Tom Friedman had an interesting op/ed piece in the New York Times last week entitled, "The Start-Up of You," in which he makes the very compelling argument that one of the fundamental changes we are experiencing in work today is the need for employees to think like entrepreneurs: Whatever you may be thinking when you apply for a job today, you can be sure the employer is asking this: Can... Read more →

Lynda Gratton, author of The Shift: The Future of Work is Already Here, has an excellent post that summarizes the key points of her new book and outlines the 10 things you can do to future proof your career: Know the trends that are shaping work and careers. Learn to be virtual. Search for the valuable skills. Become a Master. Be prepared to strike out on your own. Find your... Read more →

As I'm thinking about positive professional development and working on my upcoming Positive Professional Development Day camps, I'm wondering when people tend to think about their careers and their ongoing professional development. Anecdotally, it seems that most people think about it because of external factors, like needing PD to maintain a professional certification or because a boss suggests it, but I want to check my assumptions, so. . . Take... Read more →

Over the weekend I ran across an interesting report in The Atlantic from the for-profit University of Phoenix. It looks at what they consider to be the six major drivers of change and the skills that will be necessary to thrive in this environment. Six Drivers of Change According to the report, there are six drivers of change: Extreme Longevity--an aging population worldwide. Rise of Smart Machines and Systems--workplace automation... Read more →

A few years ago, I wrote a post about Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck's research into fixed vs. growth mindsets, in which I briefly explored the implications of her research. As part of my own personal professional development, I've been reading more books, so finally got around to reading Dweck's excellent Mindset: The New Psychology of Success and can see even greater implications for the positive professional development I've been thinking... Read more →

I've been writing a lot lately about positive professional development, trying to think differently about how we approach our own learning and growth. But it occurs to me that for many of us, thinking about career and professional growth can be tough if we're feeling stuck in our current careers. All this "positive" stuff can start to sound like the manic ramblings of a crazy person. Who has TIME for... Read more →

UPDATE! The Postivie Professional Development Online Day Camps are filled as of July 13, but I'm starting a waiting list in case anyone ends up dropping out. If you're still interested in attending, fill out this form and I will add you to the list. You can also complete the form if you are interested in attending, but can't make these particular dates/times. Depending on interest, I may look at... Read more →

This week I've been exploring using positive questioning strategies to drive professional development. Previous posts included: Professional Development from Inspiration, Not Desperation Positive Questions for Professional Development: Setting the Stage Positive Questions for Professional Development: Creating a Learning Vision Strategies for Exploring Positive Questions for Professional Development In today's post, I want to explore ways to translate insights into action. How do you move from creating a vision for inspired... Read more →

I've been writing and thinking over the past few days about using positive questions for professional development. First I looked at some questions for creating an internal and external learning environment and then I looked at questions to use in exploring what you want to learn. Today I'm thinking more about different strategies you can use to explore these questions. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. Frankly, I've found... Read more →

This week I've been exploring the power of positive questions in professional development. Yesterday I looked at some questions for setting the stage for learning. Today I want to propose some questions that can help us better define what we want to learn. Professional Development Action vs. Activity This is related in some ways to my earlier post on action vs. activity. I've found that it can be easy to... Read more →