The Priority Matrix for Professional Goals
Using the Priority Matrix for Professional Goals.
Before we move on…
We can’t move on until you have properly identified your projected professional goals. I say projected because, before you are complete with this course, and even throughout your career, you may want to, or have to, change them. What do I mean by that? First, you may decide later that you want to change careers. Whether you use brainstorming or not, at some point you will have an idea of where you want to go, and you will make a change to your professional goal template. Then you may find yourself laid off, fired, or even retire, and all of these events will require a change in your professional goal path.
OK, are you satisfied with what you see on paper from our brainstorming session last time? If so, then let’s move on. If not, please don’t try to move forward until you are very confident that what you have is what you want to do. If you need more time to talk to some people or time to decide, that’s perfectly fine, just don’t try to move forward until you have that nailed down.
For now, you need a reasonable, realistic sense that your professional goals are sound and meet your desires. Remember we’ve mentioned that we should ensure our goals are tempered? This means that our goals are not so ambitious that we lack a realistic chance of achieving them. If you are 50 years old and have never been in the military or a pilot, it’s not likely you can become an astronaut. You get the idea.
Ideally, you should have several goals listed on your brainstorming paper. Let me give you an idea of what some of those goals may be:
Work in Europe
Retire at age 55
Be promoted to supervisor
Learn to operate heavy equipment (perhaps for fun or as a Plan “B” should your primary career not work out)
Become LEAN/Six Sigma certified
Become a manager
Become a vice president
Completing the professional goals priority matrix
Assign each idea from your brainstorming sheet a number. Don’t try to order them; just randomly assign each a number. Remember, we are not going to delete any of them, so assign each one a number, even if it’s looking a little ridiculous right now.
Think about how long each goal may take to accomplish and what resources will be needed. You won’t need this information now, but you will later.
There is a copy of the Professional Goals Priority Matrix that is from the course and the book included with this post. You will use that for the next steps. You may want to rewrite it on a larger piece of paper so that it is easier to work with.
Take some time now to place each of your professional goals, by number, into the priority matrix into the block you think is appropriate for it. It’s OK to place goals in the same box and in a relative position depending on your priority for each goal.
As you complete the priority matrix, you will see that some rise to the top right and some fall to the bottom left. That’s exactly what we want to have happen. And throughout your career, there will be changes to this list. And that’s OK. Remember we discussed not deleting any of the ideas that came out of brainstorming? This is the reason. Some goals will naturally fall into the “do never” block. It’s possible that your thinking will change someday, and if so, at least you have recorded it here for future reference.
Time for a breather
OK, if you think about it for a minute, getting your lifetime career goals down on paper is really quite an accomplishment. Few people do this, which is why you are in the 3% club, working your way to the 1% club. Congratulations!
Before we move on, be sure you are satisfied that when you look at the professional goal priority matrix, you see everything you want to do in your professional career in the order in which you want to do it.
Like we did last week after our brainstorming session, we are going to take a week off and use our quiet time to reflect and ponder the document we just created. Be sure you are happy with it, or seek outside help to get it to where you want it before moving on. This is a very important step because the money you make from your career will likely fund pretty much everything you want to do in life.
Next, we’ll add these professional goals to the professional goal template. I’ve kept the link for the book, What Color is Your Parachute, for this post, in case you want to buy it to keep as a resource. It’s an excellent book and I’ve purchased a couple of them over my career.
That’s all for this week!
Prioritizing Your Professional Goals
Afterburner Success Partners
http://absuccesspartners.com/
What’s in it for me?
If you want to get ahead in life, you must take meaningful action that follows a proven path. Getting ahead in business is about learning what to do and then doing it over time. Learn the culture, have a mentor, and have a plan.
Call to Action
Just. Do. Something. Make a decision on what you want or need to do, define the path, and get after it. Do it today.
Recommended Resources
See notes below.
Up Next
The Professional Goals Template
Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
What Color is Your Parachute by Nelson Bolles: https://amzn.to/4d6g25M
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us, by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/437OhVQ
Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life, by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/3IxEFgy