Collaborative Professional Development

Fundraisers are reinventing professional development. Forget expensive conferences and generic webinars. The most valuable learning is happening through structured peer-to-peer exchange: Case study circles - Small groups of fundraisers from different organizations - Real-world challenges presented and workshopped - Collective problem-solving with diverse perspectives - Accountability for implementing solutions Skill-swap partnerships - Paired exchanges based on complementary strengths - Direct observation of each other's work - Structured feedback and coaching - Ongoing implementation support Cross-sector learning pods - Fundraisers from different nonprofit sectors - Focus on transferable strategies and approaches - Translation of methods across cause areas - Innovation through unexpected combinations The benefits extend beyond skill development: - Reduced professional isolation - Expanded professional networks - Increased job satisfaction - Accelerated career advancement The most effective fundraisers are building these learning communities intentionally, not leaving professional growth to chance. Tag a colleague who's taught you something valuable about fundraising!

I've coached SDR teams for over two decades now. Here is the most important sales-coaching lesson I've learned over that time: ✅ Always ask. ❌ Rarely tell. I call this 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. The goal of collaborative coaching is to guide the rep towards solutions by asking intentional questions as opposed to stating directives. This emphasizes self-adaptation and empowerment while reducing the dependency reps have on managers for coaching. Some examples of questions you might ask: ❓What went wrong on that call? ❓What support do you need from me to reach your quota? ❓What skill do you think is most important for you to improve this month? Your team benefits from this #strategy because: 👍 It allows your SDRs to take ownership of their professional development. 👍 It empowers SDRs to develop self-assessment skills that can be applied to their unique first-hand experiences. 👍 It strengthens the relationship between the manager and the SDR by creating a mutual commitment to performance improvement. By guiding SDRs with questions, not directives, you empower your reps to be their own growth catalysts. Once your people start improving, even when you're not in the room, that's when you've unlocked something as a sales leader. #salesdevelopment #SDR

The future of education depends on how well we invest in the people who deliver it. In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape shaped by AI, digital tools, and shifting learner needs, upskilling our teachers and staff isn't optional; it's foundational. Here are some best practices we’ve found effective: ✅ Make professional development continuous, not episodic Ongoing, embedded learning (coaching, microlearning, PLCs) leads to sustainable growth, far more than one-off workshops. ✅ Leverage technology with intentionality Train staff not just how to use tools, but why, focusing on outcomes like engagement, accessibility, and personalization. ✅ Center learning on real classroom challenges Professional development must connect to what educators face daily. Relevance breeds retention and motivation. ✅ Create a culture of learning at every level When leaders model curiosity and openness to growth, it cascades throughout the organization. ✅ Elevate educator voice and agency Upskilling works best when teachers co-design their learning journeys and feel ownership of their development. What strategies are working in your schools or organizations? I’d love to hear your insights. 👇 #K12 #EdLeadership #TeacherDevelopment #LifelongLearning #ProfessionalGrowth #FutureOfEducation

