Professional Development

According to Zig Ziglar, “The only thing worse than training employees and losing them is not training them and keeping them.”

Professional development is an important, ongoing part of business success. It should permeate all levels of organizations large and small. And while most employers would agree with the importance, many have come up short with sustained implementation.

Let’s look at this from two perspectives: employer and employee.

As an employer, it is your responsibility to provide meaningful opportunities for your employees to better themselves, resulting in engagement and peak performance at work. If you don’t make this part of the very fiber of your organization, it will fade away, and your workforce may find themselves as part of the estimated 70 percent of Americans who are not meaningfully engaged at work.

As an employee, make it known to your employer that you desire relevant professional development experiences. Do some research on your own, if necessary, and offer options for training. Take advantage of employment benefits that pay for further education. Seek affiliation with local, state and national organizations that hold regular conferences filled with networking and development opportunities. In other words, actively participate in life-long learning.

From the Women’s Network to the Manufacturing Council, the Chamber offers a variety of professional development opportunities for folks in all areas of business. Check out our website to learn more about our programs. And if you’re still hungry for more professional development opportunities, let us know! We’d be happy to connect you with the many different options our community has to offer.