DIRECTIONS
Lauren Harbert
Hello LTEN community, and happy September! Fall always feels like a season of possibility. After a busy summer of learning, travel and reconnecting with so many of you, we naturally begin looking ahead. New ideas take shape, projects gain momentum and many of us start thinking about how we want to continue growing before the year ends.
Growth, however, rarely happens in isolation.
One of my favorite parts of this role is watching connections happen in real time.
Sometimes it’s two people meeting for the first time during a networking mixer and discovering they’re solving the same challenge. Sometimes it’s a conversation that starts after a conference session and turns into a year-long collaboration. And sometimes it’s the experienced leader who quietly takes a newer professional under their wing — not because anyone asked them to, but because someone once did the same for them.
Those moments rarely make the agenda.
But they’re often the moments that change careers.
Over the past year, we’ve talked a great deal about networking, curiosity and the relationships that make our community so unique. If you’ve attended the Learning Executive Forum, our annual conference or even participated in one of our networking mixers, you’ve probably experienced this firsthand.
The conversations that happen between sessions often become just as valuable as the sessions themselves. That realization has challenged us to think differently.
How do we make those meaningful connections available all year, and not just during the few days we’re together at an event?
This fall, we’re taking an exciting step toward answering that question.
We’ll soon be introducing two new opportunities within The Network, our online community and forum. They’re both designed to help members connect more intentionally: mentor matching and volunteer opportunities.
Mentorship has long been one of the most powerful ways professional communities accelerate learning and leadership. A successful mentoring program isn’t simply about pairing people together, it’s about creating purposeful relationships that help members grow, build confidence and strengthen the entire community. When designed thoughtfully, mentoring supports professional development, develops future leaders, improves member engagement and creates lasting value for everyone involved.
For many of us, the next step in our career wasn’t found in a textbook or a presentation. It came from a conversation with someone willing to share their experiences, ask thoughtful questions or simply encourage us to see a challenge differently.
Imagine what could happen if every LTEN member had easier access to those conversations.
Maybe you’re an experienced learning leader who wants to help someone navigate their first leadership role. Maybe you’re new to life sciences learning and looking for someone who’s already walked the path you’re beginning.
We’re calling it Mentor Match, and it will help you create those connections in a meaningful, structured way while still allowing each mentoring relationship to develop naturally.
We’re equally excited about expanding how members become involved through new volunteer opportunities inside The Network.
Every year I hear members say, “I’d love to get more involved — I just don’t know where to start.”
We’re changing that.
Whether you’re interested in serving on a committee, contributing to a project, helping shape future programming or lending your expertise to a short-term initiative, you’ll be able to discover opportunities that align with your interests, experience and availability.
Because volunteering isn’t simply about giving back: It’s one of the fastest ways to grow your own leadership skills, expand your professional network and gain experiences you may not have inside your own organization.
Some of the strongest leaders in LTEN began as volunteers who simply raised their hand for one opportunity. Those opportunities changed their careers — and ultimately strengthened our community.
That’s really what this next chapter is about.
LTEN always has been powered by members who willingly share their knowledge, experiences and perspectives with one another. Technology simply allows us to make those connections easier to discover and more intentional than ever before.
As these new opportunities roll out over the coming months, I hope you’ll consider how you’d like to participate.
Perhaps you’ll become a mentor.
Perhaps you’ll seek one.
Perhaps you’ll volunteer for something completely outside your comfort zone.
Or perhaps you’ll do all three.
Because communities aren’t built by organizations. They’re built by people who choose to invest in one another.
I can’t wait to see where those investments lead next.
Lauren Harbert is executive director of LTEN. Connect through lharbert@L-TEN.org or linkedin.com/in/lauren-harbert/.