DIRECTIONS – Lauren Harbert
You have a responsibility to yourself as well
Hello LTEN community and happy August! As summer reaches its peak, it’s a perfect time to reflect on achievements and set our sights on goals and benchmarks ahead. The warmth of the season brings a unique energy, encouraging us to recharge and reenergize for the busy months to come.
Life sciences training is a demanding and multifaceted career, with many overlapping responsibilities. As you reflect on your role(s), I’d like to encourage you to take a moment to acknowledge the breadth of your commitments and the impact you have on the industry.
Learn With LTEN
Ready to do something for you? (You can bring team members too!)
This fall, LTEN will be presenting several certificate programs and workshops designed to help raise the skill level among LTEN members. You can visit
www.l-ten.org/total-trainer/ to learn more about any of these programs and workshops and to sign up.
6Ds – The 6Ds Workshop – or six disciplines – is a two-day interactive workshop that continues on with six weeks of follow-up reinforcement. The next workshop takes place Nov. 13 and 14,2024, and is taught by Andrew Jefferson and Dr. Roy Pollock, authors of the book The Six Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning.
Metrics, Measurement and Learning Analytics is a four-part virtual workshop taking place Oct. 16, 17, 23 and 24, 2024. Showing participants how to leverage learning data to enhance training effectiveness, the workshop is led by Dr. Steven Just of Princeton Metrics.
This fall will see PrimeTime! For Trainers courses offered, helping trainers to fundamentally rethink how to engage learners and achieve learning objectives. Course facilitator Tina Greene of Perim Consulting will lead sessions on Sept. 16-18, 2024 and Dec. 9-11, 2024.
The LTEN eLearning Lounge is an ongoing, always-available solution for microlearning, featuring 15 training modules that help you develop essential skills and refresh or upskill your knowledge on key aspects of life sciences education. The video based training can be taken as individual modules or through bundled programs.
Roles & Responsibilities
First, your primary focus is on serving the needs of your learners. You are meticulously planning classes, workshops and events to ensure they receive the highest quality training. You are tracking their progress, designing necessary interventions and continuously adapting to various learning styles to enhance their educational experience.
In addition, you are catering to the needs of your learners’ “clients”– physicians and patients. You are cognizant of sales challenges, such as gaining access to physicians, and are developing innovative strategies to overcome those barriers.
Your work extends to collaborating with partners across various departments, divisions and sales management teams. You are the central hub that keeps the wheel of progress turning, ensuring your initiatives align with organizational goals and objectives.
Moreover, your duty extends to your teams, associates and colleagues. Leading a team means playing a crucial role in their career development. Their growth and guidance are paramount, and you are committed to providing them with the support they need to thrive.
Of course, being in the business sector entails responsibilities toward leadership, a board and even shareholders. This aspect cannot be overlooked, as your strategic decisions and actions directly or indirectly impact the organization’s success.
Wait – There’s More
Yet, amidst those responsibilities, there’s one crucial aspect you must not neglect—yourselves. You have your own careers to shape, families to care for and personal ambitions to fulfill.
This is where LTEN comes into play. Our recently concluded LTEN Annual Conference was a comprehensive learning experience, enriched this year by our focus on AI (artificial intelligence). However, the learning doesn’t stop there. We have an array of virtual and in-person workshops, certificate programs, the Learning Executive Forum, webinars, Partner Preview spotlights and networking mixers lined up for you throughout the remainder of this year.
And, of course, the magazine you’re reading now is a testament to LTEN’s commitment to your continuous development. This issue is dedicated to you, with articles from expert authors offering tips, advice and encouragement for your career growth. You’ll find insights on building skills, personal branding, continuous learning, coaching and maintaining an emotional connection to your work.
Prioritize You
I’m confident you’ll discover something in these pages that resonates with your unique needs. The key message I want to leave you with this month is the importance of self-focus amidst our professional obligations.
Make time to sharpen your skills, understand your market and familiarize yourself with the latest tools and solutions. Enroll in a class or workshop, read a business book, follow a podcast or engage with a social media group. Network through your LTEN community and on LinkedIn.
I understand that balancing time and need is challenging — trust me, I face the same struggles every day. While I won’t dictate how you should manage your details, I urge you to prioritize your personal development alongside your professional focus.
Take care, take the time to recharge and make a plan to invest in you.
Lauren Harbert is executive director of LTEN. Email Lauren at lharbert@L-TEN.org or connect with her through linkedin.com/in/lauren-harbert-25373b35.
