As an adult learner, what do you expect when you attend a professional development program? See if you agree with my list: Participants actively participate The facilitator is aware of the level of engagement of participants and adjusts the delivery accordingly The facilitator does not do most of the talking, and pauses to allow others... Continue Reading →
How do you improve public engagement in your town so that the community has a voice in town policies and development plans? You hold a drop-in session to consult with them on their current needs! It was great fun facilitating a drop-in session last night with town leaders to support their public engagement activities. Two... Continue Reading →
Photo credit: Polarity Management, Barry Johnson I was delighted to present a workshop on Polarity Management to the New England Alumni of the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS). Polarities are “interdependent pairs that need each other to achieve a higher purpose or outcome that neither can reach alone.” (Barry Johnson) For example, activity and rest; balancing... Continue Reading →
If you’re a mid-career professional trying to land a new job or to move up the career ladder, what are your metrics of success? Is “landing that job” the only metric? What other metrics might there be? What can you learn from the process aside from landing the job? I’ve been coaching a few mid-career... Continue Reading →
While I was delivering 360 feedback to a division chief, we noticed several comments from his staff that they didn’t feel supported because he didn’t spend enough time with them. I was wondering if he was ignoring them or if he didn’t have good relational skills. Hmmm... I was focusing on deficits. Then I looked at... Continue Reading →
I was coaching a new client this week - a director looking at a career move. She expressed excitement over a job posting which she shared with a colleague, who then asked her “Why would you want that job?” That response sharply dampened her interest, so she didn’t apply. When I asked her how she... Continue Reading →
Everyone talks about active listening, but it seems so hard for people to improve their listening skills. We can't just tell them, "You need to speak less and listen more. " That doesn't usually work. We have to find out what makes it difficult for people to hold their tongue and focus on other people's... Continue Reading →
You’re a firm of coaches or consultants, committed to your ongoing learning and development - you’re not sure you have the time or stamina for an ongoing learning group, so what’s the firm to do? Reading and discussing a book or an article is a popular suggestion, but people sometimes find they don't find... Continue Reading →
Colleagues often ask me: How do you develop a dynamic learning cluster or community of practice with engaged members who are generous in sharing their knowledge and expertise? These practices comes from my 15+ years’ experience creating a world-class professional learning network and several communities of practices (COP) for directors, coaches and facilitators. Successful COPs deliver... Continue Reading →
