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Personal Strategic Plan

Danielle R. Blair

Department of Higher Education Administration, Louisiana State University

ELRC 7609: Strategic Planning in Higher Education

Dr. Amanda Martin

June 26, 2022

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Personal Mission Statement

I live and thrive by engaging in continuous learning. To better myself personally, I must

cultivate intentional relationships with those around me. As a professional, I must develop a

level of confidence that fortifies my mental health. Through my accomplishments, big and small,

I celebrate every victory and allow myself a respite before tackling my next challenge.

According to Hinton (2012), a mission statement lays the foundation for any strategic

plan by utilizing concise verbiage as to why an institution exists as well as what it hopes to

achieve. Unlike at an institution, I can develop a two-year personal strategic plan that permits an

individualized mission statement through which I am the only person beholden to it. By utilizing

Franklin Covey’s personal mission statement builder, I created a primitive version of my

personal mission statement. My first attempt resulted in a verbose paragraph, having fallen prey

to the monster known as “mission creep”. Hinton (2012) describes “mission creep” as an all too

familiar pitfall for institutions in which “comprehensive missions, as a result of their breadth,

[provide] ample opportunity for wide interpretation” (p. 10). My second attempt led to a more

concise statement, including both personal and professional aspects but focusing on a holistic

development.

Personal SWOT Analysis

During the strategic planning process, performing a SWOT analysis is essential to

developing a cohesive strategic plan. Hinton (2012) describes SWOT as a “procedure [that]

allows planners to support . . . with additional information about what actions need to be taken in

the strategic plan to move the institution to its vision” (p. 33). Utilizing the personal SWOT

analysis worksheet from Mind Tools to organize my thoughts, the following strengths,
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weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are just a few potential internal and external issues that are

specific to my personal situation:

 Strengths – I focused on soft skills for this section. Of three things I do well, I am

first and foremost deliberative, meaning I excel in collecting information before using

that data to arrive at a decision. Additionally, I encourage and appreciate diverse thoughts

and ideas, preferring to listen thoughtfully to those who may not have a voice. Analyzing

a problem from every angle and devising several solutions is another of my core

strengths. A unique resource I can draw on is my inherent ability to separate a person

from a problem and in doing so, remove the emotional aspect of an issue. Friends and

family have informed me that my honesty, loyalty, and integrity are my strengths.

 Weaknesses – My weaknesses include my interpersonal skills, specifically, my

lack of knowledge on proper conflict resolution. I also struggle with self-criticism,

oftentimes forgetting that I am human and capable of mistakes. As such, I lack the

confidence in my strengths. Unfortunately, I have fewer resources than others in my

position in terms of financial security and the lack of a professional mentor. A particular

weakness others might see in me is my inability to see the whole picture.

 Opportunities – One opportunity that is open to me is my current institution’s

tuition plan for employees so I can continue my postsecondary education at a discounted

rate. Another opportunity is my position affords me the opportunity of networking and

developing lasting relationships across the institution. Indeed, through networking and

undertaking new responsibilities, I can learn additional information about my future

career goals such as an academic dean. One trend I can take advantage of is the expected

growth of employment for postsecondary education administrators. According to the

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Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), employment in this sector is expected to grow 8%

within the next decade. I can turn my strengths into opportunities by seeking a new, more

fulfilling role at another institution with a mission and values that correlate with my own.

 Threats – Three threats can negatively impact me, the first one being the

tumultuous state of the U.S. economy. Although less daunting than a recession, the fact

that my current position is stagnant with little room to grow is cause for concern. The

biggest threat I currently face is my mother’s declining health for obvious personal

reasons, but also for professional ones such as selecting a doctoral program and

subsequent future job that are closer to home. My competition are professors, those who

are active in the classroom and performing valuable research. A threat that my

weaknesses may expose me to is my inability to earn a promotion and move up the ranks

in the administration.

At my current institution, I was nominated to participate in a year-long program designed

to enhance my leadership abilities by offering diverse perspectives and tools to improve my

communication skills and develop supportive capabilities. The first step to participating in the

RISE (Rising in Success Education) program was completing a Clifton Strengths test offered by

Gallup, a renowned management consulting company. I utilized the test results to focus on my

strengths but chose to omit the weaknesses to discover vulnerabilities within my control. This

was the basis for completing my SWOT analysis before including aspects of my personal life

that ultimately can affect my professional one.

Before this exercise, I had given little thought to threats and chalked them up to

pessimism, however, I am battling a struggling economy and a stagnant job with no graduate

degree. The threats are very real. Furthermore, my mother has smoldering multiple myeloma and
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I am her primary caregiver. Although I do not have the knowledge or ability to cure cancer, it is

within my power to enroll in a doctoral program closer to home and ultimately, apply to new

positions that allow me the same level of flexibility as my current institution. I would be remiss

if I failed to mention my lack of drive to become a college professor in the near future. However,

after a conversation with my dean I realized that not wanting to teach may negatively impact my

ability to become an effective administrator.

