Career transition from hydrographic surveyor to construction representative

Personal Leadership Development Action Plan

Although the transition from one professional career field to another can be a challenging enterprise, the process can be facilitated by using a personal leadership development action plan that identifies aspirations and goals, strengths and weaknesses, and the training that will be needed to accomplish the transition, among other things. To this end, this paper outlines a personal leadership development action plan that describes the author's leadership aspiration and goals, a vision of myself as a leader now and in the future, and what steps will be needed to actualize these visions. Finally, a description of the developmental objectives for the action plan is a followed by timeline of activities and their completion dates to track progress.

Leadership aspirations and goals, including driving and motivational passions

My current aspirations and goals are directly related to my overarching desire to secure a position as a U.S. Civil Service construction representative, a career move that represented a significant change from my former occupation as a hydrographic surveyor because of its leadership responsibilities. My decision to change occupations; from a hydrographic surveyor (0817) to a construction representative (0809) was due in part the military support I have contributed to the Global War on Terrorism.

My future aspirations and goals, however, are focused on a professional career in public safety and emergency management following the completion of my current degree program. All of these aspirations and goals are fueled by my desire to broaden my horizons and improve my leadership skill set.

Personal vision as a leader now and in the future

The transition from a hydrographic surveyor to a construction representative involved the addition of numerous leadership responsibilities that demanded a careful analysis of my readiness to lead others towards a common goal. The responsibilities of a construction representative include technical aspects such as inspecting materials and workmanship, interpreting plans and specifications, and ensuring compliance with safety requirements as well as direct leadership requirements for the supervisor of equipment operators, craftspersons, and mechanics that are performing various types of construction work (Construction control technical series 0809, 2016). Therefore, my personal vision as a leader today focuses on accomplishing these responsibilities to the best of my abilities while my future vision is focused on maximizing my potential in a professional leadership career in public safety emergency management.

Beyond the foregoing, my personal vision for the future also include the following:

Continuing to apply critical knowledge in the practical application of federal, state and local regulations governing public safety emergency management;

Personally performing a full range of essential engineering functions associated with assigned projects;

Ensuring continuity of business practice for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE); and,

Providing knowledge of engineering methods and techniques as they relate to construction and the nation's critical infrastructure.

Steps needed to meet present and future needs

Any viable personal leadership development action plan requires an honest and thorough audit of strengths and weaknesses, both as they relate to an individual's current as well as future leadership positions (Cadwell, 2004). In my case, the general steps needed to maximize my potential as a construction representative include conducting a thorough skills audit in order to identify gaps in experience and learning that limit my effectiveness and learning how to work well with a diverse group of workers (Tokar & Tindal, 2014). The specific steps that will be needed to achieve my future needs to maximize my career in public safety emergency management include completion of a degree program and gaining the on-the-job experience that is required to perform these responsibilities effectively. The following objectives will be used to guide this process.

Objectives required in order to accomplish the above

The developmental objectives for my personal leadership development action plan are set forth in Table 1 below

Table 1

Developmental Objectives

Objectives

Description

Short-term objectives

1. Continue working in the military construction field;

2. Improve my skills, knowledge and abilities in order to become more proficient in the areas of quality assurance as well as safety and construction management.

Complete the following training:

a. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) (ULC) Prospect Course; Air Barrier Testing

b. USACE (ULC) Prospect Course; Concrete fundamentals usage prospect course; USACE, 30 hours, Construction Safety

Long-term objectives

1. Complete my second retirement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

2. Complete my degree Program in Public Safety Administration (PSAD).

3. Return to the private sector in the field of public safety emergency management

A timeline including activities and completion dates to track progress

It is vitally important to monitor the progress of any leadership development action plan in order to ensure that goals are being achieved as planned and that preparatory steps are completed in a timely fashion (Hall, 2008). Therefore, the following timeline and completion dates set forth in Table 2 below will be used to track progress towards achieving the short- and long-term goals set forth in Table 1 above.