· Works steadily and efficiently to accomplish goals · Achieves results with strong attention to detail · Hard working, thorough, orderly · Realist, objective and measurable · Works best with time lines, deadlines and structure · Works within established rules and procedures · Avoids crisis by planning in advance · Acknowledges power and authority through title and tenure · Reliable, stable leader, who organizes tasks, staff and operating procedures

· Practice open-minded approach to innovation, change and new ways of doing things · Consider impact of emotions and values when making decisions · Avoid losing oneself in detail so that the larger picture or subtle interactions are not ignored · Be more flexible with the “rules” · Practice saying (no) occasionally to added responsibilities in to prevent burn out

Similar to Kaplan (2008), the Golden Personality Type Profiler (2009) acknowledges that self-awareness is the basis for “personal development and growth” (p.2). Being equipped with information about personality characteristics will help to facilitate a better understanding of an individual’s assets and opportunities for growth, depict a more defined image of the impact behavior has on others, and aids in developing more appreciation for the individuality of people and learn to interact with them more effectively (Golden, 2009). The model is formulated to provide an understanding of an individual’s work personality and is based on five core personality dimensions: energy focus, information gathering, decision making, life approach and responding to stress (Golden 2009). The following chart details the possible results of each dimension:

Where you focus your energy:

Extraverting: energy directed externally toward people and things.

Introverting: energy directed inward toward thoughts and ideas.

How you gather information:

Sensing: process information in an exact, detailed, and literal manner.

Intuiting: process information in a symbolic and global fashion.

How you make decisions:

Thinking: make decisions based on logic and rationality

Feeling: Make value-based decisions based on empathy and compassion.

How you approach life:

Judging: planned, organized, and orderly approach.

Perceiving: open-ended, flexible, and emergent approach.

How you respond to stress:

Tense: unsure, uncertain, and cautious.

Calm: optimistic, relaxed, and self-confident.

(Golden, 2009, p. 2)

According to my ISTJ personality type (Golden 2009), I am very dependable and have little trouble with completing tasks accurately and on time. I am methodical with my approach to solving problems and am less likely to be impulsive or irrational in my decision making. Internalizing information and thinking things through to produce a rational solution is the approach that I take when dealing with a difficult situation or task. This helps me tackle obstacles in an objective manner and forces me to first assess all of the pieces to a puzzle before reacting and making a decision.

The personality profiler (Golden, 2009) also exposed my tendency to prefer situations in which I can reflect about problems and think through solutions. Introverts tend to direct energy inward in regard to thoughts and ideas (Golden 2009). This can offer a unique challenge when working in a group environment. As an ISTJ personality type, I take my roles and responsibilities within the group seriously and take pride in working diligently until the job or task is completed (Golden, 2009). This makes me someone that the other group members can rely on and lean on to pick up the slack if a project begins to get behind schedule. I associate this trait with my strong ability to complete critical tasks and efficiently manage my time as identified in the competency card sort assessment.

The second dimension of the Golden Personality Profiler (2009), which relates to gathering information, suggests that I prefer “Sensing” (p.4) over “iNtuiting” (p.4). Focusing on the facts of a particular problem and looking at issues and topics from a practical viewpoint are dominant to an ISTJ personality type (Golden 2009). This rings true for me since I tend to absorb information that is more factual in nature than based in theory. Furthermore, I tend to approach problems in a pragmatic way, thereby using a “black and white” approach at producing solutions with little room for error or deviation. To counter this tendency and to achieve a better balance, I must learn to focus on “big picture” (Golden, 2009, p.4) items rather than overanalyzing minute details and looking at everything through a microscope. Incorporating this strategy as well as developing skills related to creativity and innovation when approaching tasks, as expressed by my competency sort results, will help me to grow on my way to realizing my vision.

The third dimension of the Golden Profiler (2009) determined that I exhibit traits towards “Thinking” personality types and draw conclusions based on “logic and rationality” (p.5). I tend to be less personally involved when it comes to making decisions and prefer to use a more objective approach that those who have a “Feeling” (p. 5) personality type (Golden, 2009). This is true in my current job duties where I am forced to interpret and apply various regulations which must be done so objectively and in a logical manner.

