Steps to complete: In Week 9, complete and submit your Development Plan for Three Skills using the following steps using the TEMPLATE:

Work template and skills are attached

STEP 1: Identify the targeted skill. Summarize your strengths and areas of improvement in this skill area. Then, identify your desired outcomes around this skill area and write a positive goal statement. Review the

Skills Definition table

if you need a quick reminder of the 10 skills. Complete the following sections of the template:

• Target Skill
• Strengths
• Areas of Improvement
• Desired Outcome
• Goal Statement

STEP 2: Specify the actions you can take to work towards your goals, with specific strategies and practices that you can apply. Identify any potential obstacles and challenges to achieving your goal. Complete the following sections of the template:

• Practices for Growth
• Action Steps
• Potential Obstacles and Challenges

STEP 3: Keeping your action plan in mind, identify trusted supporters and university resources that can help you in your skill development plan. Complete the following sections of the template:

• Key Supporters
• Supporting University Resources

STEP 4: Reflect on the connections between skill development and your overall personal, academic, and professional goals. Complete the following sections of the template:

• Benefits From Change and Connections to Personal, Academic, and Career Goals.

Development Plan for Three Skills Template

Create a development plan for three target skills.

Target Skill #1

Target Skill #1:

Strengths:
Describe your strengths in this skill.

Areas of Improvement:
Describe areas of improvement in this skill.

Desired Outcome:
Describe your goals around developing this skill during your time at Strayer. Think about what improvement of this skill looks like.

Goal Statement:
Write a positive statement that includes your desired outcome and your imagined preferred future after development.

Practices for Growth:
Describe 2–3 specific strategies that can be used to develop this skill.

Action Steps:
Describe an action plan around developing your skill that includes things you can do now to begin working towards your goal.
What specific actions are needed to acquire knowledge and build upon your skill?
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
(Add more steps if necessary.)

Potential Obstacles and Challenges:
What barriers do you need to overcome to reach your goal?
What challenges do you anticipate?

Key Supporters:
Identify 1–2 individuals you can check in with, who will provide feedback along the way and act as trusted supporters.
Explain how these supporters will help you meet your goal.
Supporter 1:
Supporter 2:

Supporting University Resources:
Identify 1–2 university resources that can help you meet your goal.
Explain how these resources can help you meet your goal.
Consider the resources you learned about in the weekly Learn pages, including:
Career Center Resources:

Explore

Connect

Prepare

Career Communities

Act

LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com)
Other Strayer Resources:

Strayer Mobile

Strayer Technical Support

Get Inspired

SOAR Student Assistance

Benefits From Change and Connections to Personal, Academic, and Career Goals:
Connect your goals around skills and identify:
one larger personal goal,
one academic goal, and
one professional goal.
These can be the ones you identified in Assignment 2 or new ones.
How will your personal development of employability skills impact your larger goals?

Target Skill #2

Target Skill #2:

Strengths:
Describe your strengths in this skill.

Areas of Improvement:
Describe areas of improvement in this skill.

Desired Outcome:
Describe your goals around developing this skill during your time at Strayer. Think about what improvement of this skill looks like.

Goal Statement:
Write a positive statement that includes your desired outcome and your imagined preferred future after development.

Practices for Growth:
Describe 2–3 specific strategies that can be used to develop this skill.

Action Steps:
Describe an action plan around developing your skill that includes things you can do now to begin working towards your goal.
What specific actions are needed to acquire knowledge and build upon your skill?
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
(Add more steps if necessary.)

Potential Obstacles and Challenges:
What barriers do you need to overcome to reach your goal?
What challenges do you anticipate?

Key Supporters:
Identify 1–2 individuals you can check in with, who will provide feedback along the way and act as trusted supporters.
Explain how these supporters will help you meet your goal.
Supporter 1:
Supporter 2:

Supporting University Resources:
Identify 1–2 university resources that can help you meet your goal.
Explain how these resources can help you meet your goal.
Consider the resources you learned about in the weekly Learn pages, including:
Career Center Resources:

Explore

Connect

Prepare

Career Communities

Act

LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com)
Other Strayer Resources:

Strayer Mobile

Strayer Technical Support

Get Inspired

SOAR Student Assistance

Benefits From Change and Connections to Personal, Academic, and Career Goals:
Connect your goals around skills and identify:
one larger personal goal,
one academic goal, and
one professional goal.
These can be the ones you identified in Assignment 2 or new ones.
How will your personal development of employability skills impact your larger goals?

Target Skill #3

Target Skill #3:

Strengths:
Describe your strengths in this skill.

