09/01/2024

Individual Strategic Planning for Career Development: An Appreciative Inquiry Approach via SOAR Analysis

By Dan Erikson

Strategic planning is a process most utilized in organizational management. However, many of its components can be useful in career development. Strategic planning models often concentrate on taking the necessary steps toward established goals (Balanced Scorecard Institute, 2024). They are future focused and help to define who an organization is, what it does, and why it does it. This type of foundation is also reflected in career development. Practitioners often support clients in discovering who they are, what they want to do, and why they want to do it.

Strategic Planning Models

SOAR (strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and results) analysis is a strategic planning model found within appreciative inquiry. Appreciative inquiry is an organization development approach that highlights vision and concentrates on the positive aspects of an organization. This model was developed by David Cooperrider, D. Lynn Kelley, and Jacqueline Stavros (Cooperrider et al., 2008) as an alternative to the more traditional strategic planning model of SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. SWOT tends to create a culture of fear, evoke feelings of hopelessness, and establish fixation on a problem (Silbert & Silbert, 2007). Cooperrider and Whitney (2005) emphasized the importance of paying attention to strengths and opportunities throughout strategic planning, generating a culture of creativity and innovation. It is future-focused, action-oriented, and cultivates a direction for change (Silbert & Silbert, 2007).

Career Development Application

I recently facilitated a career development workshop with four individuals in healthcare professions. Given my knowledge of, and experience with, appreciative inquiry, I chose to guide participants through the process of SOAR analysis. I often work with clients who feel disappointed about potential career transitions, based on their past career decisions. I thought SOAR would provide a platform for participants to acknowledge their strengths, recognize their opportunities, and gain the perspective of career evolution as a matter of chapters and fit rather than shortcomings and failure. All participants agreed that their responses may be shared in an anonymous format. All identifying information for participants has been removed.     

Values

Question for clients: What do you consider to be the most significant values of your life?

Peter Plant, PhD, a career counselor for over 50 years (Arulmani et al., 2016), highlighted the need for values to guide career development work that emphasizes the future. With any vision-focused work, I find it most helpful for clients to establish their values prior to subsequent steps in a career development process. My job through this opening step is to guide individuals in evaluating the most foundational components of their lives. I began the workshop by having participants define and write down their most significant values. Work is most enduring when it resonates with personal values (Robertson, 2021). It is important for individuals to consider the values that embody their entire lives, not simply their careers. 

Strengths

Question for clients: What are your strengths?

The SOAR analysis process begins with strategic inquiry (Cooperrider et al., 2008). This includes the evaluation of personal strengths and present market opportunities. Focusing on strengths is a dynamic technique of the counseling process (Amundson & Thrift, 2008). I asked the workshop participants what they view as their strengths. When Participant 2 shared resilience as a personal strength, they added “I think when you are in these lines of work, resilience is foundational. [I] have seen, heard, and been through a lot. [I] always try. [I] try to support and find ways to care in the best ways that [I] can.” One of the distinct facets of career development is the facilitation of strength awareness in an individual’s life (Chen, 2008). Participant 3 said, “I feel that I am calm in the storm. In my job, I can walk in when a family has lost someone and be present with them.” When a career professional acknowledges these strengths, the individual is provided with a platform to explore their most fitting professional directions.

Opportunities

Question for clients: What do you see as your professional opportunities?

One issue in the career development field has been matching personal interests with professional opportunities (Herr, 2008). The second step of SOAR analysis enables individuals to consider pathways in their fields. Participant 1 emphasized how essential this was in their response, “What I like about this [question] is it allows me to explore my strengths in a coherent way. Each of my directions gives me the opportunity to be positive, for teamwork, and for me to be reliable with people.” Assessing opportunities is a way for individuals to make longitudinal decisions about their careers (McCash et al., 2021). This is helpful at any stage, including individuals who are transitioning out of the workforce. Participant 3 discussed their opportunities in a new light, “I would like to move into a chapter where I can better support my children and grandchildren. I do not know what that means exactly. I just know it means that my children will lead the way and I would like to follow as a part of their lives, assisting however I can.” Career professionals who ask questions about opportunities can assist clients in recognizing the importance of finding meaning in whatever lies ahead.

Aspirations

Question for client: What is your preferred future?

The second half of SOAR analysis involves appreciative intent (Cooperrider et al., 2008). Throughout career development, defining individual aspirations helps to fulfill unmet professional needs of the past (Rossier et al., 2021). In the workshop, this began by asking participants about their preferred future. Participant 4 said, “I have found myself being drawn to teaching as my career evolves. Perhaps I did not see it back then, but this is something that I would like to pursue.” Participant 1 spoke about their dreams as well, “After I further my education, I would love to have a psychology practice working with various clients.” This exercise gave participants time to reflect upon possibilities, and share with other professionals, in ways that they had not before. Deepening an understanding in personal aspirations is one of the most critical functions of career development interventions (Arulmani et al., 2019). Career professionals can accomplish this through questions about the future for individual clients to consider, even in group workshops.

Results

Question for clients: What are the outcomes of this process that will help to define your success?

