Here's how you can maximize the value you gain from continuing education programs in Culture Change.

Any learning initiative to facilitate culture change should be aligned with the behavioural needs of the change. Developing skills and knowledge which doesn’t lead to a change in mindset and behaviour will not add value to the change initiatives. Another aspect to include is cross functional learning which helps develop collaborative skills.

To maximize value from continuing education programs in Culture Change: Apply Learning: Implement new knowledge in your daily work or life. For example, if you learn about diversity, ensure your team is inclusive. Share Knowledge: Teach others what you’ve learned. This reinforces your understanding and benefits your community. Continuous Practice: Regularly revisit the material to keep it fresh in your mind. Feedback: Seek feedback on your understanding and application of the knowledge. Remember, the real value comes from applying and sharing the knowledge.

The choice may seem to be overwhelming, so it might be a good idea to rely on credentials of a provider of the program. Some of the institutions are known for their high quality blend of theory and challenging practice. Others may be less established or may inhabit a very specific niche. In any case, you might want to find people with the credentials you are considering and ask them for their opinion and experience. By reaching out to wider network, you will get more information for your decision and you will grow your network of like minded professionals.

You are in power of your own learning. Only if you fully commit to active participation in your program, will you truly learn from it. The learning environment should be seen as a safe space, where you can experiment and explore your abilities and reactions of others. Use it to grow and develop your skills. Your experience and emotional response in the classroom will be what you will remember. The theory is necessary to understand what is going on, but you can find it also just by reading books. Your experience is what counts, so make sure you get to fully engage in your learning.

Really great programs are designed to allow first experiential application of their content in the safe space of the program. The ones in the group who are able to use this opportunities are the real winners. They have already experienced applying the tools or strategies, so they are better placed to use them as their own afterwords. Test, try out, rehearse and find the smallest fist steps to test how it works for you. And make sure you don’t stop testing and applying, as it is all to easy to fall back to the default position. It takes time to grow new habits.

Reflection is an essential element of learning. If you get stuck in the plan/do/plan/do-habit and don’t allow time for reflection, you won’t be able to improve and learn from your experience.