Fortunately, my personal SWOT analysis was not all doom and gloom. Though it took

time and effort, I was able to see the proverbial silver linings through the incredible opportunities

my position afforded me. Despite the contradiction of a struggling economy, I was pleased my

research uncovered growth for postsecondary administrator positions. I have always kept faith

that furthering my education and learning new skills would advance my career. It is this hope

that I will continue to put my best foot forward, aware of my strengths, weaknesses, threats, and

opportunities to envision a brighter future for myself.

Personal Vision Statement

To become a leader worth following, capable of helping those who struggle by offering

guidance and leading with compassion.

Short, simple, and future-oriented. This was my intention while creating a vision

statement that relates to my personal mission statement. A crucial, supporting component of any

strategic plan, the vision statement “is an institution’s clear description of what it intends to

become within a certain timeframe” (Hinton, 2012, p. 10). I chose to omit a timeframe from my

vision statement because of uncertainties beyond my control. Originally, this statement was a

product of the Franklin Covey’s personal mission statement builder tool, however, after tweaking

the present verbs to future tense I had crafted a vision statement.

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Personal Strategic Goals and Action Steps

After developing a personal mission statement and performing a SWOT analysis, I

outlined the following goals. To preface the following goals, my intended completion date for

my master’s degree is May 2023. Furthermore, I will be taking a year off before starting my

doctoral program in August 2024. The action steps attached to these goals will guide me in

fulfilling my mission and achieving my vision.

 Engage in networking while in my current position – My current position within

the College of Business as Senior Administration Support can be lonely with only college

leadership (program chairs and deans) as close colleagues. By the end of this year, I will

join a committee, preferably one with a diverse group of personnel to network with other

staff and learn key aspects of their respective units. Another action step is to organize a

monthly lunch for staff with the inaugural event held in the first week of August.

Communication and planning across the various units will be crucial to scheduling a

convenient day and time.

 Continue my education after earning my master’s degree – After successfully

completing my graduate program in May 2023, I will enroll in a nine-credit hour

Graduate Certificate in Organizational Leadership (Westcliff University, 2020). This

business certificate offered by my current institution at a discounted rate to employees

offers an opportunity to learn from diverse and experienced faculty as a student (Blair,

2022). After earning my certificate, I will enjoy a three-month respite before learning

new skills through Google’s project management program. According to their website,

the Google Project Management Certificate will instruct students on estimating time and
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budgets as well as how to identify and manage risks (Google, n.d.). The program is at

your own pace so an estimated time to completion is December 2023.

 Enhance my leadership skills before and after my master’s program – Enhancing

one’s leadership skills is a seemingly never-ending journey, so I have broken down the

action steps by using the completion of my master’s program as a guide. As mentioned

previously, I am attending a leadership program at work and will complete it before

graduating in May 2023. In 2024, I will apply to the Higher Education Resources Service

(HERS), a professional research organization that promotes “leadership development and

. . . is dedicated to creating and sustaining a diverse network of woman-identified leaders

in higher education (HERS, 2022). Though beneficial and crucial to my professional

development, this action step will take time, patience, and financial saving, before

reaping any rewards.

The path to senior leadership in higher education can be treacherous, if not tedious at

times. However, I am confident the goals I have chosen will be flexible enough to allow for a

smoother journey. I am aware of the danger of front loading which Hinton (2012) explains can

occur during the strategic planning process “because enthusiasm is high and everyone would like

to see the plan successfully completed” (p. 11). My action steps are mostly sequential, so I am

confident in my ability to evaluate the progress toward these goals by the start of my doctoral

program.

Continuous learning and the cultivation of relationships are crucial to building my

confidence as a higher education professional. Appreciating each victory and allowing myself to

take a mental break is also paramount to fulling my personal mission. By achieving my goals, I

can become a compassionate leader who can become a mentor for those who struggle.
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References

Blair, D. (2022). Personal Leadership Philosophy and Plan [Manuscript submitted for

publication]. Higher Education Administration, Louisiana State University.

https://lsuonline.moodle.lsu.edu

Google Project Management Certificate. Project Manager Certificate & Training - Grow with

Google. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2022, from https://grow.google/certificates/project-

management/#?modal_active=none

Hinton, K. E. (2012). A Practical Guide to Strategic Planning in Higher Education. Society for

College and University Planning.

Mission and values: Hers (Higher Education Resource Services). HERS. (2022, March 1).

Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://www.hersnetwork.org/who-we-are/mission-and-

values/

Personal Mission Statement. Mission Statement Builder. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2022, from

https://msb.franklincovey.com/missions/

Occupational Outlook Handbook: Postsecondary Education Administrators. (2022, April 18).

Retrieved from Bureau of Labor Statistics:

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/postsecondary-education-

administrators.htm#:~:text=Employment%20of%20postsecondary%20education

%20administrators,on%20average%2C%20over%20the%20decade.

Graduate certificate in organizational leadership. Westcliff University. (2020, March 24).

Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://www.westcliff.edu/academics/college-of-

business/graduate-certificate-in-organizational-leadership/
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