Career Goal Setting: the How, What, & Why
Session Two of the Fall Series, Managing Your Career
Key Takeaways: Our “Goals” for tonight
• What “Goals” are – and in particular… Career Goals.
• Why goals are necessary
– how they help you manage your career “now, and for
the rest of your professional career”.
• How you set goals
Goals: What are they?
• Varied: There are lots of different types and/or definitions
of goals…
• Individual: Everyone’s goals are unique to them
• Complex: There is no one single right definition or way to
experience goals.
GOALS: Definition
“The result or achievement toward which effort is directed…”
-dictionary.com
• Implies movement; a process… a JOURNEY
“… an aim… an end… a terminal point”
• Implies an endpoint; a final DESTINATION
GOALS Illustration – Steps on a Journey
Win
the
GAME
Join
local
tennis
team
Sign up
for
tennis
lessons
Short
Term
Guidepost
Interim Landmarks
Action Step
Win
the SET
Perfect
my
backhand
Win
Local
Title
Win
the
MATCH
Timeframe
Win
Regional
Title
Win
Wimbledon!
U.S.
champion
Long
Term
GOALS Illustration – Steps on a Journey
Submit Bschool
Application
Short
Term
Guidepost
Interim Landmarks
Action Step
Finish
MBA
with
Honors
Finish 5 years
in Strategy
Consulting
Timeframe
Get
hired
by
client
C-Suite!
Long
Term
Mapping Out Your Journey
Guidepost
Interim Landmarks
Action Step
• Begin with the end in mind
Submit Bschool
Application
Short
Term
Finish
MBA
with
Honors
Finish 5 years
in Strategy
Consulting
Timeframe
Get
hired
by
client
C-Suite!
Long
Term
Mapping Out Your Journey
Action Step
Interim Landmarks
Guidepost
But… what if I don’t
know my long
term goal?
Short
Term
Timeframe
Long
Term
Journey Without a Guidepost
Lucky!
Likely
Uh Oh!
Long-term Goals: the Specificity Factor
Action Step
Interim Landmarks
Guidepost
Do work that I feel has meaning… I can see where it adds
value… and people respected me as a leader
Level of Detail/Specificity
Very
Broad
I want to earn enough money so that my family can
enjoy a comfortable lifestyle
Senior leadership position in a mid-size company where I
have direct influence over company strategy
CEO of my own wildly successful Private Wealth
Management Firm in New York
Very
Detailed
Short
Term
Timeframe
Long
Term
Long-term Goals: How to Set Them
Ask Questions: of yourself… and others
What‘s Inside (Self-Assessment)
• What is important to me? What do I value?
– Time, Money, Integrity, Altruism, Challenge, Variety,
Ethics, etc.
• How can I find heroism in my work?
– What is my definition of “hero”.
• How important are my roots… what got me here?
– What did I want to be when I grew up?
– What have I enjoyed/learned along the
• What are my strengths? – Weaknesses?
– How can I leverage strengths and minimize roadblocks?
Long-term Goals: How to Set Them
Ask Questions: of yourself… and others
What‘s Outside (Research)
• Functions
– The type of work… role to fill
• Industries
– Content/context, product/service, customer
• Culture
– Nature of the work environment (e.g. collaborative, lone
wolf, matrixed, heirarchical, decision-making process,
etc.)
Long-term Goals: How to Set Them
Integration: identifying the intersection of…
What’s Inside (Self Assessment)
with
What‘s Outside (Research)
Long-term Goals: How to Evaluate Them
When you have some idea of the long term goal, ask…
Why…
- am I pursuing this goal?
- is this goal appealing to me?
How does this…
- honor my values?
- leverage my strengths?
- serve what I have learned about myself and what’s
important?
What…
- keeps me from pursuing this?
Long-term Goals: Other Resources
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
PT Career Resources Workshop on Self Assessment (Jan)
LCS2 – 360 Feedback
MORS courses (e.g. Managerial Leadership)
PT Career Coaches
Leadership Coaching course
CareerLeader on-line assessment
PT Career Resources web site:
– Self-assessment section
– Resources section (for research)
• Plethora of readings/books
Mapping Your Journey: Goals to Actions
Level of Detail/Specificity
Very
Broad
Action Step
Interim Landmarks
Guidepost
Begin with the end in mind
Build in interim steps
Work back to specific actions
Ideals &
Alternatives
Very
Detailed
Short
Term
Timeframe
Long
Term
Interim Goals: How to Set Them
Ask Questions: of yourself… and others
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What’s possible?
What’s necessary?
What’s reasonable?
How have other’s done this?
What are some alternatives?
How does this leverage my past?
What are possible gaps… and how might I bridge them?
