OGL 482 Pro-Seminar II

Module 6 Assignment:
Career Plan Template

Section 1: Creating your BHAG

Following the information in the “Good to Great Connections” PowerPoint presentation and all
of the additional information provided under the Module 4 content area, and taking your Personal
Mission Statement development efforts into consideration, carefully develop your own personal
long term BHAG (***one amazingly HUGE, your world changing goal***). The timeframe for
your BHAG is 10-25 years out, however it will depend upon your age. For example, a 55 year
old person might be closer to the 10 year BHAG, whereas a 30 year old or younger person
should be considering a BHAG 25 years out. This BHAG may be related to your overall
life/lifestyle aspirations, or it could be related to some organizational, protean, or
entrepreneurial vision you have for the future. Dig deep and and go beyond the job. That is up to
you. What it needs to be is BIG! HUGE! REALLY HAIRY! STRETCH YOURSELF! LOOK
BEYOND GRADUATE DEGREE! LOOK BEYOND A JOB! HOW WILL YOU MAKE A
DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD???? I RECOMMEND WE MEET TO DISCUSS IT TO
ENSURE ITS HUGENESS.

Answer the following:

1) What is your BHAG (***one amazingly HUGE, your world changing goal***)?

I want to retire when I turn 57, 20.5 years from now.

2) Why is this your BHAG?

Over the years retiring early has been a staple long term goal that I have had. I have
adjusted the age many times, as my life and finances have moved along, but the goal has
always been there.

3) How does your BHAG align with your vision statement from Module 4?

To live life as me. Through introspection and hard work, I continually better myself and
my family. – Vision Statement

I have lived my life this way for several years now. Even before I returned to school. I
have gone from making $500 a month to over six figures a year. It has been a slow
process but the more I learn about myself the better I can focus my energies. Taking
what I have learned from school and my plans for future education I can retire in 20
years, maybe not completely but not beholden to a steady 9-5. Allowing me to spend
more time with my family, which in 20 years, might have grandchildren involved.

4) How does your BHAG align with your mission statement from Module 4?

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 To live my life in such a way that my beliefs are visible. Striving to work hard and add
value to my life and that of my family. Relying on a foundation of communication and
adaptability to understand and react to the world around me. Living as me, seeking to
better understand myself to add to my beliefs. –Mission Statement

I have learned a lot about myself over the last two years. I have confirmed much of what
I already thought, and this has allowed me to push myself in a way I had not been able to
before. I will continue to do this. I work with my spouse on all family goals and we have
spoken about when we should be done working. We have some hurdles to get over but
what we have learned about communication in our marriage makes them smaller than
they would be separate.

5) List your top five (5) obstacles in order from number 5 being least difficult and
number 1 being most difficult you need to overcome in order to obtain your BHAG
and explain the relevance of each one.

1. Poor financial decisions were made when I was younger.

a. Between student loans, I took out during my first attempt at college and some
upside-down vehicles we have just paid off we have needed to adjust our
spending habits to make an effort at financial security.

2. The cost of children.

a. I am looking at the unplanned events. Staring down the barrel of two kids in
braces keeps me looking at what else have I not thought of that will be a
financial burden if not prepared for. Putting the car in drive instead of reverse
and ending the garage door. Getting past the financial obstacle I have already
started on will go a long way to reducing this one.

3. Getting a graduate degree.

a. This one is at number three because I think the hardest part will be committing
myself to do it. I have GI Bill time left to help with the cost, but the drain on
my family for this degree was considerable and I want to take some time to let
that wear off.

4. Paying off the house.

a. I have significantly more than 20 years left on our mortgage. This will be one
of the big signs to myself that I need to start considering a time to retire. With
the effort put into financial health, this obstacle should fall much sooner.

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 5. Deciding to stop working.
a. I have not decided yet what retirement looks like. Do I only stop working full
time? How board will I get without having work to occupy my time? The
answers to these questions and more will help me decide on what retirement
is.

