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Leadership

Nothing changes if nothing changes

Stats tell us up to 80% of people who attend a conference, training, or other professional development won't change anything in their lives after the experience. The notes, books, articles, and videos you diligently collected during the experience have been all but abandoned. The ironic part is that most people respond positively when asked if they are lifelong learners. They often take pride in describing themselves this way. If this is so, why do we find it so difficult to act on those...

OSU Seeks Extension Specialist in Silviculture & Director of Research Forests

Oregon State University invites applications for a combination position as Research Forest Director of Research & Community Relations & Associate/Full Professor Extension Specialist in Silviculture . The Research Forest Director of Research & Community Relations will provide critical leadership and oversight to the 9 OSU Research and Demonstration Forests that serve as living laboratories for learners of all types to gain insight into all aspects of forest management. As...

National Extension Technology Community (NETC) Conference early registration ends April 16th!

Register Online Early registration for the National Extension Technology Community (NETC) Conference ends April 16th! We're a month away from the conference, May 13–16th, and registration closes May 10th. The conference will be held in State College, PA on the campus of PennState Extension! This year we are partnering with the Extension Foundation to provide an AI track, revolving around topics including: Applications of AI in Cooperative Extension Practical use of AI in your day-to-day...

Are you effective?

One of my absolute favorites in the leadership and management learning area is Peter Drucker . His wisdom in "The Effective Executive" and other publications is astounding. It's as relative today as it was when they were first published. As arguably the father of modern management, Drucker's thought leadership has influenced countless professionals around the world. The idea is that despite all our unique personalities, talents, and ways of interacting with the world we can all learn to...

2024 National Urban Extension Conference

WOW! Where has the time gone; we are less than 50 days away from our National Urban Extension Conference. If you have not registered or booked your room, it's NOT TOO LATE! May 3, 2024, is the cutoff date for booking your discounted room. You can book the discounted rooms two days before and two after the conference. Click Here to Reserve your Room at the Renaissance Nashville Register Now

The Puzzle of Culture

"Culture" has become such a buzzword surrounding the workplace. People expect to see something on the company's website about it. They ask current employees about it. They ask about it in interviews. The fact is, it's a big deal. It might be THE big deal for any organization. What we've learned about it is it's much more than flexible work hours and bean bag chairs in the breakroom. It's about " the way we do things around here". The way this is answered can be profoundly revealing. Why...

An offering for Women's History month...

Why do we wait until March every year to do this? Shouldn't it be an everyday thing? Let's start making recognition one of our most abundant resources. Here's a past pioneer who was a great example of courage & determination. She was one of the coolest for sure! *Picture from www.wired.com Jacqueline Cochran (May 11, 1906 – August 9, 1980) was a pioneer in aviation and one of the most talented pilots of her era. She was an important contributor to the formation of the wartime United...

Top 5!

Peter Drucker says regardless of our inherent personality traits, gifts, or talents; we can all become effective leaders. After all, it's this journey that's essential for the success of our communities, organizations, and teams Here's a "handful" of reminders! 1. Leadership is Relational Early in my coaching career, an experienced colleague on our staff told me not to get too close to the players. What became apparent quickly was that this wasn't my style. If you aren't willing to give all...

How Innovative Leadership Keeps Cooperative Extension Strong: An Interview with Karl Bradley

Introduction In a rapidly changing world, innovative leadership is critical for Cooperative Extension's success. Leadership development equips Extension professionals with the skills to navigate complex issues, build collaborative teams, consistently adapt, and create programs to meet emerging needs. This ensures Cooperative Extension remains a relevant and impactful force. The Extension Foundation actively supports this goal through the expertise of Karl Bradley, its Leadership and Team...

Recruiting: Assistant Professors in Urban Forestry at Oregon State University

The Oregon State University Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society in the College of Forestry is recruiting 2 full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month, Assistant Professors of Practice in Urban Forestry. Forests in urban areas provide valuable ecosystem services. The expansion of urban areas coupled with growing recognition of the importance of forests, trees, and green infrastructure in these regions makes more critical than ever urban foresters who can help plan and maintain sustainable and...

Everybody "digs"...

A little slang every once in a while won't hurt anything. It keeps us on our toes. Growing up with parents who were musicians, there was a lot. The ones that stuck with me were from the jazz genre'. Here are some you can adopt if you want to be a "cool cat" like some of the greatest musicians of all time! Axe - your instrument Bad - meaning something really good Chops - level of skill or mastery Dig - you like or understand something Groove - the rhythmic feeling of the music Gig - your job...

Language "Votes"

Words matter...a lot! What we choose to put out in the world in the many ways we express ourselves is a "vote" for the person we want to be. What these words mean to you become your anchor to your core values. Here are some thoughts for your consideration... Balance and Integration When you think about it, trying to achieve a work/life balance is not possible. There isn't work and life, work is part of life. A big part but not the only thing. What we should strive for is the integration of...

Soon and Some

A supervisor of mine once called me into their office to give me some feedback. They said my lack of clarity in communicating with upper management was confusing and frustrating. They needed more specific updates on how my responsibilities were being handled. It was not a fun conversation. While their tone was one of severe disappointment and very judgmental the feedback needed to happen. This is just another story of how "Karl learns things the hard way" because... "Soon is not a time and...

Empower Your Team with the Healthy Teams Handbook: Build and Maintain High-Performing Collaborations

Take your teamwork to the next level with the Healthy Teams Handbook ! This guide, developed by Extension Foundation’s leadership development specialist Karl Bradley, offers practical strategies and insights to build and maintain high-performing collaborative teams. Originally crafted to support New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) project teams, this updated handbook is now available to help all Extension professionals. Unlock the Secrets of Success The Healthy Teams Handbook is...

Empowering Equestrian Education: NYS 4-H Horse Program Hosts Inservice and Judging Clinic

Ithaca, NY, 2/19/2024 – The New York State 4-H Horse Program recently hosted two impactful events, the Inservice and Judging Clinic, over a weekend filled with learning, collaboration, and a significant announcement for every county involved. The Inservice, held on February 9 th and 10th, saw the participation of over 30 educators and volunteers from across the state. The event offered a unique blend of leadership and team-building training on Friday, followed by a full day of workshops...

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About the Extension Foundation

The Extension Foundation was formed in 2006 by Extension Directors and Administrators. Today, the Foundation partners with Cooperative Extension through liaison roles and a formal plan of work with the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) to increase system capacity while providing programmatic services, and helping Extension programs scale and investigate new methods and models for implementing programs. The Foundation provides professional development to Cooperative Extension professionals and offers exclusive services to its members. In 2020 and 2021, the Extension Foundation has awarded 85% of its direct funding back to the Cooperative Extension System, 100% of funds are used to support Cooperative Extension initiatives. 

This technology is supported in part by New Technologies for Ag Extension (funding opportunity no. USDA-NIFA-OP-010186), grant no. 2023-41595-41325 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Extension Foundation. For more information, please visit extension.org. You can view the terms of useat extension.org/terms.

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