Strategies for Continuous Professional Development

I've coached executives across five continents, and here's the brutal truth: The professionals getting promoted aren't necessarily the smartest—they're the fastest learners. While everyone else is consuming content passively, top performers have cracked the code on accelerated learning. They don't just read about strategy—they can teach it back to you in 60 seconds. ✅ The Harvard Business Review's latest research confirms what I see daily: Professionals who can learn and apply new concepts 10x faster than their peers become indispensable in half the time. Here's the framework that separates rapid learners from information collectors: • Explain like you're 5 → Simplify complex concepts into basic terms • Visualize the process → Create mental maps of how things work • Break it into chunks → Divide big concepts into 3-5 digestible parts • Find the patterns → Extract rules and formulas you can apply elsewhere • Relate to real life → Connect every concept to situations you encounter daily • Use analogies → Compare new ideas to familiar concepts you already know • Break the myths → Identify 3 misconceptions and learn the truth behind them • Ask the critical "why" → Understand impacts & consequences, not just facts • Teach it back → Explain the concept to someone who knows nothing about it • Challenge it → Question common assumptions and identify potential mistakes • Simulate practice → Create scenarios to apply the knowledge immediately • Turn it into stories → Transform concepts into brain-friendly narratives While your peers are still highlighting PDF articles and saving LinkedIn posts they'll never revisit, you could be mastering new skills, solving complex problems, and positioning yourself as the go-to expert in your field. The professionals who master rapid learning don't just advance faster—they become irreplaceable. Coaching can help; let's chat. #coachingtips #careeradvice #professionaldevelopment

This week, I facilitated a manager workshop on how to grow and develop people and teams. One question sparked a great conversation: “How do you develop your people outside of formal programs?” It’s a great question. IMO, one of the highest leverage actions a leader can take is making small, but consistent actions to develop their people. While formal learning experiences absolutely a role, there are far more opportunities for growth outside of structured settings from an hours in the day perspective. Helping leaders recognize and embrace this is a major opportunity. I introduced the idea of Practices of Development (PODs) aka small, intentional activities integrated into everyday work that help employees build skills, flex new muscles, and increase their impact. Here are a few examples we discussed: 🌟 Paired Programming: Borrowed from software engineering, this involves pairing an employee with a peer to take on a new task—helping them ramp up quickly, cross-train, or learn by doing. 🌟 Learning Logs: Have team members track what they’re working on, learning, and questioning to encourage reflection. 🌟 Bullpen Sessions: Bring similar roles together for feedback, idea sharing, and collaborative problem-solving, where everyone both A) shares a deliverable they are working on, and B) gets feedback and suggestions for improvement 🌟 Each 1 Teach 1:  Give everyone a chance to teach one work-related skill or insight to the team. 🌟 I Do, We Do, You Do:Adapted from education, this scaffolding approach lets you model a task, then do it together, then hand it off. A simple and effective way to build confidence and skill. 🌟 Back Pocket Ideas:  During strategy/scoping work sessions, ask employees to submit ideas for initiatives tied to a customer problem or personal interest. Select the strongest ones and incorporate them into their role. These are a few examples that have worked well. If you’ve found creative ways to build development opportunities into your employees day to day work, I’d love to hear what’s worked for you!

If you want to become a better manager overnight,  I would teach you this one skill: Setting Clear Expectations Why?  It is the single highest leverage activity you can do.  And nearly everyone leading a team does it poorly.  Or not at all. 📌 If you're the Manager: Setting expectations is your number 1 job. Your team will never meet your secret expectations.  Despite their effort, they're always falling short. The vicious cycle builds massive frustration. 💡 The Solution: Make Expectations Explicit - Agree on the What & When (SMART goals or OKRs work) - Agree on How (process, tech, budget, culture all matter) - Agree on KPIs or Metrics (how you'll measure results) Have them send you an email summarizing. Two more tips for managers: ✅ Co-author - Give them the pen on the first draft. - They're more likely to stick to the script they wrote. - You'll also learn how they see their role and can coach better. ✅ Consistency - Expectations are imperfect, so give feedback. - Agree upfront on how and when this will happen. - Use your 1:1 check-ins to review expectation monthly. ----- 📌 If you're the Employee: Why try and guess what your boss wants you to do? If the expectations map above makes sense... 💡 Write them down yourself. - If you're right, you have a written contract.  - If you're wrong, you gain clarity when they fix them. Either way, you gain clarity on how to win. Two more tips for employees: ✅ Synthesize - Focus on the big picture, not every detail - You create more value if you can connect the dots ✅ Empathize - Your manager will not have every answer - You can help them by surfacing the right questions ----- I've seen plenty of employees "win the second half."  But to win, you must understand the game's rules. And clear expectations create the scoreboard. Want my template to set clear employee expectations? Join 45,000 leaders getting my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eCvpr7RY And before you go... - Please repost ♻️ if you think this is a better way to work - Follow me at Dave Kline for more practical leadership posts

