8 ways to create professional development opportunities

8 ways to create professional development opportunities | Leadership is about context, not checklists | What to do before the recession strikes Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( May 10, 2019 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [FORWARD]( ADVERTISEMENT  [] Leading Edge [] [8 ways to create professional development opportunities]( Managers have many tactics available for creating informal professional development opportunities, including offering a higher volume of focused work, finding ways to fill in organizational gaps and encouraging volunteer work, writes Julie Winkle Giulioni. "You and the employee must align with growth goals and develop a plan to create not just business but also developmental outcomes," she writes. [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (5/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Leadership is about context, not checklists]( Checklists of leadership qualities ignore that context is often what determines which behaviors, tactics or traits will serve best, writes Sean Hanrahan. "By seeing these conflicts and understanding when to adjust their approach a leader can be the person the team needs in almost any situation," he writes. [Medium (tiered subscription model)]( (5/8) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Stand out with an Executive MBA from Michigan Ross The Michigan Ross Executive MBA positions you for success at the highest level. Build on your skills with our Leadership Development Program, which includes executive coaching, workshops and more. Our top-ranked Executive MBA program meets once a month in LA for 21 months. [Click here to learn more about the Leadership Development Program](. ADVERTISEMENT [] Strategic Management [] [What to do before the recession strikes]( Businesses can prepare for an economic downturn by focusing on customer retention, diversification and marketing, writes Mark Coronna. "Slowdowns give you a fresh set of eyes to understand what drives your business," he argues. [Chief Outsiders]( (5/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Imagine an ideal world to think through business problems]( When faced with difficulties, imagine how your business would operate in an ideal world, writes INSEAD visiting professor Marc Le Menestrel. "You can scale up the benefit by involving your team -- sharing your ideas with them and adding their contributions until a collective utopia emerges," he writes. [INSEAD Knowledge]( (5/6) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Smarter Communication [] [Cultivate a culture of direct feedback plus empathy]( Communication and feedback should be firm, to the point and empathetic, as that combination can empower employees and help them feel supported, writes Arianna Huffington. "This isn't about being soft or solicitous, it's about acknowledging the way humans work and that we bring our whole selves to the workplace," she argues. [Thrive Global]( (5/8) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Smarter Living Get your mind and body right each Friday [] [These exercises are simple yet effective]( When starting any exercise routine, it's best to learn how to do each move correctly to avoid injury and to make the most of your time, writes Amy Marturana. She walks through eight basic strength moves, including squats, reverse lunges and planks. [Self]( (5/2) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] In Their Own Words [] [Stern opens up about health, therapy and how he's changed]( Stern opens up about health, therapy and how he's changed Stern (Kevin Kane/Getty Images) After years of braggadocio, anger and conceit, Howard Stern says he's changed because of a cancer scare, therapy and the political landscape. "I thought I should be at the center of the universe, and whenever it seemed like someone else was, I couldn't accept it," he says. [The Hollywood Reporter]( (5/8), [The New York Times (tiered subscription model)]( (5/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Septuagenarian completes Atlantic crossing in a barrel]( Septuagenarian Jean-Jacques Savin has successfully traveled west from the Canary Islands to the Dutch Caribbean island of St. Eustatius in a homemade, barrel-shaped, 10-by-7-foot vessel. Savin dined on fresh fish and stowed away two bottles of wine for the journey, which took more than four months. [CNN]( (5/7) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [] All you need is one person to say yes to an idea. Joy Mangano inventor and entrepreneur May is National Inventors Month [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [Sign Up]( [SmartBrief offers 200+ newsletters]( [Advertise]( [Learn more about the SmartBrief audience]( Subscriber Tools: [Manage Subscriptions]( [Update Your Profile]( [Unsubscribe]( [Send Feedback]( [Archive]( [Search]( Contact Us: Jobs Contact - jobhelp@smartbrief.com Advertising - [Laura Engel](mailto:lengel@smartbrief.com) Editor - [James daSilva](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 © 1999-2019 SmartBrief, Inc.® [Privacy Policy (updated May 25, 2018)]( | [Legal Information]( Â