As part of our core value of continuous learning, we are committed to embracing change and pursuing growth both as individuals and as a team. We want to bring our best selves to work each day. So we leverage resources that help us sharpen our skills, stretch beyond our boundaries, better understand ourselves and each other, and ultimately advance our mission. Just like the rest of our core values, continuous learning is woven into our culture — but to ensure it remains a top priority, as an employer, we extend generous formal and informal learning opportunities to every member of our team.
On the formal side, the Foundation provides both job-related training and career development assistance. Job-related training allows team members to work with their supervisors to both identify and pursue structured learning opportunities (such as classes, conferences and webinars) that align directly with their job and developmental goals for the year — and funds are unlimited within those parameters. With further support from Rebecca Cisek, our Senior Director of Talent and Organizational Development, staff members then reflect upon their experiences and apply key learnings to their work. Career development assistance, designed to accompany job-related training, is an additional benefit that helps team members hone skills beyond their day-to-day scope, pursue their passions and engage in lifelong learning.
“During her time as CEO and President, Barbara truly brought our core values to life,” says Ms. Cisek. “She recognized that additional resources were needed for our team to fully embody continuous learning — so she pulled out all the stops. From adding my position to evaluating and enhancing our job-related training benefit, to the ways she led, developed and empowered her direct reports (and expected them to pay it forward), her commitment was unshakable.”
Many team members cite these programs as a key strength of our culture, and research from Gallup underscores the workforce’s increasing expectation for employers to embody this commitment to professional development. As the chart (below) illustrates, many at the Foundation are taking advantage of these programs to further their individual growth and development — pursuing bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees as well as professional certifications ranging from beekeeping to project management.
Our commitment to learning goes beyond formal training. We use an informal, internal channel to share news, articles and information as well as upcoming events and learning opportunities. We also engage in ongoing developmental conversations (including feedback from 360-degree reviews), coaching, communities of practice and more to continually expand our knowledge and perspectives, enhance collaboration, and maximize our efforts in supporting our partners, sector and community.
Amy Soper, Director of our Seventh-day Adventist Initiative, is pursuing a PhD in Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability with support from the Foundation. She started this program with an initial desire to build her own capacity to support Foundation partners in their accountability and evaluation systems and processes. But, she says, the educational journey led her to a greater destination: gaining a more thorough understanding of the breadth and depth of the evaluation field and developing frameworks to better assess the impact of our work.
“Over the years, I’ve not only applied my learnings to my own work, I’ve shared them with my team and others so they can advance their own efforts and individual growth,” she says. “When resources are available for you to explore your passions — and you don’t have to worry about pulling funds from your family — you’re free to both discover your true talents and continually sharpen your existing skills. And couple that with the sincere support of your colleagues, who cheer you on as they navigate their own developmental journeys. You just can’t put a price tag on that.”