Yesterday I took the entire revenue team (sales, cs, marketing) off the floor for out for a very specific training. Goal Setting. Yep. The entire org for over 60 min together learning how to set and achieve goals. I do this 2x a year with my teams. Why? Because most people never accomplish their goals because they never actually set them and never actually create a plan to achieve them. I've gotten pretty dang good at setting goals. I've gotten pretty dang good at achieving goals. It makes life so much more fun. So here are the key concepts I teach in goal settting. 1. Set a goal in each of the 5 buckets. Self. Health. Wealth. Proffessional. Experience. 2. Identify the Keystone Goal - Which goal if achieved will have the biggest impact on all the rest. 3. Who do you need to BE in order to achieve this goal - How would this person act, work, communicate, behave, etc 4. What do you need to BELIEVE to achieve this goal - this combined with number 3 is where we create our affirmations. 5. Why do you want this goal - aka what will change in your world when you achieve it - If nothing changes... nothing changes. 6. What are you done dealing with now/whats the negative of NOT achieving your goal - Having a negative is important when things get hard. 7. Why you Why Now - Why are you capable of achieving this goal, what traits, resources, etc do you have that allow you to believe you can do this. 8. What are your 3x3s - 3 things daily, weekly, and monthly that if done will give you your best shot at achieving - Example - Put workout clothes out the night before with the alarm across the room - that would be a good daily for health 9. Make it visual - Vision boards (we will be doing this in a couple weeks as a team) - but also visualize it each morning, each evening, not just the accomplishing of the goal, but the process to achieve it. 10. Accountability - Share it with people that not only want to see you win, but also with people that won't allow you to lose/will hold you to the fire. --- All written out by each individual and then my challenge to them is to read it every morning and every night for 60 days. Watch what happens when you do. A team that sets goals together, wins together. I can't wait to see so many of theirs goals, so many of their affirmations, and so many of their achievements. This is going to be good ya'll. Just wait and see. PS - this is one of the most popular modules in the Sales Leadership Accelerator in fact it's unlocked right out the gate for all members. PPS - I'll be doing this workshop at Pavilion GTM in a few weeks as well here in Austin. Lets set and smash some goals ya'll!

[53] Fifteen Best Practices for How to Lead a Workshop On Wednesday, I gave a workshop on how to give a workshop—very meta, I know. Andreas Schröter invited me to a be.boosted event where the new generation of fellows will soon be leading their own workshops. So the timing was perfect! But what actually matters when planning and running your own workshop? Here are 15 best practices I’ve developed over the years: ---------- PREPARATION & PLANNING ---------- ⏳ 1) Time Your Workshop Realistically Less is more—don’t overload. For a 60-minute session, plan 30 minutes of content and 30 minutes of interaction. ☕ 2) Include Breaks (Even in Short Workshops!) Attention spans fade fast. Give a 5-10 minute break every 45-60 minutes to keep energy up. 🎤 3) Start Strong—Skip Awkward Intros Ditch the long bios. Open with a question, story, or surprise: "What made the best workshop you’ve attended great?" 🙋 4) Engage Participants Immediately Ask easy, low-stakes questions in the first five minutes: "What’s one word that describes how you feel about leading a workshop?" 🖥️ 5) Prepare Interactive Elements—But Only With Purpose In my humble opinion, many workshops are currently overusing interactive elements like complex quizzes or flashy slides just to seem impressive. Interaction is great, but only when it serves a clear purpose. ---------- DURING THE WORKSHOP ---------- 🎭 6) Get Participants Doing Something People remember what they do. Use polls, breakout rooms, or whiteboards. Example: "In pairs, share one example from experience." 🤫 7) Embrace Silence—Give Thinking Time Ask a question, then wait at least five seconds. If no response: "Take 10 seconds, then type in the chat." 🔁 8) Repeat Key Takeaways Say it → Show it → Let them say it. Reinforce key points with slides, stories, and activities. ⏱️ 9) Manage Time—Stay on Track Use a timer and give reminders: "Two minutes left!" Always build in buffer time. 🛠 10) Have a Backup Plan for Activities No answers? → Share an example. Too fast? → Add a bonus prompt. Too quiet? → Start with 1:1 or small groups. ---------- CLOSING & FOLLOW-UP ---------- 📌 11) Summarize Clearly Before Ending Never stop abruptly—people need closure (and so do you). The final moments of a workshop are often the most important, yet the least prepared. ✅ 12) End with a Call to Action Encourage immediate application or long-term reflection. Example: "Before you log off, write down one thing you’ll use in your next workshop." ❓ 13) Leave Time for Questions—But Make It Engaging Instead of "Any questions?", try more concrete questions such as: "What additional experiences have you had that we haven’t discussed today?” 📚 14) Offer Follow-Up Resources Share slides, key takeaways, or further reading. If possible, offer to answer follow-up questions. 🎉 15) End with Energy & Gratitude Avoid awkward fade-outs! Close with a final thought. If possible, rehearse your closing as much as your opening.

