“One of the rewarding roles I have as a learning officer is to seek and develop learning opportunities to support our employees’ professional and career development aspirations and the organization’s needs,” Koram said. “I am truly grateful to work with training experts from the 88th FSS who are engaged and enthusiastic about creating a learning series that is tailored to our employees.”
Through the collaborative efforts of the 88th and the Sensors Directorate at AFRL, a “Lunch and Learn” menu of classes has been designed for personnel interested in building skills to help them advance professionally and grow personally. Classes are available to all in the directorate, having been customized to be accessed easily for employees who may have difficulty attending sessions away from their work station.
“We are literally bringing training to the doorsteps of the directorate, eliminating the need for travel and saving our employees’ time,” said Koram.
According to Cumberland of the FSS, “My initial thought when Ms. Koram approached us about the collaboration and partnership was that this could be an excellent start of a great collaboration to share educational theories and resources to advance employee’s skills, knowledge and abilities.
“Collaboration is one of the most useful and significant characteristics successful entities can possess as it fosters a valuable relationship to share ideas and provide critical feedback to make informed decisions pertaining to education and training,” Cumberland continued. “Bringing classes to employees’ doorstep signifies that we value an employee’s professional and personal career development and goals, which makes the unit and Air Force stronger, in turn enhancing support of the warfighter.”
Johnson is enthusiastically on board as well.
“My first thought was, ‘We have a chance to meet someone’s need!’” she said. “I’ve known Ms. Koram for years, and her attitude toward education is still the same: Be relentless in learning! I wholeheartedly agree because there’s always room for improvement. In my opinion, collaboration is one of the most important characteristics successful entities can possess. It can help them find that ‘aha momentum’ they’re looking for.”
Ronda Maxwell, office manager for the Sensors Directorate’s Integration and Operations Division, took part in the planning.
“I heard about working together before, but to see it in action up close was invigorating and optimistic! The dialogue between Simone Koram, Barry Cumberland and LaTonya Johnson was all about their passion and caring for employees’ needs. They all agreed that bringing the classes to the employees is an innovative way to encourage and support learning. It is all about accessibility of learning opportunities.
“I have served in this directorate for 20 years and never experienced the level of care dedicated to the creation of a program that is so ‘people focused,’” Maxwell added. “It was only possible through collaboration and partnership, and I feel very fortunate to be a part of something that will benefit many who want to learn new skills and knowledge to better themselves professionally and personally.”
“Our work with AFRL gives other organizations an opportunity to see the possibilities that exist within our unit,” Johnson said. “The series that has been developed is a holistic approach to professional and self-development. Although you may have reached a pinnacle in your career, it is always important to know who you are and to be mindful of how others see you as well. Having training available within the organization is convenient and less stressful. Who wouldn’t want training a few steps from their office? Hopefully, this series will invigorate and enliven AFRL’s employees.”
The AFRL Sensors “Lunch & Learn” Learning Series offers the following classes:
• Building a Culture of Trust (2 hours)
• Emotional Intelligence: A Different Way of Being Smart (4 hours)
• Conflict Management in the Workplace (4 hours)
• Business Etiquette Basics (3 hours)
• Bullying in the Workplace (3 hours)
• Generations in the Workplace (2 hours)
• Time Management: Decision Making (2 hours)
• Time Management: Delegating Successfully (3 hours)
• Time Management: Organizing and Prioritizing (2 hours)
• Time Management: Planning and Scheduling (2 hours)
• Time Management: Aligning Your Goals with Organizational Goals (2 hours)
• The Professional Image (4 hours)
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