The fourth dimension of the assessment, which is related to how one approaches life, revealed that I relate to individuals that prefer “an orderly, organized and planned lifestyle” (Golden, 2009, p.5). According to the Golden Profiler (2009), individuals who are “Judging” (p.5), dislike impulsiveness and lack of structure, and are more inclined to think methodically and rationally when making decisions. This assessment is very indicative of how I live life and translates directly to my need to rationalize most decisions – personally and professionally. Having this ability works well in situations that require time and thought to process, but can debilitating when quick and decisive action is necessary at a moment’s notice.

The final dimension of the assessment involves how one responds to stress. Typically I respond to stress in a calm manner, being optimistic, self-confident and relaxed when others might worry (Golden, 2009). This reflection points true for the most part, however, I must admit that I do tend to dwell on things that are outside of my control, which is uncharacteristic of someone who exhibits the “Calm” (Golden, 2009, p.6) personality trait.

Having completed a more general comparison of the results from both the Myers-Briggs Personality Profiler (2009) and Competency Card Sort assessments, a few distinguishing parallels were discovered. Both assessments recognized my aptitude in time management and having foresight when planning projects. Secondly, working within strict time guidelines and having well defined project parameters allows me to perform at my best. This is complemented by my strong organizational awareness to keep to deadlines and proficiently manage all facets of a project.

Both assessments also identified several areas where I can improve, and with coaching, from an experienced mentor, practice and building strong habits (Buckingham, 2007) can be developed into strengths. First off, I noticed that my personality type is resistant towards major change which leads me to struggle in thinking of new and creative approaches at solving problems. I now realize that it can benefit me to begin applying a more “open-minded” approach at accomplishing tasks. Additionally, being attentive to the finer details is not necessarily a weakness, but I can make improvements in making sure that I do not become fixated on minor details and lose sight of the bigger picture.

Having the information provided by both assessments is an excellent tool to influence change and to not only improve areas in my skill set that may be lacking, but to continue strengthening areas where I currently excel. This will keep me on the path to achieving my goals, personally and professionally, and ensure that I reach my full potential. At the end of the day, this responsibility falls to me alone; taking what I have learned about myself and using it to grow and develop.

Assessment Instrument Summary and Interpretation

Clifton Strengths Finder 2.0

Strength Finders 2.0 is an assessment that helps people to recognize and capitalize on their hidden strengths and talents (Rath, 2007). The assessment is a culmination of timed questions which are aimed at producing results that are more reflective of a person’s instinctive response. The objective of the assessment is to actually measure talent, but as Rath explains, the assessment is named “StrengthsFinder” because “the ultimate goal is to build a true strength” and talent is only one component of this. The assessment generates five top themes from a total of 34 and produces 10 “ideas for action” for each theme, followed by a series of monologues that provide a living account of how the theme can be applied in the real world.

The strengths themes identified are analyzed on the basis of awareness, application and achievement. According to my results, my top five themes are Consistency, Analytical, Context, Deliberative and Harmony. My first theme, “Consistency”, means that I am aware of the need to be objective and treat people equally (Rath, 2012). I have always been the type of person to think of others needs before mine and to keep situations and relationships on an even keel. I recognize that this attribute is an extension of my personality where I tend to think and analyze situations before jumping in head first as revealed in the results of the Golden Profiler (2009). According to Rath (2007), balance is an important aspect of this strength, and people who are consistent thrive in environments where people “know what is expected” (p.77).

My second theme, “Analytical”, refers to my nature of challenging others when I might question their methods or results. As an analytic, I am able to think about all of the factors that might affect a situation (Galup, 2012). I have a tendency to examine how each piece of a plan plays its part in the overall scheme. This is important in my current profession because I am sometimes only given small amounts of information and expected to pull this information together to form a meaningful connection. The assessment recommends that I partner with someone with strong “Activator” talents to help me develop a process for moving through the analytical phase into the action phase more quickly (Gallup, 2012).