Early in my career, when I shared the story of a workshop that completely bombed (an email announcing layoffs arrived in everyone's inbox during day 1 lunch of a two-day program -- and I had no idea how to handle this), three women immediately reached out to share their own "disaster" stories. We realized we'd all been carrying shame about normal learning experiences while watching men turn similar setbacks into compelling leadership narratives about risk-taking and resilience. The conversation that we had was more valuable than any success story I could have shared. As women, we are stuck in a double-bind: we are less likely to share our successes AND we are less likely to share our failures. Today, I'm talking about the latter. Sharing failure stories normalizes setbacks as part of growth rather than evidence of inadequacy. When we women are vulnerable about their struggles and what they learned, it creates permission for others to reframe their own experiences. This collective storytelling helps distinguish between individual challenges and systemic issues that affect many women similarly. Men more readily share and learn from failures, often turning them into evidence of their willingness to take risks and push boundaries. Women, knowing our failures are judged more harshly, tend to hide them or frame them as personal shortcomings. This creates isolation around experiences that are actually quite common and entirely normal parts of professional development. Open discussion about setbacks establishes the expectation that failing is not only normal but necessary for success. It builds connection and community among women who might otherwise feel alone in their struggles. When we reframe failures as data and learning experiences rather than shameful secrets, we reduce their power to limit our future risk-taking and ambition. Here are a few tips for sharing and learning from failure stories: • Practice talking about setbacks as learning experiences rather than personal inadequacies • Share what you learned and how you've applied those lessons, not just what went wrong • Seek out other women's failure stories to normalize your own experiences • Look for patterns in women's challenges that suggest systemic rather than individual issues (and then stop seeing systemic challenges as personal failures!) • Create safe spaces for honest conversation about struggles and setbacks • Celebrate recovery and growth as much as initial success • Use failure stories to build connection and mentorship relationships with other women We are not the sum of our failures, but some of our failures make us more relatable, realistic, and ready for our successes. So let's not keep them to ourselves. #WomensERG #DEIB #failure

🎯 How to turn what you're learning outside of work into real impact at your job. Learning new skills outside of work is one thing, but applying them in your job is a whole new level. Recently, I was teaching myself some programming skills in my free time. Instead of waiting for an assigned task, I took the initiative to automate a process we use sometimes at work. Using Excel VBA, I streamlined a manual task, making it faster and more efficient. The result? What I created is now a standard in my department. This experience taught me a few key things: 1️⃣ Find ways to apply what you're learning to real work problems.
Look for processes or tasks you can improve with your new skills. 2️⃣ Take initiative and solve problems before being asked.
Your proactive approach will help you stand out. 3️⃣ Build credibility and trust by showing competence. 
When you apply new skills effectively, you're not just solving a problem—you’re proving your value. You don't have to wait for the perfect opportunity. 
Make your own. What skills are you working on outside of your day job?
How can you apply them in your workplace to make an impact? #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #SkillBuilding #Initiative #Programming #ExcelVBA #Automation #EarlyCareerJourney #GenZ #GenZEngineer #ContinuousLearning

Bonuses only matter, right? Think again. When it comes to project success, teams crave: 🌟 Clear Communication 🌟 Trust 🌟 Feedback Groundbreaking insights reveal: 70% of projects fail due to lack of clarity, regardless of the tools in place. Here's the real shocker: 33% of team members feel their expertise isn't utilized. That's a third of your squad feeling underutilized. Ponder on that. Why This Matters ➨ Faster Deliverables Effective feedback speeds up project timelines by 27%. ➨ Elevated Quality Clear objectives can spike the project's quality by 19%. ➨ Team Cohesiveness Teams with trust are 3.5X more likely to meet deadlines. ➨ Resource Optimization Informed teams utilize resources 42% more efficiently. Now, no doubt, tools are pivotal. Everyone needs the right resources. But they aren't the be-all, end-all. Here's the revelation: Clear communication bridges the gaps tools can't. It's the linchpin of a successful project. Your Action Plan 1. Transparent Objectives: Clarify the 'why' behind tasks. Purpose drives passion. 2. Feedback Loops: Encourage open dialogue. Mistakes are growth opportunities. 3. Trust Sessions: Team-building exercises to foster mutual respect and understanding. 4. Skill Spotlights: Hold sessions where team members showcase their expertise. 5. Delegation With Clarity: Ensure tasks align with strengths. No round pegs in square holes. Bringing It Home Don't just assign, engage. A simple "How can I support you?" changes the game. Success isn't about just meeting deadlines. It's about nurturing growth, trust, and collaboration. Kickstart the change. Witness project efficiency, team satisfaction, and quality escalate. Let's transform our project landscapes, one clear communication at a time. P.S. If this struck a chord, share to enlighten others ♻️

