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KG689 Graduate Internship Preparation
Lesson Plan: Week 4
Dr. D. Tennyson, DBA
Week 4 Topic and Assignment: Goal Setting
Welcome to Week 4:
At the end of this week, students will be able to:
• Describe types of goals
• Explain future career goals
• Critically analyze and apply the 5 steps process for setting and achieving goals
I. Topic: Goal Setting (Smith, 2013).
1. “Goals serve as road maps. They give us a long-term vision and short-term
motivation.
• They focus our acquisition of knowledge and help us to organize our time and
resources.
• Goals are the plans detailing how to get from point A to point B in a logical
sequence.”
2. “Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your future, motivating
yourself, and turning your vision of the future into reality.
• The process of setting goals helps us choose where we want to go in life.
• By knowing precisely what we want to achieve, we know where … to
concentrate our efforts.
• We’ll also quickly spot the distractions that would otherwise detract us from
our course.
• More than this, properly set goals can be incredibly motivating. As we get into
the habit of setting and achieving goals, we will find that our self-confidence
builds immensely from recognizing our own ability and competence.”
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KG689 Graduate Internship Preparation
Lesson Plan: Week 4
Dr. D. Tennyson, DBA
Week 4 Topic and Assignment: Goal Setting
A. Introduction/Lecture Notes (Harris, 2021):
Read and familiarize yourself with this 5-step Process for setting and achieving
your career goals as you prepare this week’s assignments:
1. Set the goal
2. Write down the why behind the want (Why do you want to achieve this goal?)
3. Identify the obstacles you will have to overcome to achieve these goals
4. Identify the people and organizations who can help
5. Assign specific dates to achieve your goals
B. Goal Setting Using SMART Goals (Odom, 2019).
To make sure your goals are clear and reachable, each one should be:
1. Specific: When working through your goal, consider the five “W’s”; who, what,
where, when and why.
• Who is involved?
• What do I want to accomplish?
• Where do I want to accomplish it?
• When (time frame)? Which requirements and constraints exist?
• Why do I want to accomplish this goal (purpose/benefits)?
2. Measurable: It’s important to have measurable goals, so that you can track
your progress and stay motivated. Assessing progress helps you to stay
focused, meet your deadlines, and feel the excitement of getting closer to
achieving your goal. A measurable goal should address questions such as:
• How much?
• How many?
• How will I know when it is accomplished?
3. Attainable: Your goal also needs to be realistic and achievable to be
successful. In other words, it should stretch your abilities but remain possible.
When you set an attainable goal, you may be able to identify previously
overlooked opportunities or resources that can bring you closer to it. An
attainable goal will usually answer questions such as:
• How can I accomplish this goal?
• How realistic is the goal, based on other constraints, such as financial
factors?0001
4. Realistic: This step is about ensuring that your goal matters to you, and that it
also aligns with other goals. We all need support and assistance in achieving
our goals, but it’s important to retain control over them. So, make sure that your
plans drive everyone forward, but that you’re still responsible for achieving your
own goal. A realistic goal can answer “yes” to these questions:
• Does this seem worthwhile?
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KG689 Graduate Internship Preparation
Lesson Plan: Week 4
Dr. D. Tennyson, DBA
Week 4 Topic and Assignment: Goal Setting
• Is this the right time?
• Does this match our other efforts/needs?
• Am I the right person to reach this goal?
• Is it applicable in the current socio-economic environment?
5. Timely: Every goal needs a target date, so that you have a deadline to focus
on and something to work toward. This part of the SMART goal criteria helps to
prevent everyday tasks from taking priority over your longer-term goals. A timebound goal will usually answer these questions:
• When?
• What can I do six months from now?
• What can I do six weeks from now?
• What can I do today?
II. Week 4 Assignment (Harris, 2021):
A. Watch:
1. “How to Increase Your Potential With a 30-day Goal Framework” YouTube
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz24KHcwpxI
2. “Setting SMART goals”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKMrWsjUOZQ YouTube video:
B. Week 4 Assignment Part 1:
For this Assignment create a 1 – 2-page document that contains answers to the
following questions:
1. My long-term career goal (3-5 years) is to be a (an):
a. Find this job on a company website or job board and include a link to it or
copy and paste the job description.
b. To obtain this position, I foresee myself having to:
c. The date I have set to obtain this career goal is:
C. Week 4 Assignment Part 2:
2. My ultimate career goal is to be a (an):
a. Find this job on a company website or job board and include a link to it or
copy and paste the job description.
b. In this position, I will perform the following tasks:
c. The date I have set to obtain this career tool is:
Think long-term. Your career is a marathon, not a sprint!
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KG689 Graduate Internship Preparation
Lesson Plan: Week 4
Dr. D. Tennyson, DBA
Week 4 Topic and Assignment: Goal Setting
References
Harris, R. M. (2021). Sections and Assignments Developed by Dr. Roberta M. Harris,
Associate Vice President, King Graduate School, Monroe College
Odom, A. (2019). Goal setting the SMART way.
https://www.angelaodom.com/blog/goal-setting-the-smart-way
Smith, J. L. (2013). Effective goal setting. Quality, 52(1), 20.