The third theme identified, “Context”, refers to my enjoyment of referring to and thinking about past events (Gallup, 2012). This description could not be more accurate. I find myself constantly worrying about repeating the same mistakes twice. I enjoy researching historical topics as it helps to explain current trends and conditions. The assessment suggests that to help me strengthen my delegation and coaching skills, I can build lessons around case studies or previous projects that have been successful, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel (Gallup, 2012). I think this approach will help me immensely in my current professional role.

The fourth them, “Deliberative”, speaks to my more serious demeanor when making decisions or choices. I can be very exact and like to “anticipate” (Rath, 2007) any potential obstacles. This theme also describes my preference to be my own person. Rarely to I choose to assimilate over following my own visions or ideas. I have never been a very spontaneous person and I must analyze and review information before making a decision (Gallup, 2012). This is evidenced by my analytical strength and my ISTJ (Golden, 2009) personality type. The assessment suggests that I should consider work where I can provide advice and counsel others on making sound judgments (Gallup, 2012). It specifically calls out that I would be adept in a role where I would ensure compliance with regulations; which is a key responsibility I currently have. The final theme, “Harmony”, suggests that I seek consensus and do not enjoy conflict (Gallup, 2012). Rather, I seek venues of agreement. I think this theme is strongly evidenced by my lack in ability to deal with conflicts with problem employees. I simply do not like conflict and will openly admit that I would rather avoid certain situations than be involved in a conflict. This theme also proposes that people who exhibit this theme also tend to be more realistic in nature and make sure to plan for the future (Gallup, 2012). The assessment advocates that I practice my techniques for resolving conflict “without confrontation” (Gallup, 2012). Approaching this concept slowly and taking one step at a time will help me to deal with conflict in a much more assertive way.

Assessment Instrument Summary and Interpretation

Emotional Intelligence 2.0

Overall Emotional Intelligence Score: 64

Personal Competence: 63

Self-Awareness: 63

Self-Management: 63

Social Competence: 65

Social Awareness: 64

Relationship Management: 65

The Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Appraisal is a concise but extremely revealing analysis of your emotional acuteness and competence (Bradberry and Greaves, 2009). According to the scores listed above, my level of emotional intelligence is below average. Although I do exhibit emotionally intelligent behavior at times, the assessment exposed specific areas that I can focus on to become more confident and experienced in understanding how my emotions affect my interactions and relationships with others. Self-awareness is an EQ trait that the assessment recommends focusing on first to help improve my overall intelligence score (Bradberry and Greaves, 2013).

The first area of focus involves my failure or lack of fully grasping the role in which I play in creating the difficult situations I encounter (Bradberry and Greaves, 2013). This statement does affirm my fear that I often can be brash to subordinates and be quick to jump to conclusions. The EQ assessment suggests clearly defining my core beliefs and values to make sure that this type of behavior remains in check (Bradberry and Greaves, 2013). Bradberry and Greaves (2009) suggest listing values that are important to me and comparing these with statements I may have made or actions I displayed that did not make me proud. In doing so, it will expose trends and allow me to search for alternatives that would have improved the situation. Repeating this exercise will help me to establish better self-awareness and recognize situations before they occur and act more appropriately (Bradberry and Greaves, 2013).

Secondly, the assessment identifies that I do not take full responsibility for the impact that my behavior has on others (Bradberry and Greaves, 2013). I will admit at times I can become easily and visibly frustrated and annoyed when asked questions by subordinates and even my direct supervisor. I can be short in my responses and this can have a negative impact on these relationships. The EQ analysis suggests checking my urge to feel irritated by others and remember that my failure to control my actions and emotions can have a ripple effect (Bradberry and Greaves, 2013). Reflecting on how I interact with people and asking for their insight are strategies that can help me improve this deficiency in my EQ.

Lastly, the EQ analysis detects that I need to own up to my shortcomings (Bradberry and Greaves, 2013). I think this statement goes hand and hand with taking responsibility for how my emotions impact others. Evaluating oneself is always easier from the inside, but it is important to gain a clearer perspective by including feedback of those that see you from the outside. It can be difficult to hear criticism of yourself from other co-workers, friends, and family. However, it is necessary in order to achieve a higher level of self-awareness and to ensure that your emotions are in check and you are sticking to your core values.

