Chapter 2: George Chooses a Path
This month George is keen to get started in Pathways and he decides to work with his Mentor on a ‘Success Plan’. This process is familiar to him – a strategy he is using as an online learner in other learning management systems. After considering his goals for the short, medium and the long term, he can map them in conjunction with his other studies and his work/life commitments.
The end result of completing this Success Plan will be to scope the type of projects he wants to be involved with in his selected Path.
His mentor provides a worksheet for this task, called the Protege Success Plan. In this George focuses on the goals he has for Pathways in his Toastmasters Education journey.
- His Long Term Goals include reaching Distinguished Toastmaster status by June 2019.
- His Medium Term Goals include completion of his first Path by October 2018. George plans to focus on the required project at Level 5 during July to September.
- His Short Term Goals include the completion of Levels 1-4 in his first Path by June 2018.
After sharing these goals with his Mentor, George can now ask for help from his mentor in choosing a Path that will help him achieve them.
Paths and Required Projects
First his mentor provides this useful information about the type of Level 5 projects contained within the 10 Paths, and encourages him to choose a path to suit his goals.
George now believes that the Leadership Development Path will be perfect for him. However he would now like to see what Projects are included in that Path. His mentor provides a copy of the Paths and Projects Catalog so that he can locate the details of Leadership Development.
Later his mentor provides access to a copy of the set of questions to get an idea of what he will need for his self-assessment and suggests that he uses those before Choosing a Path. He is also reminded that he can make a choice from any of the 10 Paths at the end of this Self-Assessment process; he does not have to agree with the choice made for him by the Base Camp system.
Self-Assessment Process
Now it is time for George to choose the path and get down to business in Base Camp.
George logs in to Toastmasters.org and steps through the self-assessment questions.
He finds the process quite straight forward and is comfortable in answering the questions authentically, knowing that he has a choice at the end.
On completion he is pleased and surprised to find that Base Camp has recommended the Leadership Development Path based on the answers to the self-assessment questions.
After selecting that Path, he is pleased to see that he can now proceed to Explore Base Camp from the next popup window that displays for him.
3 replies on “Pathways with George #2”
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Wonderful and very clear description of level 5, and of course the mentor must explain what each term means. George is a very sophisticated user, that already uses terms as Success plan, and have already used other Learning management systems. Four levels, in what time? It seems a lot to put in at once. Go, George.
He could also at the same time choose his second path, so while on the 4th and 5th Required, who take time, he can continue on his speed.
George is using a SMART plan to finish levels 1-4 in four months. He has his projects mapped out in a spreadsheet. This will be shared in Chapter 3.