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Section 2: Career Vision
Consider your long-term vision for your career. Respond to the following questions, and make
connections to your personal mission statement, your BHAG(s), the themes you developed in
Module 4, and the textbook/supplemental readings (as applicable).

Answer the following:

1) Analyze the type of career you want to have, in terms of an organizational career or
a protean career, make sure it is clear you understand the concepts as outlined in
the textbook. Why?

I want a moderately organizational career. I currently work in a decent-sized

organization that allows me to work in an industry that I can use as a stepping stone for
the future. At the same time, it allows me to keep my family at the forefront of my life. I
have a lot of freedom in my schedule and I would not want to give that up if the
organization wanted me to sit in a cubicle call day. I am willing to make sacrifices for
my company but there are limits if they begin to affect my family.

2) Analyze your career with an explanation as one that moves you up the organization
or one you develop seeking alternative career paths. If you see yourself taking an
alternative career path, which one(s) sound the most likely? Why?

I was just promoted two months ago so I am not due to move up for a while. This
promotion came after only a year of being at the company so I feel that I have some time
to put in before I work at moving up again. Right now I am positioned well to move up
within my company or leverage the experience I am gaining to move up into a different
company. I have also explored stepping out on my own and starting my own business.

3) Discuss and explain if you see yourself working an alternative or flexible work
schedule/arrangement? If so, which ones and why?

I have not worked a regular schedule in almost six years. I spent 4 years on the road,
pulling 70-80 hour weeks, making my own schedule up along the way. Over the past
year, my team works a compressed workweek, and being able to spend time with each of
them means that my schedule ranges from 4 am to 10 pm. I enjoy this flexibility to the
point that it will be a stipulation for future jobs.

4) Research and post current, or past, job postings from your local area, across the
country, or from around the world which illustrate how you might reach your
BHAG. Be sure to provide the Job Title, a small description, and why it supports
your BHAG when you provide the URL. Websites such as CareerBuilder, Monster,
or Indeed might be a good place to begin. Also, career-specific websites such as

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 SHRM.org or AICPA.org often have job postings. Provide 2 listings for each of the
following time periods:

a. 2 years from today

i. Service Manager, Supervise a staff of technicians who install, repair and

maintain commercial heating and air conditioning systems.

ii. This is similar to what I do now. I lateral move away from my current
company if things stop working as well as they are.

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Trotter-&-Morton-Group-of-
Companies/jobs?jk=785f3fac055bd1cc&start=0

iii. Field Support Supervisor.  Receives assignments in the form of objectives

with goals and the process by which to meet goals

iv. This job can keep me in the current area that I work in but is part of a
different company. A job I could fall back to if needed.

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Kla--tencor/jobs?q=supervisor&l=Tualatin
%2C+OR#cmp-skip-header-desktop

b. 5 years from today

i. Operations Manager, Report to the VP of Operations and have ownership

of a business unit in order to reach targets.

ii. This would be a natural progression for me. A step up.

https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=operations%20manager&l=Tualatin%2C
%20OR&vjk=18252cbe51bed11b

iii. Opearations Manager, The Operations Manager leads the Supply Chain
Solutions (SCS) team to consistently deliver complete, accurate, and timely
storage,

iv. Another step up.

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Relay-Resources/jobs

c. 10 years from today

i. Director, Total Rewards, HR Operations & People Analytics

ii. This is more in line with want I want to do. It is a step up from anything
previously but with the freedom to tackle challenges outside the box.

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 https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Tektronix/jobs

iii. Director Plant Manufacturing – Vancouver

iv. I have a strong history of consumer product manufacturing. This would

provide a path forward to retirement.

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Church-&-Dwight-Co./jobs

d. BHAG Achievement Year 2041

i. Vice President, HR Operations

ii. Natural progression from where I am at now with no further influences. I

could retire after a few years working this job.

