Professional Development Circles

Cultivate Your Community with Professional Development Circles

We are excited to have just launched Professional Development Circles! Professional Development Circles are a small, organized group of professionals who gather to encourage each other, build connection and enhance their management fluency.

We believe having a connectional community makes your ability to navigate professionally more seamless. We are made better as we interact with those around us. It is with this in mind that Professional Development Circles were created.

Who Can Participate?

Any faculty or staff member managing people with:

  • A desire to engage in discussion and co-inquiry around management related topics.
  • A willingness to co-create a learning environment that works for your circle members.​​​

What’s in it for Participants?

An enhanced network of colleagues who share the same goals of:

  • Engaging in mindset shift exploration around topics of leadership development. 
  • Developing knowledge in ways that will enhance performance and contribute to the betterment of the Georgia Tech community.
  • Developing working relationships with people you normally would not interact with, thereby creating opportunities for cross-collaboration.

How Does this Differ from a WLPD Course?

Circle members will enjoy benefits not always available in WLPD courses, such as

  • A deeper dive into content over several sessions
  • More conversation, less structure
  • Shared responsibility for facilitation and the direction of the group’s learning
  • Formations of a community network that expands beyond the experience

(Looking for a Course? Visit the Catalog)

How it Works

Circles have formed and registration is currently closed. Check back spring 2020 to complete an interest form for our next cycle.

Then attend the Professional Development Circle Kickoff Meeting where you will learn more about the benefits of connectional communities, meet your group members, and participate in your first circle meeting. Your group will be given curriculum guides that will structure your circle meetings. Bring your calendars as together you and your new community members will decide on your next few meeting dates.

After the kickoff meeting the magic happens.

Your groups will gather and cover the curriculum guides in which you will tell and learn about your groups member’s leadership journeys. Continue to meet at an agreed upon cadence around group topics of interest. Don’t worry our commitment to you is to be with you every step of the way and we have a ton of resources to assist if needed. 

Group Formation

  1. Once you express interest we will place you in a diverse group of 8 – 10 participants.
  2. There will be a kickoff event where you will meet your group members and have your first circle meeting.
  3. From there you will be given curriculum guides to aid you in jumpstarting your first circle meetings.
  4. Circles meet (with support if needed) for as long as the group maintains interest. There is no formal end date, each group determines its own duration.

Our Commitment

It is our intention to nurture/cultivate a mindset and skill set to aid as you seek to successfully manage people.

We will also provide the first four curriculum guides to aid you in jumpstarting your first four circle meetings.

We will also provide you with a framework to guide your selection and curation of subsequent topics.

Your Commitment

We recommend about two hours a month, but you have the freedom to decide your cadence as a group. Studies show the more frequent circles meet the higher the chances of deeper connection. WLPD recommends once every other week for an hour. However, some groups may decide to meet weekly.

Still Have Questions?

Do you still have questions? Send us an email at training@ohr.gatech.edu and we will schedule a time to chat with you in more detail. Trust us, if you are at all curious that is the gentle nudge you need to join a Professional Development Circle! We look forward to learning and growing with you.