All in all, I feel that the analysis helped to shed light on several very important items that can help me to improve my EQ. I understand having a balance between personal competence and social competence is extremely important if I plan to succeed in my future career aspirations. Managers at any level must maintain a high level of emotional intelligence. I am committed to taking what I have learned from this analysis and using it to strengthen my EQ and becoming a leader that others look up to, depend on and I am proud to say I have become.

Writing Skills Assessment

I feel very confidence in my ability to write and convey information through various forms of writing. I have developed more comfort in my ability to write using APA format in the various papers that we were required to prepare for MBA 510. However, I would like to work on being more concise and direct in my writing ability. Being able to do so will be key asset in my future career. I have the ability to develop this weakness into a strength in my current position and intend on continuing to work on this in my professional and academic endeavors.

Presentation Skills Assessment

SHAPE \* MERGEFORMAT

The presentation that I gave to the class in Week 2 of the MBA 510 course was not my best performance. I am required to present on a monthly basis in my current position and felt that I should have performed more in tune with my abilities. Based on feedback from peers in the class and our instructor, I have a great voice and nice smile that invites an audience to listen to what I have to say. On the negative side, I relied too often on the computer screen as a crutch, which conveys to the audience that I am not prepared or confident in the information I am provided.

Additionally, I used fillers when transitioning from one thought to the next, such as “uh” “ah” rather than taking a moment to pause and think. I ran over the allotted time limit and need to improve at wrapping up more eloquently if the situation presents itself again in the future. I think knowing that I included too much information made me weary and nervous that I would not finish in time and I began to rush through the material. I need to work on summarizing my thoughts more quickly and concisely and I will continue to practice on these deficiencies since my current job requires that I present on a monthly basis.

Personal SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis is typically used to identify the (S) strengths, (W) weaknesses, opportunities (O), and threats (T) of an organization (Adams and Allred, 2013). This tool is used to conduct an introspective look, as described by Adams and Allred (2013), into whether an organization is prepared to handle current or future environmental dynamics. This assessment can be of value on a personal level as well and can offer an individual the foresight and clarity to see where their strengths and weaknesses lie to better prepare them for opportunities in the their career. Preparing a SWOT analysis empowers professionals to take charge of their career path and to ensure that they continually progress (Adams and Allred, 2013).

Strengths

The following are my perceived strengths in both my personal and professional life:

Written communication skills. Possessing the ability to communicate effectively through writing is a very important aspect of my current profession. As a public regulatory agency, we must be able to effectively communicate with a variety of other agencies in a technical manner, but also be able to effectively communicate with the general public. A skilled balance is necessary to convey both authority and understanding. My strong ability to draft email messages, memos and staff reports is a favorable asset in achieving my future vision.

Time management. Prioritizing tasks and duties, in a personal or professional setting, is essential to achieving successful results. Having the ability to effectively and proficiently manage time and set goals accordingly allows me to complete numerous tasks simultaneously. An example of this would be my ability to manage various annexation applications and to ensure that materials are prepared and submitted in accordance with State statue and adhere strictly to the time guidelines imposed.

Organized. Although I may not have the most conventional organization system, I take pride in having an orderly arrangement of files, databases and directories in an office setting. I too demonstrate an aptitude for organization in a personal setting, where many of my belongings, tools specifically, are stored, labeled and cataloged for easy access. Being organized is an essential component to having effective time management skills.

Negotiation skills. The ability to negotiate is a valued asset in my current profession. I am often exposed to situations where compromises must be made. Take for example my involvement with the development of the Hollywood Casino and our interpretation of our zoning regulations. Regulations can often be interpreted in various ways and apply differently in a variety of situations. In this particular instance, we were engaged in months of negotiating, transportation impacts, water and sewer accessibility, setback and signage guidelines, etc. that could have had a substantial impact on the development itself. Being able to negotiate our point successfully ensured that the development would be an asset to the County and its residents.

Weaknesses

The following are my perceived weaknesses in both my personal and professional life:

Mentoring and coaching skills. Having been employed in my current position for seven years, I am looked at as one of the more experienced members of my division. I am typically the direct report for most new hires and in some cases interns depending on the project or scope of duties they are assigned. My ability to mentor and or coach is something that I lack confidence in but sincerely would like to improve as I mention in my vision statement. I feel that I have an abundance of knowledge and experience to share with newer members of the department. I was very lucky to have a beneficial relationship with a mentor when I began working in the department and would like the opportunity to be the same for someone else.

Delegation skills I think most people would argue without question that this skill is imperative to being in a successful management role and even in life outside of work. I unfortunately tend to try to take on everything on my own, thinking that I can do it faster or better than if it were delegated to someone else. Take for instance minor clerical duties that need to be completed at work on a routine basis such as filing, labeling or scanning in documents. I lack faith in our administrative assistant to get the job done properly, so I often waste time doing these mundane tasks when I should be devoting my time to other more critical tasks. Outside of work, I often have difficulty with asking for help in doing things around the house, like mowing the lawn or cleaning. I try to bite off more than I can chew which leads to me putting more stress on myself than there needs to be. I would like to develop strategies that can help me to ask for help when I need it and to delegate non-critical tasks more effectively.

Confronting problem employees. This weakness is something that I have struggled with for longer than I care to admit. As an Introvert, I tend to internalize my reaction to a difficult situation as opposed to confronting the problem directly. Rather than approach the situation with a level-headed perspective, I sometimes let me feelings and emotions cloud my judgment and in most cases, I fail to act completely out of concern that I may hurt the other person’s feelings. This is especially true with one co-worker in my current position who prefers to argue every point, where as I am someone who would rather come to a solution quickly and absolutely. I have the opportunity to attend classes at the Ohio State University - John Glenn School of Public Affairs tailored for management advancement in the public sector. My focus is to attend as many classes as possible on dealing with difficult people to increase my understanding of different strategies that can improve this deficiency. Moving forward in my career will be difficult if I fail to address this weakness now.

Under/ Undeveloped Capabilities

There are several competencies that I have experience with but lack the confidence in to consider strengths. The competencies listed can can be developed in my current role to help mr achieve my vision and a rewarding career path.

Exhibits creativity and innovation. To be successful in such a rapidly progressing profession it is important to be able to differentiate yourself from the masses. I often struggle with developing unique and innovative ideas that are outside of the box. It is easy to become subject to a routine way of doing things which can suffocate originality. My current position however provides me with the flexibility to try new things and experiment with new ideas and processes. The job I envision to have one day will require unconventional ideas and development of fresh policies and procedures. Participating in workshops and completing my MBA will provide me with the tools necessary to excel.

Planning. Successful leadership is rooted in the ability to be prepared and plan ahead for the future. Ironically, as a Planner, one would think that I would be proficient in planning. In my capacity at work, I have unfortunately not been subjected to as much project management and planning as I’d hoped at this stage in my career. Luckily however, my current position will provide opportunities with long-range planning projects that will provide the experience necessary to grow.

Management and control. Effective leaders must be able to control dynamic situations and manage the people and resources involved. I have not been exposed to many situations where I have had to assume this role. Although I have the discretion to make decisions on my own in my current position, I have had few opportunities to have direct control and management over larger projects with more diverse components. Focusing on coursework and workshops that provide advance strategies in this area will help me to become more assertive and comfortable in this role.

New Opportunities

To achieve my future vision, I must capitalize on new opportunities that present challenges, stimulation and room to flourish. Remaining stagnant is the greatest threat to my vision.

MBA with a concentration in Public Administration. By completing the MBA Program at the Ohio Dominican University, with a focus in Public Administration, I will have broadened my knowledge base and acquired a sound foundation in business administration with a focus on the public sector. This asset can be applied in my current profession and provide me with the leverage and confidence necessary to reach my goals.

Join Columbus Young Professionals. Joining this organization is something that I have been contemplating for some time but have not had the urgency to do until I decided to boost my career. This organization offers an array of benefits that help to groom future leaders. Having the ability to network with other young professionals allows new and fresh ideas to emerge and be shared. Furthermore, an organization with such a strong social component can help to open the doors to other professions and the potential for growth and change.

Become more involved in American Planning Association (APA) functions. The APA has local, regional and nationwide chapters that are an excellent source of information and opportunities to network with fellow professionals of the planning community. Remaining active in this group will help me to stay abreast of emerging trends in my field of work and open up opportunities to establish relationships with mentors and professionals who can help me on my path to achieving my vision.

Trends

Based on research that I performed, several evolving trends surfaced that can have a direct impact on my current profession, future vision and correlate directly to various action items in my development plan.

Budget trends in local government. Local governments were hard hit by the economic rescission of 2008, as were various other government entities. Many local governments saw drastic reductions in support funding from Federal and State levels, which had a profound impact on budgets and their delivery of key services (Beckett-Camarata, 2009). With many entities being asked to do more with less, leaders were required to make tough decisions regarding budgets, personnel and services. If one thing can be learned from the economic crises experienced in 2008, it is that leaders must be willing to make sacrifices (Beckett-Camarat, 2009). I intend to take additional accounting coursework, with a focus in the public sector to gain a more in depth understanding of how various economic indications can be used to become more fiscally responsible. Being able to analyze and prepare a budget plan will be an important duty of future career.

Greenfield versus Redevelopment. The concept of urban sprawl is not a new topic, but is still as relevant today as it was in the beginning of the suburban movement in the 1945’s (Gross, 2004). Low-density, disseminated development patterns are an issue under debate nationwide, as communities and their residents experience continued rise in traffic and commuting times, rapid declines in productive farmlands, and unplanned or

inappropriate growth on the periphery of cities. Infill development or looking at areas within exiting urban environments for redevelopment opportunities is an evolving trend to combat urban sprawl. Becoming familiar with the effects that infill development can have will be absolutely necessary in achieving my vision.

Fiscal Impact Analysis. Fiscal impact analysis is a leading tool for examining costs and benefits of numerous land uses, prioritizing projects and infrastructure investment, and for evaluating development alternatives (Gross, 2004). Priorities can be recognized through a visioning process that incorporates the use of fiscal and other analyses to help direct land use policy (Gross, 2004). Understanding the importance of this emerging trend and the benefits that fiscal impact analysis can have will be an essential component to achieving my future vision.

Threats

Being able to recognize perceived threats will ensure that there is not a detour on the road to achieving my vision. I have identified some of the potential threats below.

My current division is small and vertical movement is limited. The Kanawha County Economic Development and Planning Department is a smaller agency, under the direction of the Kanawha County Board of Commissioners. Even though I aspire to remain with the County, little room for advancement is available unless a position opens up by an employee leaving or a position is created. Even with an advanced degree, the competition for managerial level positions is fierce. Seeking advancement opportunities outside of the County with other local governments will likely provide me with the experience needed to achieve my vision.

Stagnation. Becoming comfortable and complacent in my current job could have negative impacts on successfully achieving my vision. I must remain motivated to try new things, initiate new projects and continue to expand my knowledge base to peak my interest and continue striving for more. I must create opportunities as opposed to waiting for opportunities to present themselves. I have taken one step in the right direction by enrolling in the MBA program and am confident that the knowledge and skills gained will be one of my greatest assets moving forward.

Competencies for Development

Competency 1

I am devoted to strengthening my ability to confront difficult employees. Being competent in this skill will take practice and will require that I utilize information that I have gained about myself from the various personality assessments. Specifically, my emotional intelligence scores related to self-awareness present the biggest hurdle in accomplishing this goal. Gaining direction and insight from a mentor as well as attending MAPS courses on the subject will help to improve this competency.

Competency 2

I will continue to work on improving my delegation skills. Similar to confronting difficult employees, my ability to delegate tasks to other individuals and groups is something that I struggle with and lack confidence in doing. I attempt to take on more work than is necessary and need to learn how to offload non-critical tasks to other employees. I also need to increase my trust that others will accomplish the tasks that I have given them. Working on developing strategies to build trust is necessary to improving this competency.