The final step of SOAR analysis is to consider the measurable results that help to determine success. Compared to their aspirations, workshop participants were far more succinct when discussing results. The most intriguing aspect was the emerging theme of time. All four participants described time as a measuring stick of their happiness and fulfillment. They wanted their careers to allow more time with loved ones or for travel. Participant 3 vividly stated, “As I age, I have learned that I must be present where I am. Be present with my family, friends, and in nature. I want to continue my gratitude for the time I get with those around me, whether it is in these last moments of my career or beyond. Be where I am.” SOAR analysis provides a space for individuals to explore their autobiographical selves, looking at the past, present, and future. Participant 4 epitomized this by saying, “This helps me to see that anything is possible. With SOAR, it gives me the chance to fly.” Career professionals will need to allow appropriate time and space for defining measurable results, which will naturally be different for each individual.

Using SOAR in the Future

SOAR analysis has the capacity to be a helpful tool for career development professionals to use with clients. Its utilization in organizational strategic planning highlights the success it has in creating visions and formulating goals (Balanced Scorecard Institute, 2024). Career professionals can begin supporting client navigation of personal values, prior to SOAR analysis, then explore strengths to set a foundation for the remaining exercises. Individuals may need the guidance of a professional to envision their future career opportunities, engage a thought process, and spark ideas regarding professional aspirations. Finally, defining measurable results through career professional guidance helps to implement this method. Individuals begin to discover who they are, what they want to do, and why they want to do it. Studies suggest that paying attention to strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and results can provide hope (Clay, 2023) and confidence (Stavros et al., 2003) to individuals going through challenging career transitions.    

References

Amundson, N., & Thrift, E. (2008). The emergence of more dynamic counselling methods. In J. A. Athanasou & R. V. Esbroeck (Eds.), International handbook of career guidance (pp. 325–339). Springer.

Arulmani, G, Kumar, S., Shrestha, S., Viray, M., & Aravind, S. (2021). The cultural preparedness perspective of career development. In P. J. Robertson, T. Hooley, & P. McCash (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of career development (pp. 213–224). Oxford University Press.

Arulmani, G., Bakshi, A. J., Leong, F. T. L., & Watts, A. G. (2014). The manifestation of career: Introduction and overview. In G. Arulmani, A. J. Bakshi, F. T. L. Leong, & A. G. Watts (Eds.), Handbook of career development (pp. 1–10). Springer.

Balanced Scorecard Institute. (2024, May 20). Strategic planning basics. https://balancedscorecard.org/strategic-planning-basics/

Chen, C. P. (2008). Coping with work and family role conflict: Career counselling considerations for women. In J. A. Athanasou & R. V. Esbroeck (Eds.), International handbook of career guidance (pp. 443–460). Springer.

Clay, L. (2023). Sustainable flourishing in cities and entrepreneurial ecosystems: Developing a path through appreciative inquiry and soar framework for increasing innovative capacity and resilience. Palgrave Studies in Workplace Spirituality and Fulfillment, 295–335. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05839-4_14

Cooperrider, D. L., & Whitney, D. (2005). Appreciative inquiry: A positive revolution in change. Berrett-Koehler.

Cooperrider, D. L., Whitney, D. K., & Stavros, J. M. (2008). Appreciative inquiry handbook: For leaders of change, 2nd edition. Crown Custom Publishing.

Davey, K. M. (2021). Organizational career development theory: Weaving individuals, organizations, and social structures. In P. J. Robertson, T. Hooley, & P. McCash (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of career development (pp. 143–154). Oxford University Press.

Herr, E. L. (2008). Social contexts for career guidance throughout the world. In J. A. Athanasou & R. V. Esbroeck (Eds.), International handbook of career guidance (pp. 45–67). Springer.

McCash, P., Hooley, T., & Robertson, P. J. (2021). Introduction: Rethinking career development. In P. J. Robertson, T. Hooley, & P. McCash (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of career development (pp. 1–19). Oxford University Press.

Robertson, P. J. (2021). The aims of career development policy: Towards a comprehensive framework. In P. J. Robertson, T. Hooley, & P. McCash (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of career development (pp. 113–128). Oxford University Press.

Rossier, J., Cardoso, P. M., & Duarte, M. E. (2021). The narrative turn in career development theories: An integrative perspective. In P. J. Robertson, T. Hooley, & P. McCash (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of career development (pp. 169–180). Oxford University Press.

Silbert, J. H., & Silbert, T. S. (2007). SOARing from SWOT: Four lessons every strategic plan must know. AI Practitioner: International Journal of AI Best Practice. https://nonprofitbuilder.org/storage/317/SOARing-from-SWOT-Four-Lessons-Every-Strategic-Plan-Must-Know.pdf

Stavros, J., Cooperrider, D., & Kelley, L. (2003). Strategic inquiry with appreciative intent: Inspiration to SOAR. AI Practitioner, 5(4), 10–17.

Dan Erikson is a PhD student in Leadership, with a concentration in Organization Development, at University of Southern Maine. He has practiced as an independent career counselor and organization development consultant for over a decade. He is a MBTI Certified Practitioner and a Certified Strong Interest Inventory Practitioner. He is a member of the National Career Development Association, International Mentoring Association, and International Leadership Association.