## Intro This issue is a place for `@gdoyle` to plan action items and track progress as a result of the professional development opportunities I'm seeking while at GitLab. Use this issue to talk to your manager about your IGP plan, accomplishments, and iterations of your goals. ### How this issue works It's simple! We'll use this issue to reference, reflect, and iterate on your goals. - Look at the Section 3 from the previous session and work with your manager to get started on your SMART goals. - You can open and link issues to track actions you'll take as a result from things learned and resources used. - Set calendar reminders where appropriate so you don’t forget to revisit your plan. Check items off directly in this issue as you complete each piece. - Once a month, open a thread in this issue to discuss and record a summary of the progress made for the period and work with your manager to address any challenges. ## SMART goals Choose [SMART goals](https://www.betterup.com/blog/smart-goals-examples) for your growth: they should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Keep the number of goals for each quarter low and track opportunities that will help achieve the goals you set. Consider using the following format: `(I or accountable party) will (action word/s) (object of the goal) by (time), in order to (relevance/results).` Remember to connect your SMART goal to a broader career goal. For example, if your career goal is "I want to learn how to be a leader in an IC role", your SMART goal can concentrate on developing new skills, completing a course, or being a mentee. ### June-July `🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Coaching and mentoring` - **SMART goal:** I will complete the [How to be a good mentor/mentee](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/how-to-be-a-good-mentee-and-mentor/the-power-of-mentoring?u=2255073) training and discuss the learnings with my manager by July 31, 2023, in order to develop skills to support my future direct reports and see how I can use those insights to apply to the [Women TMRG Mentorship Program in 2024](https://about.gitlab.com/company/culture/inclusion/tmrg-gitlab-women/mentorship-program/). - **Career goal:** As a mentor, I can be intentional with the support I provide my colleagues now and, by doing so, develop skills to support my future direct reports. - **Quarterly manager check-in: ****https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mBwhNebeLYQo0NhsdTYS-4bGaDxf9wHsCq8FYnpnGC8/edit?usp=sharing** ### July-August `🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Coaching and mentoring` - **SMART goal:** I will complete at least one design critique (with a focus on sharing the [UX DoD](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/stage-group-ux-strategy/ci-cd/#ux-definition-of-done-ux-dod) and asking questions to account for edge cases) with an intermediate or developing designer per week (through `#ux-coworking` channel, design pair, or UX showcase prep) by August 31, 2023, in order to help others learn how to design at GitLab using our values by sharing my knowledge and experience which will help me develop mentoring skills to support future direct reports. - **Who can help?:** Rayana can help me be paired up with an intermediate or developing designer for design pairs. - **Career goal:** As a mentor, I can be intentional with the support I provide my colleagues now and, by doing so, develop skills to support my future direct reports. - **Quarterly manager check-in: ****https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mBwhNebeLYQo0NhsdTYS-4bGaDxf9wHsCq8FYnpnGC8/edit?usp=sharing** ### August-September `👛 Design iteration` - **SMART goal:** I will collaborate with my PM and engineering team to break down the plan for the next iteration of the [Runner Fleet dashboard](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/6720 "Runner Fleet - closed as duplicate") based on what I learned from the materials I read by October 31st, in order to improve my confidence in iteration skills. - **Success criteria:** Use the time that it took for the MVC of the runner dashboard to be delivered as a baseline. Shoot for the next iteration to be delivered in _less_ time. - **Who can help?:** Runner fleet team - **Career goal:** I want to feel confident in my iteration skills so that I can apply them as a Senior-level designer and also share those skills with others. This can apply to both design deliverables and future initiatives I lead with direct reports. - **Resource links:** https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/425853+ - **Notes:** Will be tracking if we can get this iteration out in a single milestone. Currently in the backlog. - **Quarterly manager check-in: ****https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mBwhNebeLYQo0NhsdTYS-4bGaDxf9wHsCq8FYnpnGC8/edit#heading=h.lqwncurgjm2n** ### September-October `👛 Design iteration` - **SMART goal:** I will write a blog about how I used design iteration to impact the [Runner Fleet dashboard](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/6720 "Runner Fleet - closed as duplicate") feature by November 30th, in order to share my learnings of design iteration with others and feel more confident in my skills as a Senior-level designer. - **Who can help?:** Veethika can help me understand the process, get me started, and review my iterations as I create the blog post. - **Career goal:** I want to feel confident in my iteration skills so that I can apply them as a Senior-level designer and also share those skills with others. This can apply to both design deliverables and future initiatives I lead with direct reports. - **Resource links:** https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/-/merge_requests/130264 - **Quarterly manager check-in: ****https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mBwhNebeLYQo0NhsdTYS-4bGaDxf9wHsCq8FYnpnGC8/edit#heading=h.lqwncurgjm2n** ### October-November `👛 Design iteration` - **SMART goal:** I will read the [Ideate and Iterate handbook page and listen to the design iteration talk](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/product-designer/#ideate-and-iterate) and [Splitting user stories](https://www.humanizingwork.com/the-humanizing-work-guide-to-splitting-user-stories/) article by September 30th, in order to understand how others are iterating to develop my confidence and skills in iteration. - **Career goal:** I want to feel confident in my iteration skills so that I can apply them as a Senior-level designer and also share those skills with others. This can apply to both design deliverables and future initiatives I lead with direct reports. - **Notes:** This helped me break down the vision for runner compute usage to smaller stories: https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/12052. - **Quarterly manager check-in: ****https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mBwhNebeLYQo0NhsdTYS-4bGaDxf9wHsCq8FYnpnGC8/edit#heading=h.lqwncurgjm2n** #### [Talent Assessment](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/people-group/talent-assessment/) * [x] Complete self-assessment * [x] Review results with my manager ### November-January `🤝 Leadership` - **SMART goal:** I will read the [Leadership handbook page](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/leadership/) and linked materials by January 31st, in order to improve my understanding of leadership skills so I can implement them into my daily practices. - **(:red_circle: Stretch) SMART goal:** I will complete the [Make the Move from IC to Manager LinkedIn Learning course](https://levelup.gitlab.com/learn/course/make-the-move-from-individual-contributor-to-manager/main/make-the-move-from-individual-contributor-to-manager?client=internal-team-members) on LevelUp and come up with a list of actions I can apply to my current role to implement those leadership skills by January 31st, in order to gain a better understanding of what is needed to become a manager and start applying those skills now. - **Career goal:** I want to learn to think like a manager in my own role and apply those learnings so I can understand how my work fits into our team's long-term vision. - **Quarterly manager check-in:**