Development Plan for Competencies

Developmental Goal What?	Identify Learning Assignments or Activities How?	Timeframe When?	Sources of Feedback and how and when it will be acquired How will you know?
I am devoted to strengthening my ability to confront difficult employees	1. Participate in 360 degree feedback program 2. Attend MAPS classes 3. Join Young Professionals Group 4. Attend APA conference	1. June –July, 2014 2. June – Sept. 2014 3. Weekly (effective immediately, with no end date). 4. September 2014	1. Engage Co-workers, managers and external customers in discussion and feedback sessions to develop ideas and strategies – apply new strategies in mock trials and real world settings 2. Speak independently with instructor and fellow participants 3. Develop relationships with professionals outside of my field of work. Establish relationship with a mentor in local government 4. None

Developmental Goal What?	Identify Learning Assignments or Activities How?	Timeframe When?	Sources of Feedback and how and when it will be acquired How will you know?
I will continue to work on improving my delegation skills	1. Attend MAPS courses 2. Be more mindful in my approach to allow others to complete non-critical tasks 3. Participate in assignments where work must be delegated	1. Full year – 2014 2. Immediately 3. Immediately	1. Achieving course goals and obtaining feedback from instructors 2. Mentors and subordinates 3. Reflect on results and quality of work product and discuss experience with those involved.

Feedback

Competency Card Sort Feedback

I asked my former supervisor, Lee Brown, now Planning Director for the City of Worthington, to provide feedback on my self-assessment and job assessment results from the competency sort. I sent Lee my results and we discussed his feedback over the phone. The following is a summary of our discussion:

Lee provided an excellent critique of my assessment results and offered a wonderful outside perspective of my strengths and weaknesses as they applied to me and my current position. He also provided me with some comments to help me continue on my path to achieving my vision. Upon reviewing my self-assessment results, Lee felt that I was being overly critical of some of the competencies that I listed as having “some capability”. Lee felt that I underestimated my abilities related to my listening skills, team skills and organizational skills.

He recalled that I was often his go to when we had been in a meeting together and he could not recall important information that may have been said and he also praised my ability to listen to citizens’ complaints and answer their questions with great resolve. He also explained that I had done well to improve my team skills during his time as my supervisor. He encouraged me to continue taking on more roles in a team environment to continue strengthening this skill.

Finally, Lee inspired me through his evaluation of my organization skills. He was quick to point out that during his time as my supervisor, I had taken the initiative to restructure and develop a new case logging system that would prove to be more efficient and cost effective than the antiquated system that was currently in place. I had not originally viewed this as something that involved organization, but realized that it not only required coordination of various forms of records, but it required that I organize these various formats into one central database for easy access.

Aside from this feedback, Lee felt that I did well in my accuracy to assess my strengths and weaknesses. One area not revealed in the competency sort that Lee mentioned and had mentioned before in one of my performance evaluations, is my inability to fight for my own voice. He further stated that I need to make sure that “your voice is heard” and that “you can’t complain about a situation until you have done all that you can to change it”. After hearing him say this, it makes sense considering some of the items that I included as “weak” in the card sort. In order to achieve my vision I will need to work on being more assertive and include myself in discussions and more team building exercises.

SWOT Analysis Feedback

To gain an outside perspective of how others view my skills and weaknesses, I reached out to private consultant who I have previously had the opportunity to work with on several development projects. His name is Eric Leibowitz and he is a development consultant with CASTO Realty and Investments. Eric has witnessed my various abilities first hand and we have a very relaxed and open rapport that provides for the efficient exchange of ideas.

Having reviewed my SWOT analysis, Eric immediately called to my ability to effectively negotiate. Often times our paths crossed when he was acting in representative capacity for his land holdings company and they were trying to develop a piece of property. On several occasions, there development was highly controversial and would sometimes be in conflict with neighborhood plans and adopted policies for the given area. It was my responsibility to work with the applicant, in this case Eric, to make sure that the County’s and its residents interests were protected and that the development would add benefit to the area.

Eric also provided some insight concerning management and control. He too had struggled with this competency early in his career. He recommended developing a relationship with a mentor who could help me navigate the issues I was experiencing that were preventing me from excelling at this task. He in fact offered to help coach me and bounce ideas off of to help improve this deficiency.

Overall, Eric saw my SWOT analysis as being accurate and reflective of my current strengths and weaknesses. He assured me that none of my weaknesses were so radical that they could not be developed into strengths with additional attention and continued feedback. Eric’s reflection assured me that I am in control of my own destiny and that as long as I continue to seek feedback and follow the goals outlined in my development plan, my vision will one day become a reality.

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