Commitment to Extension’s Commitment to Extension’s Mission: the Role of Continual Mission: the Role of Continual

LearningLearning

Maxwell H. Mayeaux, Ph.D.Maxwell H. Mayeaux, Ph.D.Aquaculture Program SpecialistAquaculture Program Specialist

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension ServiceExtension Service

United States Department of AgricultureUnited States Department of AgricultureWashington, DCWashington, DC

Extension’s MissionExtension’s Mission

• Educational programsEducational programs

• TimelyTimely

• RelevantRelevant

• Science-based informationScience-based information

• Help people change!

We are Extension We are Extension ProfessionalsProfessionals

• Committed to Committed to providing the latest providing the latest science-based research science-based research findings to our findings to our clienteleclientele

• Producers, processors, Producers, processors, marketing agencies, marketing agencies, consumers, commodity consumers, commodity organizations, organizations, environmental groups; environmental groups; policy makers, etc.policy makers, etc.

Personal Commitment to Personal Commitment to AquacultureAquaculture

• Why did you get into aquaculture? Why did you get into aquaculture? • Do you Do you believebelieve in the future of aquaculture in the future of aquaculture

development? development? • Do you Do you believebelieve that aquaculture will help feed that aquaculture will help feed

the hungry of the world? the hungry of the world? • Do you Do you believebelieve that aquaculture will help that aquaculture will help

relieve some of the pressures off of threatened, relieve some of the pressures off of threatened, wild fisheries resources? wild fisheries resources?

• Do you Do you believebelieve in aquaculture? in aquaculture? • Why?Why?

Personal Commitment to Personal Commitment to the Extension Missionthe Extension Mission

• Extension mission more important that ever? Extension mission more important that ever? • Does helping people make you feel good about Does helping people make you feel good about

yourself? yourself? • Just a job or is it a “passion”? Just a job or is it a “passion”? • ““What do I get out of this?“ What do I get out of this?“ • Do you believe that you are an Do you believe that you are an agent of changeagent of change??• Are you comfortable with your role and Are you comfortable with your role and

responsibilities as an agent of change? responsibilities as an agent of change? • Reassess your chosen profession because the Reassess your chosen profession because the

American people deserve better.American people deserve better.

Soul SearchingSoul Searching• Passion for the work.Passion for the work.• Continual learningContinual learning for the Extension professional for the Extension professional

as important as providing information and as important as providing information and technology transfer to and for our customerstechnology transfer to and for our customers

• Continual learningContinual learning for the Extension professional for the Extension professional is at the very heart of the Extension mission.is at the very heart of the Extension mission.

• Continual learningContinual learning latest innovations and latest innovations and techniques in educational program content and techniques in educational program content and delivery. delivery.

• Time, funding, and, more importantly, Time, funding, and, more importantly, EFFORTEFFORT

Sir Winston ChurchillSir Winston Churchill

““Personally, I’m always ready to learn, Personally, I’m always ready to learn, although I do not always like being although I do not always like being

taught”taught”

We are LeadersWe are Leaders• We are in a leadership roleWe are in a leadership role

• We are agents of changeWe are agents of change

• Take the initiative to learn the newest, latest Take the initiative to learn the newest, latest technologies and informationtechnologies and information

• Rework it into the proper formatRework it into the proper format

• Deliver in a timely, appropriate, and Deliver in a timely, appropriate, and professional mannerprofessional manner

Leadership CompetenciesLeadership Competencies

• Team BuildingTeam Building• Political SavvyPolitical Savvy• FlexibilityFlexibility• Human Resources ManagementHuman Resources Management• ResilienceResilience• VisionVision• Interpersonal SkillsInterpersonal Skills• Conflict ManagementConflict Management• among othersamong others

Continual LearningContinual Learning

• Changing society with changing societal valuesChanging society with changing societal values• Changing and new technological innovationsChanging and new technological innovations• Changing domestic and world political climatesChanging domestic and world political climates• Changing personal views relative to a changing world Changing personal views relative to a changing world

around usaround us• Some societal values require long periods of time to Some societal values require long periods of time to

changechange• Others are forced to change abruptly, such as those Others are forced to change abruptly, such as those

values changed by the tragedy of 9/11.values changed by the tragedy of 9/11.

How do we do this?How do we do this?

• No prescribed No prescribed methodologymethodology

• Personal decisionPersonal decision

• Time constraintsTime constraints

• Budgetary concernsBudgetary concerns

• ClienteleClientele

Personal Extension ParadigmPersonal Extension Paradigm

• Don’t just become a subject matter Don’t just become a subject matter specialist, become a specialist, become a people specialistpeople specialist. .

• Without the necessary skills to reach Without the necessary skills to reach the desired clientele, our educational the desired clientele, our educational programs can only focus upon content programs can only focus upon content and we could miss the “people” and we could miss the “people” component of program delivery.component of program delivery.

We We areare Agents of Change Agents of Change

• Subject matter specialistsSubject matter specialists• Employed to deliver technical information to our Employed to deliver technical information to our

clientele because of our education and expertise. clientele because of our education and expertise. • We must stay current with these technological We must stay current with these technological

changes.changes.• This is inherently obvious. However, since we are This is inherently obvious. However, since we are

all agents of change, we need to value continual all agents of change, we need to value continual learning. learning.

• Takes time, energy, and funding to become more Takes time, energy, and funding to become more knowledgeable and skillful as an agent of changeknowledgeable and skillful as an agent of change

• We need to make it personal.We need to make it personal.

What can we do?What can we do?• Request from your supervisors to take classes that will Request from your supervisors to take classes that will

enable you to do your job betterenable you to do your job better• Take courses in leadership skillsTake courses in leadership skills• Learn how to get your clientele interested and excited Learn how to get your clientele interested and excited

about new things, new ideas, new technologies, and new about new things, new ideas, new technologies, and new paradigmsparadigms

• Learn how to convince your clientele that it is in their Learn how to convince your clientele that it is in their best interest to keep up with these rapidly changing best interest to keep up with these rapidly changing times.times.

• Learn how to pull people together and avoid conflict to Learn how to pull people together and avoid conflict to work on a common issue; this takes special skills. work on a common issue; this takes special skills.

• Learn how toLearn how to motivate motivate, not just educate!, not just educate!

Antoine de St. ExuperyAntoine de St. Exupery

““If you want to build a ship, then don’t If you want to build a ship, then don’t drum up men to gather wood, give drum up men to gather wood, give orders, and divide the work. Rather, orders, and divide the work. Rather, teach them to yearn for the far and teach them to yearn for the far and endless sea”.endless sea”.

Program DeliveryProgram Delivery• AnalyzeAnalyze – – define the learning objectivedefine the learning objective• DesignDesign – – plan a strategy for plan a strategy for

developing the instructiondeveloping the instruction• DevelopDevelop – – develop instruction and develop instruction and

materialsmaterials• ImplementImplement – provide the instruction – provide the instruction• EvaluateEvaluate – – measure the success in terms measure the success in terms

of learning outcomesof learning outcomes

Continual Learning Comes Continual Learning Comes in Many Formsin Many Forms

• Formal trainingFormal training

• