Some leaders say “what if we train our people and they leave?” Others say, “what if we don’t train our people and they stay?”
As we move into a new year, like many, I find myself thinking about professional development. The saying about training isn’t new, but it is certainly still relevant. And there’s really no better time to think about professional development than the beginning of the year.
At the chamber, we believe strongly in the value of training. Kim Voelker and I spent some time in Tucson recently at the Institute for Organization Management. Aside from the fact that Arizona is not a bad place to be this time of year, the insights we’ve gained from this program are immeasurable.
After starting the program in January last year, we decided to work through at an accelerated rate. We just completed our third-year classes and plan to graduate this summer in Madison, Wisconsin. We have met hundreds of leaders from Chambers and Associations all across the country and even some from around the world.
From strategic planning to membership strategies and legal coursework, this is the most comprehensive educational program in our industry. The classes are taught by leading Chamber professionals from around the country, including, John Mehner, the Cape Chamber CEO, who taught courses in the past and completed the program several years ago.
As you move into 2018, don’t forget to take a step back from all of your day-to-day and think about what you and those around you can do to learn and grow this year.
