Kaplan University Graduate School of Management SELF DIRE !

ED LE"R#I#G $L"#
The Self Directed Learning Plan (SDLP) is a process and document to chronicle your accomplishments and learning steps through the MBA program and beyond as they relate to your professional goals. The SDLP ill help you to identify and target the array of competencies you need to reach your professional ob!ecti"es and to help you organi#e your $aplan MBA learning e%perience to suit your career ob!ecti"es. The SDLP ill be a section of your &areer Portfolio' so ta(e some )uality introspecti"e time to consider strengths and areas of de"elopment rele"ant to your career ob!ecti"es. *e encourage you to contact &areer Ser"ices for feedbac( on rele"ant competencies for your career goal' as ell as other insights. By (no ing your strengths and areas to de"elop' you can begin a plan to find out hat you need to do to achie"e your career goals. *e encourage you to continue to reflect on the identified areas throughout the MBA program. +f you feel strength or de"elopment area is no longer rele"ant' you may add another to ta(e its place. At any time' you may also add additional areas. %our #ame, -ichelle &ooper ourse !itle& Strategic Management $rofessional Goal '()* years+ from no,& 3"er the ne%t .45 years' + plan to increase and enhance my or( e%perience and education that is rele"ant to me becoming a Payroll6Benefits Manager. + ould li(e to enter into this role ith the 7ederal 8o"ernment' as or(ing ith the 7ederal 8o"ernment is one of the most prestigious organi#ations to or( for in the *ashington' D& area. 9pon completion of my MBA at $aplan 9ni"ersity' + ould li(e to or( to ards obtaining Payroll &ertifications such as the &ertified Payroll Professional (&PP) or the 7undamental Payroll &ertification (7P&) or e"en both. + also intend to let my MBA from $aplan 9ni"ersity enhance my finances. As + mo"e closer to the 54year mar( of my professional !ourney' + hope that my e%perience and education allo me to perform ade)uately at all Payroll6Benefits le"els. Although my goal is to become the Payroll6Benefits Manager' + ant my (no ledge and professionalism to allo me to or( all parts of the hierarchy system. + see the ne%t fe years as an opportunity to not only increases my responsibility to increase my professional (no ledge but also increase my company. Strengths to Leverage Step -& The most effecti"e and satisfied people align their or( ith their natural strong points. +dentify .45 of your (ey strengths (see &olumn 1 belo ): these could be a competency' s(ill' ability' (no ledge area or personal characteristic. Thin( about ho you can le"erage those strengths to be effecti"e in your or(' achie"e your professional goals' and become a leader in your profession. Step ., At the beginning of each course in your MBA program' ans er the follo ing )uestion either using this template or a narrati"e format. *hat do you e%pect to learn in this course that ill help you le"erage your strengths; (see &olumn 0 belo ). Be as specific as you can' e.g.' assume that a strength is your analytical ability. <ou might e%pect to understand more about macro economics so that you can analy#e ho the Date& April ./' 0/12

housing crisis affects other segments of the economy' such as interest rates or unemployment. At the beginning of the course you are not e%pected to be an e%pert in all facets of the course learning: ho e"er' you can glean "aluable insights from the course description or purpose' course and unit learning ob!ecti"es' and from unit themes. Step (, At the end of each course (9nit =) ans er the follo ing )uestions either using this template or a narrati"e format. Did you learn hat you e%pected to learn; (see &olumn . belo ). *as there information or insights that helped you that you didn>t e%pect to learn at the outset of the course; 7or e%ample' not only did you learn about macro economics' but you learned some soft are tools that help in conducting an economic analysis. *hat changes or additions' if any' ill you ma(e to your SDLP based on learning in this course; Step -& Strengths to Leverage Precision Step .& ourse Learning Goals Step (& ourse /utcomes 0 "ssessment

Logical

G1*23& Foster precision4 Precision and accuracy are essential hen it comes to the orld of business. These attributes are contingent upon an indi"idual>s comprehension of the corporate process' and the re"ie of strategy enhancement and e%ecution. + e%pect to e%pand my (no ledge and s(ills in business precision and accuracy by comprehending the de"elopment of a strategy can"as' utility map' customer tiers' etc. G1*23& Foster more analytics4 Throughout this course' + e%pect to gain more systematic s(ills hen it comes to strategic management. By the end of this si% ee( course' + e%pect to ha"e the ability to apply a ne set of learned analytical s(ills that ill assist me in determining an organi#ation>s mission and "ision' it strategy and position ithin the mar(etplace. G1*23& Foster personal goals of high mar5s4 My strength to set high personal goals ill allo me to complete my or( most effecti"ely and efficiently in order to obtain the best grades possible. The course assignments ill allo me to demonstrate and enhance my (no ledge of the purpose and functions of strategic management and

G1*23& Foster precision and accuracy through home,or5 assignments4 ?ia the home or( assignments + am better able to connect the distinct components of managing and operating a business. The strategy can"as' utility map' customer tiers' etc. pro"ided the "isuali#ation of ho other components of business help to create the bigger picture from a business standpoint.

