Take assessments, watch a TED talk video, construct a self-portrait, set a goal.
By Lisa Hochgraf
In Monday's post, I shared some strategies I'm using as I prepare to attend an in-person professional development program. (Next week I'm going to the inaugural summer CEO Institute I at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in Philadelphia.) So I found it interesting to also be reading this week about the preparation that participants in CUES' two inaugural "Blended Learning" courses this fall will be asked to do. For my prep to attend CEO Institute in person, I took an assessment of my "bargaining style" and downloaded a bunch of pre-reading. Plus, I looked at my flight itinerary and hotel reservation, and tried to learn something about my classmates to seed the onsite networking I'm anticipating. Interestingly, the preparation for CUES’ Blended Learning isn't so different, even though the delivery of the program is largely virtual. The two Blended Learning courses include Cornell University faculty-led online learning; personal coaching; individual or small group work; and the creation and implementation of an action plan for participants and their CUs. Participants in “Women Who Lead” will do two brief assessments about their strengths and development needs; view a TED talk; and set a professional goal. Those who sign up for “Leadership Brand and Shadow” will be asked to seek feedback from colleagues and friends, and construct a self-portrait. Refreshingly, Blended Learning participants won't have to prepare for the course by dealing with the logistics of flying somewhere or making a hotel reservation, however, they might want to test out their computer system well before the online learning sessions with Cornell Professor of Management and Organizations Kathleen M. O'Connor. And it might be good to spend some time thinking about what kinds of questions could be worth asking of classmates during O'Connor's or the small-group sessions. Monday I asked you how you prepare for in-person professional development. Today, I'm wondering, what would you do to prepare for Blended Learning?
Lisa Hochgraf is a CUES senior editor. Read more about how CUES' Blended Learning programs are designed to help participants apply what they've learned in this previous post. Photocredit: dollarphotoclub.com/mstanley13
