|
Line Dance or Tango?
Choosing an Appropriate Education Provider
The majority of your credentials management is dependent on fulfilling continuing education requirements. This month, our
guest author Thom Lowther Ed.S., Owner/CLO of Lowther 7, LLC - a Veteran owned, Learning Solutions consulting firm in Alexandria, Virginia, offers an esoteric, yet relevant challenge for professional development strategy and planning.
Organizations can develop simple certificate programs or complex certification programs. However, before your organization progresses too far into the development of the standards and requirements take a pause and think strategically. During your development process, think about those education providers who will be developing and offering the education courses that support your program. Consider those certificate holders who will be required to take classes from the education providers and how in the long term that relates to your overall program. Think strategically about your education providers. Do you set up a system that shapes and influences the education or do you rely on randomness, good luck and the good intentions of the education providers? Let me give you three simple examples of what it could look like and then suggest four indicators that will help you determine if the education provider(s) is the right dance partner for your organization.
If you have ever been to a western style of honky-tonk bar you may have witnessed the country line dance. You know the one - where two or three of the patrons get up on the dance floor in a line and start a two-step motion. After a while other patrons join in with various levels of skills. This can be entertaining and fun to watch because you never know how the dance will conclude.
Have you seen the Broadway production or the movie of the Chorus Line? It starts out with professional performers who are generally better dancers than your average two-step line dancers. After a lot of practice and rehearsals on the part of these dancers they provide a well choreographed dance routine that even an untrained eye can appreciate.
Several years ago I had the opportunity to visit Argentina and my host took me to a cabaret show where the performers did the tango. It was a totally new level of dance to which I had not been previously exposed. The performers showed a grace, elegance and harmony as the partners performed as one motion.
Now, think about the education providers that your organization relies on to provide the education to your certificate or certification holders. What are your education outcome expectations? There are at least four basic indicators that will help you determine the type of dance partner that you are dependent upon.
Do you and your education providers share the value of credibility? Is the big motivator for your organization or that of your education providers to generate revenue as a result of your certification program requirements? Is participation growth the primary concern of your program and that of your education providers? Do you and your providers emphasize quality as the most important issue? Ultimately do you want the relationship to look like a line dance or a tango?
Are you dancing with a well defined mission? Every successful small, medium and large architecture and engineering firm exercises skillfully coordinated practice management. Achieving your professional practice goals requires integrating an effective credentials management system. For a credentials management resource visit: www.AECredentialing.com.
|