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Ttm-Technologies/jobs

iii. VP of HR and Organizational Development

iv. Moving away from my current field has its appeal. I have 20.5 years to
adjust where I’m going, this would be a fun place to end.

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Ttm-Technologies/jobs

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Section 3: Long-Term Strategy
Develop a strategy for moving toward your ideal future work/life situation and the realization of
your BHAG(s). Consider the timeframe for your BHAG(s). Provide a vivid description of life
“the way it will be” once your BHAG is realized.

1) Critically think about and then list out (not a narrative format) the interim steps or
milestones you have laid out for yourself that will aid you in reaching your BHAG
(you should have at least 10 to earn a rating of excellent and be referenced by time)

1. Graduate
2. Grad School
3. 2 Kids in Braces
4. Mortgage
5. Leave current company
6. Start my own company
7. Kids graduation from highschool
8. New Car
9. New House
10. Put in the notice.

2) In addition to career-related roles, consider your other life roles in relation to your
career goals. Revisit your responses to the Identities Exercise that you completed in
Module 1 of the course. Based on your long-term strategy what are the 3 most
precious things you are willing to sacrifice, besides time, to achieve your BHAG?
Why?

1. Excessive couch time

a. Retiring early means using the time I have available inn productive ways.
There are times when relaxing on the couch are needed for mental health.
There are also times that the couch calls when we need to put work in.
Whether that work is put into school, the house, or my family, getting off the
couch can be a strong first move.
2. Low Stress
a. Not all stress is bad. I enjoy having low stress days where everything falls
into place and the amount of effort I need to put in to push things along does
not weigh me down. However to beat the retirement clock, I’ll need to be
willing to work in a higher stress situation to push myself farther faster.
3. Wantonly Spending Money
a. I want to enjoy the money I make because I do work hard for it. But putting
more into savings or investments can allow me to stop working sooner. Not
buying the newest tech or getting the added guacamole could end up letting
me retire even earlier.

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Section 4: The one to two year plan
Using a SMART goals-based approach, as well as project planning and management skill best
practices, create a detailed project plan for at least two specific goals. At least one must be
related to your long-term BHAG. The other may be related to some other aspect of your career
development or career-life integration. Both of these goals need to be things that you are
passionate about accomplishing.

Your selected goals and SMART plan (see SMART goal information provided in the module)
should be structured based on a one to two-year timeline. It should include specific milestones,
action items, sub-tasks as well as task-related interdependencies as applicable. With respect to
each goal, critically think about what specifically are the things you will do in the next one to
two years to achieve these goals.

Develop a clear and detailed SMART plan, with facilitating goals and steps/actions required
to accomplish your selected goals. It should be evident, by looking at the format and structure
of your plan, that you have developed some significant skills respect to project management.
Include Gantt charts (T) or other visual project representations as you see fit, and be sure to
address your approach to tracking/measuring your progress (M).

1) What is your #1 Goal? Begin graduate program

a. Specific – Start a graduate program no later than Spring 2022

b. Measurable – There are several steps that will need to be accomplished in order to
start a program. Each of these will be used as a check to ensure tha I am moving
towards the goal.

c. Attainable – I returned to school as a working adult already. I want to continue

on with my education. I have enough remaining GI Bill to pay for the majority of
a graduate program.

d. Relevant – Moving into some of the positions that I would like to, a Masters
degree would provide a huge boost.

e. Time-Based – the process should take about a year to work through. Pending any
roadblocks that need navigating around, starting in either Fall 2021 or Spring
2022 is acceptable.

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 2) What is your #2 Goal? Upsize my house by fall 2023

a. S – Staying home due to COVID19 has made it obvious that our house needs to
be bigger.

b. M – My current house size is 1610 square feet. There are bigger houses out there.

c. A – With some work on our finances, and the appreciation of our current house
will allow us to financially make this work.

d. R – My family needs this.

e. T – We have been in our current house for 2 years. Our original commitment was
for five in order to gain value from the home. We are on track.