Areas of Improvement:
Describe areas of improvement in this skill.

Desired Outcome:
Describe your goals around developing this skill during your time at Strayer. Think about what improvement of this skill looks like.

Goal Statement:
Write a positive statement that includes your desired outcome and your imagined preferred future after development.

Practices for Growth:
Describe 2–3 specific strategies that can be used to develop this skill.

Action Steps:
Describe an action plan around developing your skill that includes things you can do now to begin working towards your goal.
What specific actions are needed to acquire knowledge and build upon your skill?
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
(Add more steps if necessary.)

Potential Obstacles and Challenges:
What barriers do you need to overcome to reach your goal?
What challenges do you anticipate?

Key Supporters:
Identify 1–2 individuals you can check in with, who will provide feedback along the way and act as trusted supporters.
Explain how these supporters will help you meet your goal.
Supporter 1:
Supporter 2:

Supporting University Resources:
Identify 1–2 university resources that can help you meet your goal.
Explain how these resources can help you meet your goal.
Consider the resources you learned about in the weekly Learn pages, including:
Career Center Resources:

Explore

Connect

Prepare

Career Communities

Act

LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com)
Other Strayer Resources:

Strayer Mobile

Strayer Technical Support

Get Inspired

SOAR Student Assistance

Benefits From Change and Connections to Personal, Academic, and Career Goals:
Connect your goals around skills and identify:
one larger personal goal,
one academic goal, and
one professional goal.
These can be the ones you identified in Assignment 2 or new ones.
How will your personal development of employability skills impact your larger goals?

© 2020 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University.

Page 9 of 9

SELF AND SOCIAL AWARENESS
Definition:​ Understanding your personal strengths and limitations; recognizing your thoughts,
emotions, and intentions; being open to receiving feedback; and identifying how your behaviors
impact others.
Why it Matters for the Future of Work: ​Self awareness can help you find the right career for
you, know when it’s time to leave your current job, and make you a stronger leader. (Swerdlow,
5)

TECHNOLOGY
Definition:​ Being able to confidently and effectively use technology to be productive, complete
goals and tasks, and maintain a competitive advantage.
Why it Matters for the Future of Work:​ 78% of today’s jobs require familiarity with technology,
and digitally intensive jobs are growing faster and pay more than non-digital roles. (Southern
New Hampshire University, 6)

PRODUCTIVITY
Definition:​ Strategizing, organizing, and effectively managing your time and priorities.
Why it Matters for the Future of Work:​ High performers can be up to 800 percent more
productive than other workers, drastically cutting down the time and money needed to complete
large tasks – something managers always value. (Keller, 7)

INITIATIVE
Definition:​ Thinking independently, seeing what needs to be done, and taking action without
being prompted.
Why it Matters for the Future of Work:​ Initiative has become more important in modern
workplaces, as employers rely on people who have the courage to push their teams forward.
(Mind Tools, 8)

RESULTS DRIVEN
Definition:​ Acting with a sense of urgency and focus to reach goals, without compromising
integrity or quality.
Why it Matters for the Future of Work:​ As companies use more freelancers, they need those
workers to be results-driven so projects stay on track. (Do, 9)

COMMUNICATION
Definition:​ Actively seeking and delivering information, clearly articulating ideas, effectively
listening, and confidently connecting to various audiences, settings, and situations.
Why it Matters for the Future of Work:​ Communication is one of the top five skills that will be
important in the future across all industries…and that employers currently find lacking. (Gilchrist,
10)

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Definition:​ Effectively working with others and establishing, cultivating, and leveraging networks

over time.
Why it Matters for the Future of Work:​ 85% of all open job positions are filled through
personal connections. (Adler, 11)

PROBLEM SOLVING
Definition:​ Identifying and framing problems, exploring ideas, and creating effective, ethical,
and evidence-based solutions.
Why it Matters for the Future of Work:​ Problem solving is important in every industry, and this
skill gives an especially notable edge in management positions. (CareerBuilder, 12)

INNOVATION
Definition:​ Creatively thinking and coming up with new ideas and solutions to solve old
problems.
Why it Matters for the Future of Work:​ 84% of business executives believe that innovation is
important, but only 6% are satisfied with their company’s performance in that area. (McKinsey &
Company, 13)

AGILITY
Definition:​ Embracing change and effectively adapting when things around you are constantly
in motion.
Why it Matters for the Future of Work:​ In one survey, 79% of executives said that the future of
work will be based on specific projects instead of roles, meaning that having the agility to adapt
quickly will be extremely important. (Lyons, 14)