Albert Einstein once said, “Once you stop learning, you start dying.” If that doesn’t motivate you to be a life-long learner, I am not sure what will! I prefer to think of it in the positive, learning is key to growing – both professionally and personally. Studies are proving it. Learning new things keeps your brain healthy!
Next week is Employee Learning Week so I encourage you to celebrate by signing up for a class or two to learn a new skill or broaden your perspective.
Our Human Resources team makes is easy for you to keep learning.
The Leadership Certification program develops new and aspiring leaders. It is a great way to enhance your leadership skills for use at the County or in your personal life. The ranks of bronze, silver and gold leaders in the County continue to grow and you can add yourself to the cadre here: https://www.piercecountywa.gov/6602/Leadership-Certification
We also have specific classes by topic. I’ve written recently about our government-to-government tribal training, and our departments are supportive of technical and job-specific learning.
As a benefit of your employment with the County, you can access thousands of free LinkedIn Learning and Workday Learning classes. You will find links to these on the Organizational Development and Training site on our intranet. The site is especially helpful in focusing on your specific interests and needs: https://my.co.pierce.wa.us/124/Organizational-Development-Training
And I practice what I preach! I am continually investing in my career and personal growth.
Next week, I will be attending the National Association of Counties, County Executive Roundtable. This an annual gathering of people in my same role from around the country. I love the challenging session topics and the chance to talk with my colleagues. The Roundtable is usually held in Washington, D.C., or Boston but this year’s meeting will be in Seattle.
Last month, I attended a County-sponsored class hosted virtually by the Rainbow Center, a local advocacy organization for the LGBTQ+ community. I appreciated hearing the instructor’s perspectives and it broadened my understanding.
Finally, last week I listened to two very interesting history podcast series. The first was about the 1793 Yellow Fever Epidemic that hit Philadelphia, which at that time was the capital of our young country. With COVID as the backdrop, it was fascinating to learn how the medical community and elected officials responded. I followed it up with a series looking at the Philippine-American War from 1899 to 1904. It was challenging to see our government’s policies of that time, especially since we have such a vibrant Filipino community here in Pierce County.
Albert, I am doing all I can to keep growing and encourage my colleagues to do the same!
Stay safe and warm this weekend. And I want to extend a special thanks to those of you who have been taking care of our residents and roads in this wintry weather.
Thanks for reading – and learning,
Bruce