Graduate study plan Essay

I currently poses an undergraduate degree in Health Care Administration, from Sacramento State University. My current career is within the Health Care field at Kaiser Permanente hospital Health Connect Department in Pleasanton, California. This is the regional department for, electronic medical records. I manage projects for system upgrades, and any technical issues that require a fix. I have worked for Kaiser Permanente for five years and wish to succeed at a higher level within the organization. In this paper I will give an insight into my reasons for pursuing my graduate degree, and strategies I will use for personal success and achievement. I have managed always to accomplish both personal and professional goals that I set. It is important to have a goal, whether personal or professional that one is striving to accomplish, so they are motivated to work harder. My short-term personal goal is completing my Master’s Degree. A few personal long-term goals, are to have an open mind to change, effective time management, and continuing to grow as an individual and Mother. A long-term goal in my professional career is becoming a manager or director within Kaiser Permanente or another organization. In lieu of the professional job opportunities and accomplishments, confidence, and knowledge is a professional area I am striving to gain more of, which is a main reason for advancing my education to the graduate level. Obtaining a Master’s Degree will permit expansion in knowledge and skills within area’s I did not advance at the undergraduate level. I am pursuing my degree, to grow as an individual and in my professional career, this degree will expand my skills, knowledge, and confidence to perform at a higher level. Pursuing a degree will open job opportunities, and a higher pay scale. Setting goals is the easy part, but achieving them is the hard part. Challenges will arise and everyday life may interfere. Three challenges I face in meeting both short and long-term goals, is lack of time, personal life distractions, and control in advancing professionally. I have to focus on incorporating better time management and stress management into my every day schedule, so lack of time is not an issue. Personal life distractions, include a Forty-hour work week and commute, my fourth month old baby girl, and leisure activities. What I have learned is to plan out a time each day for these activities. It helps manage my time and stress, by keeping track of all activities and obligations on a calendar. If I have a written schedule that I visually can see, I stay focused. Finding a good balance in life is what keeps me moving forward and accomplishing my goals. One may not always have complete control in accomplishing goals one may have for themselves, an example is my goal to achieve at a higher level professionally. Sure I can have an abundance of knowledge and work hard every day, but in the end it will be the hirer who determines if I am a good fit for the position. Competition in the job industry is at its all-around high, but the key to success is, never give up. Graduating with a Master’s Degree is a milestone in achieving my short-term goal, and advancing professionally in a new career as well as showing confidence, by performing at a higher level is a long-term milestone that will mark my achievement in the goals I have set. I believe effective communication is an essential factor in overcoming differences and creating an environment that people can come together to learn, work, or play. Communication on the surface seems straight forward, but I am guilty of a weaknesses related to how I communicate, which includes relating to the audiences age or gender when communicating. In practice, it is troubled with multiple issues dependent on the parties involved, who convey, and receive messages. A couple of questions that one can ask to improve communication, are, â€Å"Is it possible to convey a message and have it received as the speaker intended? What happens between the voicing of a message and the hearing of a message? Under what conditions does accurate communication occur? Do our own mental models affect interactions with others? What can leaders do to create the conditions for clear  communication?† (â€Å"Creating the Conditions for Effective Communication and Learning in Organizations,† 2008, p. 11). These are numerous examples of questions one should ask themselves, and I will use these examples of what I can ask myself to improve my method of communication. A challenge between faculty and students is to communicate as clearly as possible to ensure students receive the information they need. Given this, I have also noticed how often miscommunication happens between staff and their students. In the journal article titled, â€Å"Creating the Conditions for Effective Communication and Learning in Organization,† it was stated that traditional communication strategies, such as paraphrasing to ensure a faculty member understands a student and asking him or her to articulate back their understanding of what was said. It was observed that no matter how skilled the speaker, there are still many interpretations by the receiver (Scott, 2008). Three strategies I will practice as a communicator are, ask myself questions that may benefit how effective my communication is before communicating to a specific audience, have the audience restate how they understood my statement or question and be as detailed as possible so my information is not misconstrued. Regarding my stronger aspects of communicating, I am clear and concise, an experienced public speaker, and able to communicate effectively in a business environment. Communication is one of the main planks on which organizational success rests in today’s tough business environment. As a result effective communication skills have become essential to enable professionals to achieve the exact levels of performance demanded by them. Apart from the practical aspects if one has a grasp on basic concepts of communication, it can further assist professionals to communicate skillfully and persuasively (Rai & Rai, 2002). Suggesting that the saying â€Å"It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it† rings true for effective communication. Possessing the quality of effective communication heads toward a high quality leader because it enables one to express ideas successfully (Rolle, 2002). Effective time management, reasonable goals, overcoming obstacles, and  effective communication will lead to success in acquiring a graduate degree. If one strives to succeed and manages their time efficiently, this is easily obtainable. Re-evaluating my goals and strategies to overcome obstacles, and analyzing my communication level, has already advanced me closer to success. Recognition is a way to advance both personally and professionally. References  Rai, S. M., & Rai, U. (2002, September). Effective Communication. Effective Communication, 16(3), 1129-1130. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/224372918?accountid=35812 Rolle, J. R. (2002). The Role of Communication in Effective Leadership. The Role of Communication in Effective Leadership, 16. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED467282 Scott, M. (2008). Creating the Conditions for Effective Communication and Learning in Organizations. Creating the Conditions for Effective Communication and Learning in Organizations, 11(3), 11. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ830651