Over the past few years, Michael Nelson and I have taken long-term hybrid approaches to professional learning in our individual and collaborative work. Hybrid work consists of 3 or 4 in-person workshops and 60–90-minute virtual learning sessions the other months. These sessions can include on coaching or specific learning for school leaders and their teams based on evidence we collect from previous sessions. The point of hybrid work is to be fluid to meet the needs of the individual leaders or school leadership teams, but needs to be balanced with a critical friend/accountability partner approach to keep everyone focused. Deidre Le Fevre et al. (2019) outline six necessary elements of effective professional learning and development: ·     Adopting an evaluative inquiry stance ·     Being metacognitive ·     Valuing and using deep conceptual knowledge ·     Being agentic: Developing a sense of agency in ourselves and others ·     Being aware of cultural positioning ·     Bringing a systemic focus: Helping all of those engaged in learning to understand the whole system and not just their individual classroom What we have learned in our leadership team work through the use of collaborative inquiry is: ·     Leaders are sometimes in such a reactive mode (i.e. stress, workload, outside factors) that they don’t always recognize the problem they are trying to solve. ·     Leaders aren’t always able to define success criteria for how to solve their issue. ·     Not everyone on a leadership team understands why they are on the team. In order to do the work, we focus on fostering collective leader efficacy, which is a school or district leadership team’s ability to develop a shared understanding and engage in joint work that includes evaluating the impact they have on the learning of adults and students in a school. We try not to complicate the topic, so the important phrasing within our definition is: ·     Shared understanding ·     Joint Work ·     Evaluating impact We draw upon the work of Robinson, V. M. J., Lloyd, C. A., & Rowe, K. J. (2008). In their research paper titled, The Impact of Leadership on Student Outcomes: An Analysis of the Differential Effects of Leadership Types. Educational Administration Quarterly, 44(5), 635-674, they focus on 5 leadership dimensions which are: Planning, coordinating, evaluating teaching & the curriculum Ensuring an orderly & supportive environment Establishing goals & expectations Strategic resourcing Promoting & participating in teacher learning & development In our upcoming Global Instructional Leadership network series, we will do this work fully virtual. Just like when we were in the classroom as teachers, we find that when we ask questions we want to know the answer to, offer quality time for participants to process and develop their own understanding through the use of protocols, professional learning can go from a sit and get event, to one that inspires reciprocal learning.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 – 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵. We've all seen it: professionals chasing networking events and collecting business cards, often missing the transformational power of learning alongside committed peers. The real game-changer? 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲. Right now, our #MBLI25 cohort are experiencing something extraordinary in Estonia and Finland. They're not just studying Baltic business innovation – they're building bonds that will define their careers going forward. Picture this: You're discussing how ancient trade routes shaped modern startups with a manufacturing executive in medieval Tallinn. Later, you're sharing insights about Nordic sustainability with a healthcare leader while soaking in a Finnish sauna. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽-𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿-𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀: 🎓Shared struggle creates unbreakable bonds. When you navigate complex challenges together, you build trust that transcends typical professional relationships. 🎓Diverse perspectives accelerate growth. Your cohort isn't filled with people who think like you. That healthcare executive sees solutions your manufacturing mindset might miss. 🎓Mutual investment drives mutual success. Everyone has made the same commitment to growth. When opportunities arise, they think of each other first. MBLI alumni regularly collaborate on major business deals, refer each other for leadership roles, and create partnerships that drive industry innovation. But here's what's even more powerful: they continue learning from each other long after graduation. The network doesn't just open doors – it helps you build the skills to walk through them confidently. The business cards you collect at networking events might lead to a conversation. The relationships you build in a learning cohort lead to career transformation. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴? 𝗠𝗕𝗟𝗜'𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗡𝗼𝘄: 𝗻𝗸𝘂.𝗲𝗱𝘂/𝗠𝗕𝗟𝗜

Transformative change relies on trust and collaboration – but what does that look like in practice? Over five years of partnership between New Profit and the MA Dept of Early Education and Care, the Early Childhood Support Organization (ECSO) initiative has provided professional development and quality improvement for hundreds of early education leaders and has has taken root as a lasting part of the state’s education system. Our new report explores lessons learned and key takeaways, offering a roadmap for organizations and states looking to strengthen collaborative, trust-based approaches to supporting early education leaders and programs: • Prioritize proximity – Ensure that what you are building is useful for and relevant to those closest to the challenges you’re addressing. • Build learning communities – Foster collaboration, shared problem-solving, and peer-to-peer learning among educators and leaders. • Combine public and private resources – Leverage funding and expertise from multiple sectors to increase flexibility, accelerate impact, and ensure sustainability. • Embed continuous evaluation – Monitor progress, adapt strategies, and use data to guide decision-making and improve outcomes. Deep gratitude to Julie Asher for your incredible leadership and to all of the partners who made this work possible. Link in comments to explore the full report.

Coaching is a collaborative professional development conversation to discover and unlock human potential. Coaching is a crucial dimension and a key component of an organization’s cultural paradigm. A coaching culture brings positive and healthy change when you as leaders/managers are ready to transform to engage the best energies of your people and match their potential in ways that leverages their self-esteem and identify what influences their performance to be involved and engaged in the process. In my experience, the best coaches are values-driven in everything they do. When these coaches make values as their bedrock of intentions and take inspired actions, they create an unshakeable impact on business and an everlasting impression their people. A privileged opportunity to transform people’s lives, impact their aspirations, create value and transfer my merits to my clients” is what forms the ethos of this premise. Derailing unhealthy behavioural patterns is what best coaches focus on. They do so by setting a firm cadence of ASK vs OFFER because people are sensitive to the feedback they receive, and they don’t appreciate it coming as a surprise.   In coaching, your job is to make your people ‘equity owners’ of the process because the premise of coaching says” as a coach do things with them rather than to them.” No framework of coaching works if you don't apply the principles of clarity, consistency, connection, communication and collaboration appropriately. From my experience as a leadership coach, the three elements and key virtues make up a stellar coach: The foremost is to be humble. Never let the 'cape wear you. ✅ Excellent work ✅ Robust relationships ✅ Values and behaviours Delve into the power of trust, accountability, and meaningful work to create the self-awareness for your coachee and tapping the best talents and strengths out of them. Practice "ostentatious listening". Keep your ego in check. Once you have helped your coachee to reach their goal, let them bask in the reflective glory, while you view the success from the back. You need to be hugely humble. As a coach if you have a tremendous need for continuous improvement💥and are able to provide valuable advisory service that effects the coachee's mindset to transform/change, then you have done your job successfully. Replacing your instructions with discovery questions. It means replacing, how I want you to do it with how would you do it? Empathetic listening - listening to encourage others to think for themselves, rather than listening to correct what others think. When these coaches map their core values on top of any situation, they achieve instant clarity of what really matters and how they should evaluate information surrounding an issue or problem. Better yet, when they live with their values - front and centre, they are more committed and confident in their decision-making. They know implicitly that decisions based upon values can never be entirely wrong.