Manager development requires a two-part strategy of traditional workshops AND reinforcement. Here's why. TL;DR, managers are often "too busy" to attend multiple classroom-style workshops and practice what they learn. 🕓 TIME. Managers are some of the busiest members of your org, and barely have time for strategic planning, let alone a 6-week lecture series. Learning needs to be bite-sized, flexible, and high-impact as a result. 🌎 DIVERSE POPULATIONS. Timezones making it logistically hard to get everyone to attend a workshop. Add on the various levels of skill across your org, and one-size-fits all becomes hard to pull off. 🤨 SPEED OF FORGETTING. Delivering feedback, engaging in difficult conversations, and setting expectations drive outcomes, but they're uncomfortable to get right. Managers "forget" these behaviors and prefer old habits, unless constant reinforcement helps them practice otherwise. --- That's not to say you should throw out your workshops entirely. The best L&D leaders know that traditional classroom-style workshops are a foundation, not the end of a learning strategy. Workshops establish core concepts, create a common language, and set expectations for learners. Then, the real work begins. Retention and behavior change happens through reinforcement––and that's where microlearning shines! Today, microlearning is an umbrella term for a bunch of offerings: - 🍎 small refresher workshops or activities - 📹 async videos or lessons with practical tips - 👋 ad hoc coaching or quick mentor syncs - 🤝 30 min learning community discussions - 📚 resource libraries, templates, and power cards - 💡AI-powered LMS and in-workflow nudges You need both strategies (and a diverse set of offerings!) to break through the noise in busy distributed companies. What does your perfect recipe for learning offerings look like? How do you visualize the two-part learning strategy? Let us know in the comments! #learninganddevelopment #talentdevelopment #peopleops #hr #learning --- Did you like this? Share it with your LinkedIn audience! We're always looking to spread great knowledge and information. ♻️ And follow me (Yen Tan) for more manager dev and L&D tips!

We tell our sales reps to be gritty, to work smarter, not harder, to smash their quota but don't always do the best job pairing those inspirational calls to action with tools and techniques that allow them to do the things we ask. For years, I’ve loved the GROW Goal Setting Model. It is a great model, but I found myself tweaking it to reflect the things I think are fascinating and that actually work for revenue teams. 🧠 Ideas like: - Neuroplasticity - Harms of moonshot thinking - Value of gratitude and meditation - The frustration reps feel when they work tirelessly and still miss quota. That’s why I developed the PATH. 👉 Steal this framework to help your team not only set goals but achieve them. The PATH framework is a four-step process that helps you and your team set actionable goals, anticipate challenges, and ensure every step aligns with your aspirations. 1. Plan: Setting a Focused Goal Everything starts with a solid foundation. The first step is setting a focused goal. SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—work well here. This ensures you’re working toward a well-defined target, making it easier to stay focused and track progress. 2. Anticipate: Backcasting Once your goal is in place, it’s time to imagine your desired future state. I love writing goals as if they've already happened and writing out the details of what it took me to get there. This process ensures that you have realistic micro-actions that you can be accountable to on the PATH to achieving your goal. 3. Test: Pre-Mortem Next, you stress-test your plan with a pre-mortem (inspo credit: Annie Duke, Thinking in Bets) This exercise allows you to identify risks before they arise, so you can adjust your plan and stay on track. It also encourages you to uncover opportunities to leapfrog your progress by brainstorming creative solutions. 4. Harmonize: Alignment to Aspirations The final step ensures that your micro-actions align with your larger aspirations. It's a final sense check to ensure you've set a goal you care enough about that you'll put in the hard work required to achieve it. That work will be supported by a clear PATH to success. The PATH framework ensures you don’t just set goals—you achieve them. 💸 Want me to guide your sales or leadership team through this process as part of your year-end planning or SKO? Drop "PATH" in the comments to learn more.