G1*23& Foster logistics through discussion 6oards and home,or5 assignments4 +n order to post and respond accurately to the decision boards and successful complete the home or( assignments' logical and analytical thin(ing as needed. The discussion board )uestions assisted me in reali#ing the importance of utili#ing systematic s(ills as they pertain to strategic management. *hen analy#ing strategic information in business en"ironments comprehensi"e decisions and effecti"e analysis is needed. This course pro"ided me ith the necessary tools to sharpen my logistical and analytical s(ills as + pursue my career in Business Administration. G1*23& Foster enhanced 5no,ledge through Strategic Management4 Aach unit assignment throughout this course challenged my (no ledge and comprehension of strategic analysis. The home or( assignments6discussion boards re)uired me to gain a full understanding of the respecti"e materials in order to maintain my high standards of performance and achie"e high scores.

@igh Performance Standards

comprehend the core processes of managing a business.

"reas to Develop Step -& *e all ha"e strengths' but e also ha"e areas on hich e need to impro"e. As related to your career goal' identify .45 areas to de"elop (see &olumn 1 belo ): these could be a competency' s(ill' ability' (no ledge area or personal characteristic. Thin( about ho you can impro"e in these areas so that you can achie"e your professional goals and become a leader in your profession. Step ., At the beginning of each course ans er the follo ing )uestion either using this template or a narrati"e format. *hat do you e%pect to learn in this course that ill help you to de"elop in the identified area; (see &olumn 0 belo ). Step (, At the end of each course (9nit =) ans er the follo ing )uestions either using this template or a narrati"e format. Did you learn hat you e%pected to learn; (see &olumn . belo ). *as there information or insights that helped you that you didn>t e%pect to learn at the outset of the course; *hat changes or additions' if any' ill you ma(e to your SDLP based on learning in this course; Step -& "reas to develop &an appear indecisi"e Step .& ourse Learning Goals G1*23& Foster decision ma5ing4 3ne of my goals throughout this course is to enhance my decision ma(ing s(ills by increasing my (no ledge of the strategic aspect of business decisions' and forming good recommendations and outcomes. G1*23& omplete tas5 ,hile demonstrating 5no,ledge of strategic management functions and purpose. + e%pect that this course ill enhance my (no ledge and application of strategic management. + also e%pect that this course ill assist me in not focusing on the difficulties + had in prior courses related to strategic management ho e"er' loo( for ard to completing this course ith success. G1*23& omplete assignments ,ith self recognition4 + e%pect that this course ill sho me that my efforts ill not al ays be recogni#ed by others as this course does not present any team assignments. + e%pect that this course ill allo me to see that sometimes e ha"e to gi"e self recognition and be proud of the or( e ha"e done: as it may only benefit oneself in the end. Step (& ourse /utcomes 0 "ssessment G1*23& Foster 6etter decision4 This course afforded me the opportunity to ma(e decisi"e decisions and enhance my ability to identify the effects of my decisions. *hen it came to the home or( assignments and discussion boards + ha"e to be confident in my decisions as a"ering could ultimately affect my grades. G1*23& Learned past failures do not hinder future successes4 This course taught me that !ust because + may ha"e no prior (no ledge or failed pre"ious strategic related management courses did not mean + as going to fail this course. The course materials ere presented in a ay that enhanced my ability to learn and grasp the concepts of ho strategic concepts are used and analy#ed in business en"ironments. + am not one for team assignments ho e"er' the team + as placed for the course pro"ed that not all teams or team assignments ill return negati"e results. G1*23& Learned self recognition is o54 Although Professor Bin pro"ided comments of ho ell + performed after each assignment' + as happy in !ust (no ing ho proud + as of myself and the hard or( and efforts + put into completing each assignment. + as e%tremely pleased ith final pro!ect' )ui##es and final e%am. Those assignments allo ed me to ac(no ledge the talents + ha"e. +n the e"ent feedbac( as not pro"ided by Professor Bin' my o n self recognition as good enough.

The tendency to focus upon past failures rather than significant successes

May feel deflated if her efforts are not recogni#ed