Invitation to a Blended Learning Experience for Emerging Leaders

Even though it has been many years, I remember very clearly how I felt when I accepted my first promotion to become a manager. I felt like I was on top of the world!  I could face any challenge, solve any problem, overcome any obstacle, conquer any foe; well, you get the picture. I rode that sense of accomplishment and invincibility for a bit with nothing but high hopes, grand ideas, and the lion's share of practical experience as an individual contributor on my side. I was brought up rather short soon after assuming my new position, meeting with my new boss, and speaking with my new team.

You see, I was good at keeping myself organized and focused on my highest priorities but the sudden realization that I was responsible for the work of the eight people I now manage hit me like a bucket of ice water. Just a few days ago I was one of them. How do I get these people to do their jobs? How do I make sure the work gets done? My new supervisor was supportive and provided some guidance; however, I discovered I didn't even know what questions to ask. Where do I even start?

Looking back, I can't help but feel like I could have avoided some missteps and faux pas in my journey as a leader had I been given more direction, tools, resources, and training about my new role and how to best support my team. It took quite some time for me to realize that it isn't about me at all; not entirely anyway. It is about the people that I lead, the work that we produce, the team culture I help create, and the mindset I adopt as a leader.

Are you a new supervisor? Were you recently promoted to lead a team you were a member of not too long ago? Are you experiencing some challenges supervising individuals you worked alongside previously? Would you benefit from some guidance, tools, and resources to help you find your feet as you transition into your new role? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we have an amazing learning opportunity we believe can help. In the dynamic landscape of today's workplace, emerging leaders often find themselves facing the unique challenge of transitioning from the role of a peer to a supervisor. This shift not only requires a change in responsibilities but also a transformation in mindset and skill set. The struggle that many new leaders face, and our own experiences as new leaders provided the inspiration for the new blended learning experience entitled Emerging Leader: Navigating the Transition from Peer to Supervisor.

So, what is this blended learning thing anyway? I am glad you asked!  We talk about making the transition from peer to supervisor briefly in our Basics of Supervision course. But in the end, we decided that this transition is a challenging and critical element of the journey that every leader takes, and we wanted to do it justice. Blended learning offers a wonderful mix of modalities such as on-demand webinars and custom-designed assignments that you can tailor to your individual role and challenges as a leader. It also includes real-time, virtual instruction with training professionals who are also seasoned leaders. We wanted to provide a collaborative learning environment that allows emerging leaders to engage in meaningful discussions with other leaders in a variety of industries. This four-week experience includes assignments to develop and fine tune your leadership mindset, have conversations with previous peers and friends to establish expectations and set boundaries, ask questions and discuss your role with your new boss, create agendas for initial team meetings and one-on-one conversations, and understand your influence as a leader.

At Cascade Employers Association, we firmly believe in and are enthusiastic champions of life-long learning. We believe in the value of guidance, knowledge, practice, planning, and discussion and wanted to incorporate all of those elements into a dynamic, interactive learning experience that provides tools and resources you can take with you on your leadership journey. So, with great enthusiasm and anticipation, we invite you to register for this valuable and engaging blended learning experience. We look forward to seeing you in Emerging Leader: Navigating the Transition from Peer to Supervisor - A Blended Learning Experience.