3 keys to getting the most out of professional develop opportunities.

Keeping it short and simple today. Here are 3 keys to getting the most out of professional development opportunities:

1. Seek out professional development opportunities based on your career goals. Set specific career goals for yourself and use these goals to guide the activities you participate in and when selecting my professional development opportunities. When setting your personal goals it may also be important for you to have a discussion with your supervisor. Many organizations already have a set plan for professional development and your supervisor will have a good idea of what you need to develop to be more effective in your position. It is important to reassess your goals, at least yearly. As changes happen in your career and life, make sure your professional development opportunities are aligned with your goals and your professional needs.
2. Leave with at least one item to take action on. Every professional development experience is different, whether it’s a two day seminar or a two hour training or a webinar. No matter what the professional development opportunity is, make sure you walk away with at least one thing to do, and hold yourself accountable for doing it. This may be difficult for some training, maybe you thought it was going to be a training you would like and it ended up not pertaining to you at all. If this happens, find one thing out of the day that interested you, even if it was something from a conversation with another participant and not from the presenter. If you don’t have any take-away from the training write down one thing you wish the training included and seek an opportunity to learn about that, or just conduct research on it.
3. Meet at least one person. It’s possible to have a tendency to walk into a training and walk out with never meeting anyone. This is a no-no. To work on this: if you feel uncomfortable talking to others you don’t know, push yourself, because you never know who you will meet. Make it a priority to get to know someone in the room more personally. Get their business card and remember their name. This will get easier and easier over time!

Capitalize on the uniqueness of the sector.

In one of my last few classes, we discussed challenges in the nonprofit sector and what is unique about the nonprofit sector. As we began our two lists it was evident the challenges list was much longer. It rather saddened me; the sector I love really has these many challenges?

However, I am not worried, I know there are many good things going on in the nonprofit sector, and we really need to emphasize our good aspects. So, here is a list of the unique aspects of the nonprofit sector.

1. We can do a lot with a little amount of money. Nonprofit organizations are professionals at making a huge impact with a little amount of money. Sometimes it may seem like the lack of money in the sector is one of things holding the sector back, but there is a plethora of innovative nonprofit leaders that know how to work with whatever they have. Nonprofit leaders make it happen no matter what the circumstances. And just because they don’t have a lot of money, doesn’t mean they don’t pay their employees
2. Nonprofits have a knack for working at the grassroots level and mobilizing communities. Organizations like the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Voting Rights Movement were supported by the work of the nonprofit sector. Today, like the time during these movements, many nonprofit organizations start with members of the community, banding together to fight a cause they believe in, or to make their community a better place to live. Because the nonprofit sector is so close to community, in most cases, organizations know how to bring the people together. It’s rare you see the McDonald’s down the road mobilizing individuals to run their microwaves!
3. Our sector is built on giving instead of getting. Our sector is the only one in the world (one could argue for government, but their argument would be quit week), not built on the need for individual profits and making money for ourselves. Although many nonprofits make thousands a year, they give their profits back to the community they are working in. There are no bonus or stock option incentives for employees, but they are paid a decent wage, and the work they are doing gets continually supported through the extra money they raise each year. You don’t see Walmart corporation not giving bonuses, in order to enhance their educational program for youth in the inner cities, now do you!
4. Our leaders are truly passionate. Ask any organization about the passion of their founder and I am sure they would all say, “Our founder was the greatest, most passionate person I have ever known or heard about.” Nonprofit leaders created their organizations out of need, and individuals who see the need for this organization are always passionate about making sure the community gets it. Many times nonprofit organizations are created because someone was left out of something or can’t get something they need, and need creates passion in individuals to get what they want. Individuals who care about others and want to serve community needs created the nonprofit sector, and those individuals have all the passion in the world for what they are doing.
5. Nonprofit employees are truly hard working. Nonprofit sector employees, most of the time, become passionate about a cause and really go out on the streets to fight for it. And, as mentioned above, they have to work hard to do something with practically nothing. There is a lot of burnout in the sector, because the individuals working in organizations are so passionate, but the great nonprofit leaders find the balance they need to work hard in the sector and get things done!
6. There is a lot of room for innovation in the sector. Although many nonprofit organizations get stuck in tradition and old business practices, there is a ton of room for innovation in the nonprofit sector. I think this is one of the reasons so many young people are drawn to the nonprofit sector. There is room for anyone with an idea to execute it for their cause. There is risk with innovation in the sector, as in any sector in America, but if innovation is planned and well executed, there is room for it here in the nonprofit sector. Check out Kiva.org or Ashoka.org to see some innovative nonprofit professionals.

Have you had any experiences with the unique aspects of the nonprofit sector? What other good things do you see in the sector?

I wish I had my cat’s persistence.

Every morning we wake up to mews, loud mews, that persist on-and-on through the morning until Lucy (that’s our cat) gets fed. She repeats her ritual when we get home from work until she gets fed again. She knows when it’s her time and she let’s us know until we feed her. Lucy also plays fetch and when she wants to play she brings us her mouse toy, rubber band or milk ring, and places it by our side. If she can’t get it up on the couch she tries again, if it drops, she tries again until it is laying still on the couch for us to throw. She never gives up.

This morning as she was meowing to wake me up and feed her, I was thinking, man I wish I had her persistence. There are actually two things I can learn from her.

1. Be persistent, never give up. This doesn’t mean run around yelling until someone acknowledges you, but being persistent in reaching your goals is definitely a good lesson. If your milk ring falls off the couch or your human just isn’t paying attention to you, try to do it another way. It is important that as we are trying to prove ourselves to our bosses or to the nonprofit sector in general we keep on trying, even if it takes us three times taking on a new task or continually taking on the tasks no one else wants to do. As an emerging leader it is important to keep on building your skills and taking on stretch assignments at work. And never give up, because your time will come.
2. Wait until its your time. Commonly, Millennials want to have the best now. I know it was a lesson I had to learn. It’s hard walking into an organization ready to lead and take on new exciting projects and not being able to do either. Although we are ready to take on the world we sometimes have to put our time in. I have recently come to terms with this and have been using every experience as a learning experience and another task that will help me grow. It is important to keep on persisting in your organization and doing everything you can to get ahead, but when its your time make sure they know it. When your employer finally gives you that one task you have been waiting for, blow them out of the water. Lucy doesn’t just mew a little, she really let’s us know it is her time.

These lessons from the cat are important to any Millennial. We must work for what we want, be persistent, and when it’s our time we have to show them we can do it.