assignment 1-5

*Note*: Developing a strategic plan requires specific steps that need to be
executed in a sequence. The assessments in this course are presented in
order and should be completed in sequence.

Develop and write your own personal mission statement. Be clear about your
passion, values, goals, and philosophies. Once you have your mission
statement articulated, explain how it:

 - Expresses your image of yourself.
 - Expresses your values and philosophies.
 - Identifies what you have to offer.

Explain how your mission statement answers the following questions:

 - What are your economic goals?
 - What is your philosophy in terms of quality and image?
 - What are your core competencies and competitive advantages?
 - What "customers" do you serve best?
 - How do you view your responsibilities to those who rely on you?

Format this assessment as a research paper, following current APA
guidelines for both style and citing sources, making sure that you also use
correct grammar and mechanics. There is no required minimum or maximum page
length; however, you should strive to be as detailed as possible in
addressing each bullet point while also being as clear and concise as
possible.

assignment 2

*Note*: Developing a strategic plan requires specific steps that need to be
executed in a sequence. The assessments in this course are presented in
order and should be completed in sequence.

Conduct a personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT)
analysis. In your analysis, consider the following:

*Strengths*

 - What advantages do you have that others do not (skills, education,
 experience, certifications)?
 - What achievements are you most proud of?
 - What do you do better than anyone else?
 - What do you think others would see as your strengths?
 - Do you have special connections that others may not have?
 - What personal resources do you have available?

Be sure to consider how others see you—not just how you see yourself.

*Weaknesses*

 - Are there tasks you avoid doing because you do not feel confident
 doing them?
 - Do you have any negative work habits (often late, disorganized, easily
 stressed)?
 - Do you feel confident about your skills, experience, and education?
 - Do you have any personality traits that might hold you back? For
 example, do you have a fear of public speaking, yet work where you are
 expected to conduct regular meetings?

Again, consider how others see you.

*Opportunities*

 - Do you have a network of influential contacts that can help or offer
 advice?
 - Is there a need in your company or industry that no one else has been
 able to fill?
 - Are there trends in your company that you can use to your advantage?
 - Can you offer solutions to problems within your company?

*Threats*

 - What kind of obstacles are you facing at work?
 - Are there co-workers/colleagues competing with you for positions or
 projects?
 - Has the nature of your job changed?
 - Does technology pose a threat to your position?
 - Do any of your weaknesses pose a threat?
 - What threats to your overall plan are there?

Once you have completed your SWOT analysis, identify strategies that you
can use to capitalize on your strengths and open up opportunities, and
address ways you can minimize areas of weakness and eliminate threats.
Consider asking a trusted peer or friend to review your SWOT analysis and
provide you with honest feedback. Analyze the feedback you receive and
include that analysis in your assessment. Were there aspects of the
feedback that surprised you?

To successfully complete this assessment, you may need to do some research
on writing a SWOT analysis. Format this assessment as a research paper
following current APA guidelines for both style and citing sources, making
sure that you also use correct grammar and mechanics. There is no required
minimum or maximum page length; however, you should strive to be as
detailed as possible in addressing each bullet point, while also being as
clear and concise as possible


assignment 3

*Note*: Developing a strategic plan requires specific steps that need to be
executed in a sequence. The assessments in this course are presented in
order and should be completed in sequence.

Conduct an environmental scan in which you focus on both the internal and
external factors that could affect your success within your chosen
industry. Include in your scan responses to the following. Be sure to use
the information from your SWOT analysis to explain how you will address
both the internal and external issues.

 - *Internal Factors:* What specific things do you need to do in order to
 achieve the position you would like to have? In other words, what do you
 need to do to climb the corporate ladder in your industry?
 - *External Factors:* Examine the state of the current market or
 industry. What issues currently exist? How might these issues influence the
 future state of the industry? How will these issues affect your long-term
 and short-term goals?

To successfully complete this assessment, you may need to do some research
on conducting an environmental scan. Format this assessment as a research
paper following current APA guidelines for both style and citing sources,
making sure that you also use correct grammar and mechanics. There is no
required minimum or maximum page length; however, you should strive to be
as detailed as possible in addressing each bullet point, while also being
as clear and concise as possible


assignment 4

*Note*: Developing a strategic plan requires specific steps that need to be
executed in a sequence. The assessments in this course are presented in
order and should be completed in sequence.

Success in any endeavor requires focus, long-term planning, and effort.
Most long-term objectives require short-term achievements.

Use what you have learned about yourself through the SWOT analysis and
environmental scan you completed to develop a long-term and a short-term
plan for yourself. Complete the following:

 1. Start by describing your 5-year professional and financial
 objectives.
 - What title or position would you like to have?
 - Where would you like to be financially?
 2. Based on the results of your SWOT analysis and environmental scan,
 determine the following:
 - What skills do you need to develop to achieve your 5-year
 objectives?
 - Is your industry changing? What do you need to do to grow with it?
 - What resources do you have to help you achieve your 5-year
 objectives? (Hint: Resources can mean more than financial; are
there people
 you know who can help you achieve your objective?)
 3. Now develop a short-term plan that will help you achieve your
 long-term objectives:
 - What will you need to accomplish each year to achieve your 5-year
 objectives?
 - What monthly/weekly/daily steps will help you reach your long-term
 objectives?
 - How will you address obstacles that occur along the way?

To successfully complete this assessment, you may need to do some research
on developing long-term and short-term plans. Format this assessment as a
research paper following current APA guidelines for both style and citing
sources, making sure that you also use correct grammar and mechanics. There
is no required minimum or maximum page length; however, you should strive
to be as detailed as possible in addressing each point, while also being as
clear and concise as possible


assignment 5
In the previous assessments, you have developed your mission statement,
conducted a personal SWOT analysis and environmental scan, and laid out
your long-term and short-term objectives. Now, you will create a strategic
plan to achieve your objectives.

Your completed Strategic Action Plan will be based on the information from
your mission statement, your SWOT analysis, environmental scan, and your
long-term and short-term plans; however, you do *not *need to include these
items in this assessment.

Develop a strategic action plan in which you address the following:

 - Specific steps you will need to take in the next year to achieve your
 5-year objectives.
 - A time frame for completing each action.
 - The scorecard you will use to measure the success of each action.
 - The functional tactics you will use to achieve your short-term
 objectives.
 - The resources (financial, human, and other) you will use to complete
 each action.
 - An analysis of the monetary ramifications of each action.
 - A plan for monitoring the progress of the action plan.
 - A plan for handling obstacles or roadblocks.
 - An explanation of how your overall strategic plan reflects your
 mission statement.

To successfully complete this assessment, you may need to do some research
on strategic action plans. Format this assessment as a research paper
following current APA guidelines for both style and citing sources, making
sure that you also use correct grammar and mechanics. There is no required
minimum or maximum page length; however, you should strive to be as
detailed as possible in addressing each bullet point, while also being as
clear and concise as possible.