Week 14- PDP (inc SWOT analysis)
PDP = Personal Development Plans
There are serveral similair process and steps that could be of help in self development process.
A personal development plan will directly impact our life and professional representation. In order to upgrade, improve and make ourself keep on going in the professional development, a good planning is definitly needed for each of us.
- Identify our own weeknesses
A good idea to start with is to prepare a list to keep things clear and tidy; identify skills that I already knew,and find some general points that we are not good at or something that we want to improve.
2. Plan
Develop an action plan and strategies for the select skills, work out the way of how to achieve the goal and how to achieve it. Actually it can follow with the 5W and how (Who, When, Where, Why, What and how).
- Who (Do I need anyone for help?)
- When (Set up a timeline to keep tracking the process, when to start and when will finish)
- Where (Source of information that can help with the PDP)
- Why (Remind the reason of doing this PDP)
- What (The difficulties and the goal)
- How ( How the PDP will help to development opportunities)
3. Implement the plan
Take action, give 100% output, work the plan out and fulfil the goal.
4. Reflection
Do a self-criticism and review after the action, see what can improve and do better next time.
SWOT Analysis
SWOT Analysis is a structured planning method that can help to evaluate the personal development plan with above four elements.
- Promote strengths (The benefits/advantages; abilities, talents, or skills may include in it)
- Reduce weaknesses ( Things that are lack of confidence/what to improve and avoid)
- Exploiting and create Opportunities (Take advantage in the market/ build up a social network/ accept advices from others/ offering solutions to get opportunities)
- Minimise threats (Find out and get know of the hindrances/ changing/ weaknesses)
My goal for now is to be a documentary photographer after I guraduated. By following the PDP and SWOT analysis, below is the analysis of it.
- Strengths- I can understand more and have a deeper knowledge of the social issues and conditions/Expand my social network in order to be helpful in the society (expose the overlooked side to the public)/ Build a good relation with community groups (e.g. The Hong Kong Society for Community Organization)
- Weaknesses- Sometimes is powerless to deal with reality, will be frustrated when I discover some issues of truth that I can’t help even I want to, as the support from the government is not enough to everyone/ Can’t control the lighting as when doing documentary photography, I won’t know what moments I am going to catch/ Lack of equipments as unpredictable things will show up
- Opportunities- It is a very good opportunities for me to discover things that many people may missed/ Meet more people from different levels, expand social network/ Know how to deal with sudden issues/ Explore skills when face a new environment and condition
- Threats- Rejected by people who don’t want to take photographs/ Might take a few years to build the career/ Speak for underprivileged people will need to due with social pressure, as not everyone will agree and support on what I tell
In order to be success, I will need to understand clearly my preferences and personality traits, than focuses on attitudes, abilities, skills, capabilities and capacities to prepare myself to work on this career path- be a successful documentary photographer such as Benny Lam and Michael Wolf etc.
