Alicia M.

Highland
Professional Growth Plan
Advanced Instructional Strategies/ Nonprofit Leadership and Administration
Spring 2015

As An Individual:
Strengths
Describe Myself
Now:

Areas of Needed
Growth

1 Detail-Oriented

Micro Mangager

2 Compassionate
mediator

Non-authorative
voice/or actions,
passive, nota
sufficient selfadvocate

3 Self-starter

Difficulty
relinquishing
responsibility

Short-Term Career
Goal (1 year)
Where Do I Want
To Go?

How Am I Using
My Strengths To
Enhance Growth?
I can utilize my
want for order and
attention to detail
in a more
managerial role, in
which I can
delegate tasks and
be resported back
to
I am now more
able to speak
authoritatively
with tact by using
kind, but direct
and honest words
Taking some of the
compassion that I
give to others and
keeping it for
myself, engaging in
more self care,
more direct
(expressing
intentions/needs
openly)
interactions =less
stress, more trust
in team members

Environmental NPO Long-Term Career

Director of a small to
Development
Goal (5 years)
medium size
Associate
environmental NPO
(Fundraising)

Why is this
important?

Environmental
Why is this
NPO's need
important?
monetary resources
in order to be
successful, I believe
a position like this
will be a relevant
way to capitalize on
many of my life
experiences while
serving causes that I
am passionate
about. Practical way
to learn about the
administration and
managment of a
NPOs

Environmental NPO's
need female POC
leaders with diverse
life and professional
experiences in order
to remain relevant and
accessible. I can make
large scale changes in
environment and
education, create
pathways for other
POC to get into NPO's
and environmental
work

How Will I Use My

Strengths to Attain
This Goal?

My ambition,
How Will I Use My
attention to detail, Strengths to Attain
and ability to create This Goal?
and maintain
relationships is
crucial for
philanthropy

Potential Pitfalls

Many of my prior
Potential Pitfalls
experiences are in
field work or
education, lack of
business experience

My ambition,
attention to detail,
and ability to create
and maintain
relationships is
important for
maintaining and
advancing mission and
vision,
Lack of diverse
leadership in NPOs as
mentors, competition,
lack of connections

Managing My
System:

From Where Do I
I find strength in
Draw My Strength? quiet reflection.

Smart Goals:

Short-Term Career
Goal

Long-Term Career
Goal

How Will I Address In becoming a greater

Personal Conflicts? advocate for myself, I
will address issues
head on if possible

Find an internship or
entry-level position
in philanthropy: get
connected in Seattle
to environmental
NPO's

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Director of a small
to medium size
environmental NPO:
Learn what the
duties of a director
are and get
experience with
them
Get a grad certificate Shadow
in Nonprofit
(interview/intern/
Management, utilize assistant to/mentee
my contacts in the
for) 2
Seattle area to find environmental NPO
an entry level
directors
position with an
environmental npo,
continue doing
reverse interviews
with potential
employers, join
EPOC and seek out
other professional
development opps
Will have 15 more
contacts before
graduation- maintain
contact through
email, events, lunch
meetings

If I can: develop
mentor/mentee
relationship with 1
director before I
graduate, if I can get
a position as an
intern or better
before 2018
Yes, I will graduate Yes, there are
soon and if I
several
participate in events, environmental
I will meet more
NPO's in Seattle and
people in the field

Relevant

Knowing individuals
with this position will
better prepare me to
fill this position, be
aware of jobs

Timely

Will do in Seattle
before graduation
(June 2016)

Knowing individuals
with this position
will better prepare
me to fill this
position, be aware
of jobs
1 by 2017, 2 by
2018

As Part Of A
Team:

Where Did My Team My team was

Where Did My
Start?
generally
Team End?
inexperienced , but
worked well
together and was
able to come to
consensus on
decisions quickly.
There was confusion
about roles, amount
of work needed to
complete tasks
How Did I
Contribute To
Team's Success?

As A Leader?

With Youth?
While engaging in
any leadership role, I
adhere to the idea of
servant-leadership.
My primary goal is to
empower my team
to ensure that we all
find success.
Sometimes that
means direct action
and direct words.
This is especially
important when
working with
younger students
who do well with
properly scaffolded
concepts and
activties.

I completed tasks on How Did My Team

time and effectively. Impact My
I was versitile and Success?
able to switch
between tasks when
asked.

With Peers?
While engaging in
any leadership
role, I adhere to
the idea of servantleadership. My
primary goal is to
empower my team
and stakeholders
to ensure that we
all find success.
Sometimes that
means direct
action and direct
words.

We achieved our set

goals for attendance,
fundraising, and
audience outreach. I
felt that our team was
successful and worked
effectively. We were
able to express
concerns and make
the necessary
adjustments so that
we could complete our
tasks.
My team was
knowledgable and
hardworking. My team
wanted success which
made it easier to work
harder on individual
tasks. I felt confident
relying on them to
complete duties well.