This presentation reviews the ways a public works employee can create their personal strategy for continued success.

1. Florida Public Works Institute
APWA Florida Chapter
Charles R. (Chas) Jordan
M.P.A., P.W.E., F.M.P., ENV SP, LEED GA
President, Radiant Training & Consulting
Technical Representative, Pavement Technology Inc.
Developing a Personal Strategy

2. Core Competency: Planning for the Future
• In this Competency –
• Important for Public Works Agencies to Plan for the Future
• Also Important for Public Works PROFESSIONALS to Plan for
the Future as well
• Strategic Planning for an Organization
• Developing a Personal Strategy (Both for your Career
and Your Life)

3. Where do you want to be in FIVE YEARS?
•Professionally?
•Personally? (If You Are Willing to Share)
•Is what you are doing now, going to get you
there? How?

4. Where do you want to be in TEN YEARS?
•Professionally?
•Personally? (If You Are Willing to Share)
•Is what you are doing now, going to get you
there? How?

5. • “THE GRIT FACTOR”
• Education Developed by
Mr. Larry Frevert, PE,
PWLF, Past President of
APWA
• From a Golf Digest
article in October 2014
by Bob Carney
Personal Success as a
Key to Improvement

6. What is GRIT?
•Merriam Webster Dictionary –
• Mental Toughness and Courage

7. Developing Grit
•Commitment To A Long Term Goal
•Discipline Is The Master Ingredient
•Optimism Provides A Vision of Success
•A Growth Mind-Set Is The Hidden Key

8. Step 1: Commitment to a Long Term Goal
• The Foremost Predictor of Success Among Chicago
Public Schoolchildren:
• Talent - NO
• Brains - NO
• Social Intelligence - NO
• Good Looks - NO
• Physical Health - NO
• IQ - NO
• GRIT – YES
- Angela Duckworth, Psychology Professor
University of Pennsylvania

9. Step 1: Commitment to a Long Term Goal
•Angela Duckworth Quote –
•GRIT is:
•A Passion, Persistence and Perseverance
for Very Long Term Goals
•Living Life As A Marathon, Not A Sprint
•Acquired, You Can Develop It

10. Step 1: Commitment to a Long Term Goal
•“The Address” a Ken Burns
Documentary–
• Greenwood School – Vermont
• School for Boys With Learning Disabilities
• One Year-long Assignment
• Memorize and Recite the Gettysburg Address

11. How does this apply to Public Works?
• Commitment To A Long Term Goal -
• Identify What You Want For Your
Organization/Your Career/Your Future
• Be Idealistic But Keep It Realistic
• Develop A Plan To Achieve This Goal
• Measure Your Progress Along The Way
• Don’t Accept Less Than Success

12. Step 2: Just add…. DISCIPLINE
•Discipline is the Master Ingredient
• “The Marshmallow Test” – Walter Mischel,
Stanford Psychology Professor
• Eat this Marshmallow Now or Wait, and Have
Two Later

13. Step 2: Just add…. DISCIPLINE
•4 Year Olds Tested
• Years Later
• Wait > 20 Minutes – Self-Discipline Traits
• Better Behavior
• Less Prone to Addiction
• SAT Scores = +210
• Conclusion:
• The Ability to Delay Self-Gratification Was
A Key to Academic Success

14. How does this apply to Public Works?
•Discipline is the Master Ingredient -
• Do Emphasize Work Quality
• Do Focus On Caring For Infrastructure
• Do Follow Through When No One Is Watching
• Do Care For Resources Like They Are Your Own
• Don’t Procrastinate

15. Step 3: Optimism Provides a Vision for Success
•Optimism helps to provide
you with the motivation to
do well and proceed further

16. How does this apply to Public Works?
•Coping With Weather / Emergencies
•Performing Without Adequate Resources
• Personnel
• Equipment
• Materials
• Funding
•Not Being Recognized For Your Contributions

17. The Hidden Step – a Growth Mind-Set
•Successful People Approach Problems As A
Learning Process
•They Are Not Afraid Of An Imperfect Result
•They View Their Skills As Capable of Change
•“Here’s What I Am Now, and Here’s What
I’d Like To Be”

18. How does this apply to Public Works?
•Personal Assessment of Skills and
Commitment to Improve
•Supervisory Assessment of Staff and
Coaching Them to Improve
•Commitment to Making Your Department /
Division / Section / Group / Team / Self A
High Performing One

19. 7 Ways a Public Works Supervisor or Manager
can have GRIT
•Relish Every Assignment
•Be Critical/Not Condemning
•Find A Mentor
•Set A Major Goal
•Break Your Goal Into Smaller Ones
•Develop A Plan
•Evaluate Your Performance

20. Having GRIT Helps…now what do you do with
it?
•Career Self-Assessment –
• Job: Is a way to pay the bills
• Career: Is a path toward increasingly better work
• Calling: Is work that’s an important part of your
life, and a vital part of your identity

21. Having GRIT Helps…now what do you do with
it?
•Career Self-Assessment –
The Passion Hypothesis
The key to occupational happiness is to first
figure out what you’re passionate about and
then find a job that matches this passion.

22. Follow Your Passion!
•Career Self-Assessment –
• What do you enjoy?
• What is important to you?
• What level of compensation do you require?
• When do you want to work?
• Where do you want to work?
• What can prepare you for this work?

23. Developing Your Personal Strategy
•What is a Personal Strategy?
•Document explaining the direction a person
wants their career and life to go.
•Intending to help a person realize their goals
based on measurable and manageable steps
•Helps a person hold themselves accountable
to their own goals to aide them in being
successful

24. The Personal
Strategy
Cycle
Penn State University, Smeal College of Business

25. Step 1: Self Exploration – PennState Model
• Perform a Self-Assessment
• 360º Review
• Yourself
• Your Supervisor
• Your Subordinate
• Someone from outside the Organization
• Career History
• Personality Profile

26. Step 2: Market Research – PennState Model
• People
• Published Resources
• Internet Resources
• LinkedIn
• Professional Associations
• APWA

27. Step 3: FIT – PennState Model
• Key Interests, Skills and Abilities?
• Which Interests Correlate with the Workplace?
• Your Values and how to they Meld?
• Your Personality Traits
• Products, Services or Companies that need your
KNOWLEDGE

28. Step 3: FIT – PennState Model
•SWOT Analysis –
•Strengths
•Weaknesses
•Opportunities
•Threats

29. Step 4: Planning
•Penn State Model – Career Development Plan
•PWI –
• Long Term (5 Year, 10 Year, Full Career Goals)
• Professional Development
• Certifications
• Advanced Degrees
• Training
• Continuous Education

30. Step 4: Planning
•Document your Plan
•Using the Career Development Model Add the
following:
• Family and Life Goals
• Personal Values
• Retirement Needs
• Financial Needs

31. Step 5: Implementation
• GRIT MODEL
• Commitment
• Discipline
• Optimism
• A Growth Mindset
• PASSION
• Assign a trusted colleague to assist you in holding you
accountable
• Attend Job Fairs, Meet with Career Counselors, go to
Interviews - PennState

32. Step 6: Career Management – PennState Model
• Begin Your Next Step
• Review the Actions in the Plan
• Start the Cycle Over Again

33. Moving Forward
• Now that you have the basic skills…will you use it?
• Where are you on your journey?
• What is your next step?