Salem is an incredible community with many opportunities for young professionals as the city is a dynamic location for business. Keeping this in mind, the Inspire Foundation partnered with the Salem Young Professionals to find ways to engage young and talented people in Salem, and one result of this partnership led to the Leadership Development Series. The series is a two-hour class held once a month where participants learn new leadership skills, broaden their network of professional connections, build relationships and gain a deeper understanding of the Salem community.
The 2016-2017 session was the third year of the series and over 100 individuals have participated in its history. Some of the topics during the 2016-2017 session included; Who is on Your Team, led by Scott Sadler, Inspire Foundation Board President; Listening, it’s a Leadership Skill, led by Tami Mack with SAIF Corporation and the final presentation was Take Control of Your Time by productivity coach, Bethanne Kronick.
Bethanne is a nationally recognized productivity strategist, author and trainer who helps people learn new habits and behaviors so their lives reflect what is truly important to them. She founded her company, SIMPLIFY!, in 2002, where she offers classes and workshops on a variety of topics related to focus, organization and productivity. At the Leadership Development Series presentation, she gave useful tips to increase workplace productivity such as, identifying workplace priorities and methods to eliminate distractions by using her own personal anecdotes and involving the group in hands-on activities.
Many participants and their employers have expressed gratitude for the shift in perspective and the professional growth that occurred while being engaged with the series content. From the words of the Leadership Development Series, some of the top takeaways from the program include:
- “It was a great experience. The contacts I made will be valuable down the road!”
- “I participated in this series to improve my leadership skills and to understand how to communicate more effectively with my team.”
- “I loved getting to meet community members.”
- “The Leadership Development Series is very relevant and applicable to my job.”
If you are interested in further developing your profession in the workplace, learning new tips and tricks on how to be an effective leader and increase your confidence speaking in public, consider the Leadership Development Series, powered by the Inspire Foundation and the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce. It was designed with you in mind.
Learn more about the next series.