GSA Support Toolkit
This toolkit is a collection of aids that complement and enhance professional development practices and results across the GSA community.
Use these student services tailored resources to develop yourself and others. Access a wide range of development tools and activities to support the spectrum of goal discussion to fostering feedback and recognition.
The three-step process complements current professional development practices in which you can further engage yourself and others to make your professional journey and career success a priority.
Analyze and assess your capability, performance, and aspirations to clarify and affirm what is expected of you in your current role as well as your desired career direction.
Discuss and define clear and meaningful goals and opportunities that you can successfully implement with the support of supervisors, mentors, and trusted colleagues.
Reflect and respond to your growth, goal achievement, and performance contributions; using feedback and recognition to guide and position you for greater success.
Performance Reflection and Assessment
This section is designed to help you assess and analyze your current capabilities, performance, interests, and future career aspirations. It can serve as a valuable resource as you prepare to discuss and define goals with your supervisor, mentor, or other trusted colleague. Ready to begin your performance reflection and assessment?
Download the Performance Reflection and Assessment Worksheet
Goal Development
This section is organized to help you discuss and define your professional development goals. It can serve as a valuable resource as you think about and develop your professional development goals, prepare to discuss them with your supervisor, mentor or other trusted colleague, and plan how you will achieve them.
The following GSA Goal Development Worksheet may be helpful in writing your goals, developing an action plan, and identifying other key factors that may impact your ability to achieve the results you want. It can also serve as a focal point for your ongoing professional development discussions. On the Worksheet, you will notice a field titled GSA Framework Alignment, which you can use to align your goals with the Common Areas and Areas of Expertise within the GSA Performance Framework. Alternatively, if your organization has defined competencies or values, feel free to use those instead.
Professional Development Options Matrix Overview
This section outlines professional development options to consider as you begin to discuss and define your professional development goals and plan. This library of options was developed to include high‐value resources and opportunities that are:
- In alignment with the GSA Performance Framework
- Foundational to the four Common Areas and the eight Areas of Expertise
- Known as “commonly used” resources throughout student affairs in medical education, and in the broader realm of professional development
- Inclusive of a variety of learning and development strategies/modes to meet diverse needs and preferences of the GSA community
The documents below are a starting point for identifying high‐value opportunities as you pursue specific personal and performance goals.
Download the Professional Development Options Matrix for Common Areas
Download the Professional Development Options Matrix for Areas of Expertise
Collaborative Discussions
This section is designed to help you effectively engage in collaborative discussions with your supervisor, mentor, and/or other trusted colleagues to discuss and define your professional development goals, and to reflect and respond to your performance in support of executing your professional development plan. Ready to begin a collaborative discussion with a mentee or direct report?
Feedback and Recognition
This guide provides key information, guidelines, and tips to help you, a GSA professional to, proactively reflect and respond to your own performance, as well as to those you supervise or mentor. It can serve as a valuable resource to help you support effective feedback practices and performance recognition. Ready to provide feedback to your team?