Advancement leaders can create 3 professional development environments for those in their care. These professional development environments can encourage team members to:
- Learn More Skills – develop the technical skills related to their work;
- Receive More Instruction – learn from others about how they have enhanced their work;
- Think More – reflect on what our work means and become more strategic.
Without question, we spend the most professional development time establishing environments that encourage doing more and receiving more instruction.
Team members are encouraged regularly to develop this skill or that one. In many instances, this becomes a “learn on your own” type of professional development culture.
Or, team members are encouraged to go to a conference or a training to receive instruction from experts. In this way, an advancement leader has established a “learn from teaching” type of culture.
But, far too rarely do we see advancement leaders establishing “think more” professional development environments.
There are too few retreats to allow for authentic reflection, group discussion, and strategic planning. There are too few opportunities to ask the question, “why are we choosing to start this activity, event, or solicitation?”
Building a more effective advancement program rarely means we need more technical skills development or that we need to be learning more from others.
Instead, what makes the biggest difference is to create a professional development environment that encourages opportunities to think deeply and gain more understanding about why our work matters.
When advancement leaders create this type of reflective and strategic professional development environment, the team has a real opportunity to build the most productive and meaningful advancement program for the unique organization they are serving.
