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SMART Goals

Statement

This assignment intends to help you develop an in-depth understanding of the S-M-A-R-T goals concept and reflect on it in a systematic way. You will use the description of S-M-A-R-T goals in section 6.7 of Chapter 6 in the text, to expand on your personal goals and objectives developed in the Unit 5 Instructor Graded Assignment.

  • Provide examples of personal goals and objectives using SMART Criteria.
  • Review the S-M-A-R-T goals concept in section 6.7 of Chapter 6 in the text.
  • Choose 2-3 personal goals and objectives that you developed in the Unit 5 Instructor Graded Assignment.
  • Develop each goal into a SMART goal. State each goal in specific terms and indicate with bullet points how each goal is measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.
  • Select one of the S-M-A-R-T goals and describe how would you achieve the goal using the PDAD (plan-do-act-dare) cycle.
  • Submit your completed assignment in a clear and organized manner. Your assignment should be 750 to 1000 words not including the reference list.
  • Support your thoughts and plans using references from the textbook and instruction materials. Use APA citations and references for any sources used in the assignment. Here is a quick link to understand writing with APA.

Answer

Introduction

The general framework for having successful goal setting and achievements is to start with a clear personal mission and vision, and then create a strategy that extracts goals into 4 areas: financial, others, individual strengths, and learning and growth. The goals are then further followed by objectives, metrics, and tactical activities that define the boundaries around the goal (Carpenter et al., 2010).

Carpenter et al. (2010) state that “your mission and vision reflect who you are and where you want to go. Personal Mission reflects your values and philosophy of life. Personal Vision captures what you want to achieve”, and describe the S-M-A-R-T goals concept as a way to set objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Mission, Vision, and Goals

This section will include the Mission, Vision, and Goals developed in Unit 5, which are as follows:

My Mission is to use my hard work, dedication, analytical skills, integrity, family-centeredness, philosophical thinking, and swiftness to deliver software projects that make a difference in the world.

My Vision is to become a Senior Software Engineer who specializes in embedded systems for medical devices, combining my Pharmacy and Software Engineering knowledge to make a difference in the world.

My Goals are as follows:

  • I want to graduate with a Computer Science degree in 1 year.
  • I want to combine my Pharmacy and Software Engineering knowledge to specialize in embedded systems for medical devices in 10 years.
  • I want to own my first house in 5 years.

To Graduate with a Computer Science Degree

To make the goal of graduating with a Computer Science degree a SMART goal, we frame it as follows:

  • Specific:
    • To graduate from the faculty of Computer Science at the University of the People.
  • Measurable:
    • To complete all the required courses with a minimum grade of 70%.
    • Only 8 courses are left to complete the degree.
    • So, I need to complete 2 courses per term.
  • Achievable:
    • To study 20 hours per week per course.
    • This will require the 2 days of the weekend to be preserved for studying.
    • I also need at least 2-3 hours of study per day during the week (except Fridays).
  • Relevant:
    • The degree will officially qualify me to work as a Software Engineer (despite already working in the field).
    • The acquired knowledge will help me to start my journey to become a Senior Software Engineer.
  • Time-bound:
    • The degree should be completed in 1 year.
    • Another 2 terms (6 months) can be added if I find some courses challenging, and need to take them separately.

To Become a Senior embedded systems Software Engineer

To make the goal of becoming a Senior Software Engineer who specializes in embedded systems for medical devices a SMART goal, we frame it as follows:

  • Specific:
    • To become a Senior Software Engineer who specializes in embedded systems for medical devices.
    • The embedded field is a specialization that builds systems designed to perform closer to the hardware.
    • The medical devices field is an inner section of the embedded field that focuses on medical hardware.
  • Measurable:
    • To become a Senior Software Engineer, I need to have at least 5 years of experience.
    • To graduate with a Master’s degree in the field of embedded systems, by the end of the 5 years.
    • To spend 5 hours per week on personal projects that are related to the field.
  • Achievable:
    • To work in a company that specializes in embedded systems for medical devices.
  • Relevant:
    • The acquired knowledge will help me to boost my career and financial situation.
  • Time-bound:
    • The goal should be achieved in 5-7 years.
    • 2-3 years for the Master’s degree, and 2-3 years for the experience.

To Own My First House

To make the goal of owning my first house a SMART goal, we frame it as follows:

  • Specific:
    • To own a house in the city of London.
    • The house should have at least 2 bedrooms.
    • The house should be located in zones 5-7 (North West London is preferred).
  • Measurable:
    • To save £10,000 per year for the next 5 years.
    • To have a total of £50,000 saved by the end of the 5 years.
    • The creditors can give up to 5 times the annual salary and require a 10% deposit.
  • Achievable:
    • This is hard with the current salary and cost of living in London, but we should cut unnecessary expenses.
    • Looking for extra income sources after graduation.
  • Relevant:
    • The house will provide a stable living environment for the family.
  • Time-bound:
    • The house should be bought by the end of the 5 years.
    • With the rise of cost-of-living and house prices, this may be stretched to 7 years.

PDAD for Becoming a Senior Software Engineer

The Plan-Do-Act-Dare (PDAD) cycle is a continuous improvement cycle that can be used to achieve goals. To achieve the goal of becoming a Senior Software Engineer who specializes in embedded systems for medical devices, we can use the PDAD cycle as follows:

  • Plan: The plan is a balanced scorecard that covers the 4 areas of financial, others, individual strengths, and learning and growth. with objectives, metrics, and tactical activities that define the boundaries around the goal; as follows:
Area Objective Metric Tactical Activities
Financial To be able to afford a Master’s degree in 2 years Increase salary by 10% Cut unnecessary expenses, look for extra income sources, negotiate salary with employer
Others To look for mentor in the field Have a mentor with 5 years of experience Attend conferences, meetups, and networking events
Individual Strengths To refresh my knowledge medical field Be efficient in both software and healthcare Read notes from previous university
Learning and Growth To acquire the necessary knowledge Understand ins and outs of the field Read books, work on side projects, attend courses
  • Do:
    • The act is to execute the plan, by following the tactical activities from the simplest to the hardest.
    • We will start the financial tactical activities as of now, and by next year, we should start learning and strengths activities.
  • Act:
    • Should anything unexpected or opportunities arise, we should act on them.
    • The measures and metrics should be reviewed every 6 months.
  • Dare:
    • The dare is to take risks and try new things.
    • If negotiations with the current employer fail, we should dare to look for a new job.
    • We may look for creditors to afford the Master’s degree, but we should try to do it without debt first.

Conclusion

This was a good exercise to reflect on my life goals, and as it connects to the previous assignment it made the learning process more connected. SMART goals are a powerful way to prepare for future achievements, and the PDAD cycle is another way to rethink those goals. We learned that crafting goals is a skill that only gets better with practice and that we can not be proficient as a result of one exercise, but it should tried when possible.

References