Fostering Growth: Building a Future-Ready Team Nurturing the growth of team members involves creating an environment that supports their professional development and personal well-being.Sharing some of my thoughts below: Empowering Autonomy: Trusting your team members to take ownership of their projects fosters innovation and confidence. By providing the right resources and support, we empower them to make decisions and drive their own success. Mentorship and Coaching: Regular one-on-one sessions with personalized guidance and feedback. By mentoring and coaching, team members navigate challenges and seize growth opportunities. Clear Career Pathways: Understanding where they want to go and helping them map out a path to get there is key, working together to set clear, attainable goals that align with both their career aspirations and organizational objectives. Celebrating Achievements: Recognizing hard work and celebrating milestones keeps morale high and motivation strong. Every success, big or small, deserves to be acknowledged. Fostering Collaboration: Encouraging teamwork and cross-functional projects helps us learn from each other and build a more cohesive, supportive team environment. Continuous Learning: We should encourage a culture of lifelong learning, whether it is through training courses or on-the-job experiences, provide opportunities to expand current skill sets and stay ahead of industry trends. Together, we are not just building a team; we are cultivating a community of continuous growth, innovation, and mutual support. Here’s to developing a future-ready team, one step at a time! #TeamGrowth #CareerDevelopment #EmployeeEmpowerment #ContinuousLearning

Have you ever wondered how success shifts its focus when you step into a leadership role? 🤔 In the initial stages of our career, we strive to grow and excel personally. It's all about honing our skills, expanding our knowledge, and achieving individual milestones. But as we progress and take on leadership positions, a remarkable shift occurs. Success transcends from self-growth to the growth of others. 🌱👥 💡 As a leader, your true measure of success lies in how effectively you can develop and empower your team members. Here's why this transition is paramount for your professional journey: 1️⃣ Amplified Impact: When you invest in growing others, your influence multiplies exponentially. By cultivating the talents and skills of your team, you create a ripple effect, positively impacting the entire organization. 🌊 2️⃣ Enhanced Collaboration: A leader who prioritizes the growth of others fosters a culture of collaboration and continuous learning. By empowering team members, encouraging their development, and providing mentorship, you create an environment that thrives on shared knowledge and collective success. 🤝💪 3️⃣ Immersive Learning Experience: Guiding and nurturing the growth of your team allows you to expand your own horizons as well. Each interaction becomes an opportunity for you to learn from the unique perspectives and experiences of your team members. Mutual growth becomes the fuel that propels you forward. 🌍📚 🚀 Are you ready to embrace this shift and unlock the immense potential of growing others as a leader? Here are a few steps to get started: 🔹 Create a Culture of Development: Foster an environment where learning and growth are valued and celebrated. Encourage your team members to pursue professional development opportunities, collaborate, and share knowledge. 🔹 Provide Ongoing Feedback: Regularly provide constructive feedback and recognition to help your team members grow. Offer guidance, mentorship, and resources to support their development journey. 🔹 Delegate Responsibility: Empower your team by giving them ownership of projects and tasks. Provide them with opportunities to take the lead, make decisions, and learn from both successes and challenges. 💬👇 Have you experienced this shift in focus from self-growth to growing others as a leader? How has it impacted your professional journey? Share your thoughts and insights below! 👇💬 Let's continue our collective growth journey and inspire others to reach new heights of success together! 🙌✨ #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth #TeamEmpowerment #LeadByExample #TrueLeaders