Professional Development Plan Part Ib

Professional Development Plan Part IB

by

Billy Ray Hargrove

A Project Presented in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for

DDBA 8005 Foundations for Doctoral Business Administration Studies

Dr. Steven Roussas

November 2010

Part IB: S.W.O.T. Analysis

Introduction

As discussed in the course study notes ("Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) Analysis, 2010), "SWOT matrix is a framework for analyzing your strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats that you face. This helps you focus on your strengths, minimize your weaknesses, and take the greatest possible advantage of opportunities available to you." I will present my personal SWOT in which I feel will give me a better view of where I stand, and what exactly needs to be done in order for me to become a better achiever of my goals.

Strengths

"To develop your own SWOT analysis, consider each section with a certain degree of realism and be specific. Avoid the standard line, "we are great at everything & have no competitors"(Zahorsky, 2010). I have always been known by my peers and everyone around me to be very strong individual as it relates to many categories. During the last ten years of my active duty time in the military, I served as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Commanding Officer at each level which basically means that all administrative matters, along with decisions that relate to the entire company are placed in my hand. I feel extremely comfortable in the profession of Business Administration, it has always been a part of my career in the military and since my retirement from the military which was in 2008, I have been employed in the field of Business. I served as the Human Resources Manager for a staffing agency, and now I am currently employed as a Transition Coordinator for the Federal Government which falls right into the profession of Business.

My undergraduate, alone with my graduate degree are both in Business Administration which definitely gives me even more experience and knowledge to assist me in accomplishing my Doctorate of Business Administration degree. I was fortunate enough to have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom I&II in which I was injured in combat. Being injured was not a plus however; the benefits that come along with it were truly a blessing. The Veterans Affairs has this education bill called the 9-11 GI Bill which came into effect right after the tragedy on September 11, 2001. Any active or reserve member of the armed forces serving during that time would qualify for it, along with Vocational Rehabilitation which would cover your tuition if you were injured in combat. All of these educational benefits have paid for all of my degrees, along with providing me with a computer and printer.

Weaknesses

One of my main weaknesses would have to be effective communication in writing. I am well aware of the fact that I can speak in front of hundreds much better than I can write for two however, I have been taking steps to improve my writings skills by registering for the Walden University writing tutor, along with my own personal study of additional books to become that effective communicator that I want to be. I do understand that my fellow students, my professor, peers, and anyone else that I communicate with needs a clear picture painted by my words in order to assist me, or in order for me to assist them in all of us moving forward.

I think that this may be one of my most feared weaknesses "Statistics", I literally dread having to even deal with this subject simply because I cannot seem to get a grasp on the material. I have however, taken the initiative to spend time with a friend of that is currently a mathematician for a learning organization. I do not have a great deal of time to spare so fortunate enough for me, she comes over to visit, I prepare her a meal, and she gives me instructions on how to gain a better understanding of "Statistics".

Opportunities

There are a great deal of people that are currently employed that does not have a degree at all however, I do feel that in order for them to continue to move up on that career ladder, they will eventually be required to have some sort of degree. I