Interim Goals: How to Evaluate Them
Ask…
Why…
- am I pursuing this goal?
- is this goal appealing to me?
How does this…
- honor my values?
- leverage my strengths?
- serve what I have learned about myself and what’s
important?
- get me closer to my longer-term goal?
What…
- keeps me from pursuing this?
Short-term Goals: How to Set Them
Ask Questions: of yourself… and others
• What action can I take today/tomorrow to move in the
direction of my next goal?
Short-term Goals: How to Evaluate Them
Ask…
How does this… get me closer to my next goal?
Are they S. M. A. R. T. ?
S
• Specific
• Significant
• Stretching
M
• Measureable
• Meaningful
• Motivational
A
•
•
•
•
•
Achievable
Agreed-upon
Attainable
Acceptable
Actionoriented
R
•
•
•
•
•
•
Realistic
Relevant
Resonate
Reasonable
Rewarding
Resultsoriented
T
•
•
•
•
Time-bound
Timely
Tangible
Trackable
Navigating Your Path: It’s a Process!
Level of Detail/Specificity
Very
Broad
Action Step
Interim Landmarks
Guidepost
Take the first step, then STOP! – Reflect
-look back: what have I learned
-take stock: where am I now
-look forward: where do I go now
Reassess/Revise
Very
Detailed
STOP
Short
Term
Timeframe
Long
Term
Navigating Your Path: Flexibility
Level of Detail/Specificity
Very
Broad
Interim Landmarks
Action Step
The importance of FLEXIBILITY…
… so you can make choices
Guidepost
Strategy Role in
Banking
I love my marketing classes! Who
knew? !!
Get into Bschool
?
Very
Detailed
Short
Term
Major in Finance
Timeframe
Long
Term
Navigating Your Path: Flexibility
Level of Detail/Specificity
Very
Broad
Action Step
Interim Landmarks
The importance of FLEXIBILITY…
… so you can make choices
Guidepost
Strategy Role in
Banking
I’ll take more marketing classes and
if I still like it, I’ll add a Marketing
major.
Get into Bschool
Major in Finance
AND Marketing
Very
Detailed
Short
Term
Timeframe
Long
Term
Navigating Your Path: Flexibility
Action Step Interim Landmarks
Level of Detail/Specificity
Very
Broad
The importance of FLEXIBILITY…
… so you can make choices
Guidepost
Strategy Role in
Banking
?
Now that I’ve been promoted in my
banking industry job… I’m not sure
it’s a good fit for the long term.
Major in Finance
AND Marketing
New MBA job at
a bank
Very
Detailed
Short
Term
Timeframe
Get promoted
Long
Term
Navigating Your Path: Flexibility
Action Step Interim Landmarks
Level of Detail/Specificity
Very
Broad
Guidepost
The importance of FLEXIBILITY…
… so you can make choices
I think I’ll leverage my finance
background and training in
marketing to switch industries
Strategy Role in a
CPG company
Very
Detailed
Finance role at a
CPG company
Get promoted
Short
Term
Timeframe
Long
Term
Navigating Your Path: Flexibility
Level of Detail/Specificity
Guidepost
Action Step Interim Landmarks
Very
Broad
The importance of FLEXIBILITY…
… so you can adapt to external circumstances
My company went bankrupt… I just
lost my job… the economy’s in a
recession… jobs are scarce!
Very
Detailed
Short
Term
Start my own
Turnaround consulting
business
Timeframe
Retire in Tahiti and
play golf every day
Become the leading
turnaround firm
Long
Term
Navigating Your Career: Complexity
Level of Detail/Specificity
Very
Broad
Action Step
Interim Landmarks
Guidepost
The fallacy of straight line progression
The danger of assuming next steps
Success v. Perfection
Very
Detailed
Short
Term
Timeframe
Long
Term
Summary: Key Points
• Goals provide a path for your journey… directions and
guidelines to keep you focused on an outcome.
• Goals can be short term steps or long term visions… and
milestones in between
• Goals can be specific or broad – related to timeframe:
– Short = specific; long-term can be broad
• Begin with an end in mind, and work back into action steps
• Stop, reflect, assess, adjust, continue on purpose
• Flexibility/adaptability – focusing too narrowly or lacking
any focus can become roadblocks.
• Complexity – no right or predictable journeys
Upcoming PT CMC Events
• Upcoming Fall Series, “Managing Your Career” Events
– Nov. 10th: Daniel Porot Event
– Nov. 12th: Session Three: Promote Yourself from Within
• Winter/Spring Career Development Series
• Questions?
Email: ptmba-careerservices@kellogg.northwestern.edu
Call 312-503-8385 to schedule a coaching appointment