Leadership Communication Development Plan

Overview

Now that we're starting to think about leadership communication in general, it's time to start getting specific. The good news is, it's all about you! Rather than being assigned a research or term paper for this course, you will each draft and polish a leadership communication development plan (LCDP) based on a checklist provided in the Leadership Communication text. The plan will consist of three parts which we will approach incrementally throughout the term in order to keep this project manageable. The plan worksheets are attached below for your reference. Your completed plan will consist of:

• Part 1: Self-Assessment
• Part 2: Goal Setting
• Part 3: Action Plan

Please note:

• The worksheet that you complete for each part of your plan will serve as a guideline for your final paper, but the plan you submit will consist of a narrative report without the guiding questions posed in the worksheets.
• You will not turn in the checklist itself as part of your project; it is for your reference only.
• While a certain level of soul-searching will be inherent in the creation of your plan, I do not expect you to disclose matters which are deeply personal to you. I do expect that you will demonstrate some degree of self-awareness and self-reflection in your plan, but you should not feel obligated to reveal your innermost thoughts and feelings. All plans will remain confidential as a matter of academic policy.
• You may not submit a leadership plan created for another course as your project for this course. While work you have completed previously may inform your approach to this assignment, the actual requirements differ from those of any other course and necessitate a fresh attempt.

Please post any questions you might have regarding this assignment in the Q&A forum. Odds are good that you're not the only one wondering about something!

Context

Consider this plan an assignment from your HR Director in preparation for your annual review. Let's say that your organization has undertaken an initiative to boost leadership at every level. All employees have been asked to assess their current leadership communication skills as objectively as possible in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses.

Everyone's performance review requires the development of an action plan for improving these skills. Prior to meeting with the HR Director, you have been asked to submit a report detailing your leadership communication development plan.

Guidelines

These guidelines detail what is expected in your Leadership Communication Development Plan, including content and formatting. Be sure to post any questions you might have in the Q&A forum.

Part 1: Taking Stock

You will begin your self-assessment by completing this checklist representing a wide range of communication skills. Be as objective as you can about your abilities. If you are good at something, acknowledge it! Likewise, if you haven't had any experience in a particular area, you most likely need to develop those skills.

Once you have filled out the checklist, use this worksheet to score your current abilities in these areas, then evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Consider each section of the checklist as a whole--how are your skills in each general area?

There are no set standards for evaluating your current skills--it's up to you to apply your own standards to these rankings. They should reflect your opinion solely. How do you think you are doing? What feedback do you receive from others about your skills in these areas? Invest some time thinking about the follow-up questions as they will form the basis for the narrative that you will prepare for the HR director when you draft your formal LCDP for your annual review.

Part I will provide the foundation of the Introduction to your LCDP. A polished draft of this section of your plan will be submitted for review early in the fourth week of class. Be sure to review the related section of the LCDP Score Sheet as you prepare your draft.

Part 2: Setting Goals

Now that you've identified your strengths and weaknesses, where do you want to go from here? Which areas do you most want (or need) to address? What role do you want to play in an organization or in your own business? Who can help you get where you would like to be? How will you know that you have arrived?

Using this worksheet, review the results of the initial analysis that you conducted in Part I. Consider your strengths and how you might build upon them to develop areas where your skills are less strong.

This section will form the basis for your actual leadership communication development plan. It will answer the "so what?" offered by the review of your strengths and weaknesses presented in the introduction. A polished draft of this section will be submitted in the ninth week of class for review. Be sure to review the related section of the LCDP Score Sheet as you prepare your draft.

Part 3: Making Plans

Now that you've identified the areas that you would like to improve, how do you propose to achieve this effect? What actions can you take to improve your skills? How soon can you complete them? How will you know if you have made progress toward your goals?

This worksheet will help you develop your action plan. The action steps that you identify will contribute to the development of your formal LCDP. The action plan that you create for your goals will be submitted with your narrative for Part II in the ninth week of class for review. Be sure to review the related section of the LCDP Score Sheet as you prepare your action plan.

Keep in mind that the most effective action plans include specific information regarding each step, clear deadlines, and measurable outcomes. Goals should include an action verb. Here are some examples:

Score Sheet

As you create each section of your Leadership Communication Development Plan, review the attached score sheet. Are you confident that you have met all of the requirements for each section? What are you unsure about?

Please post any questions you have about the score sheet in the Course Q&A forum.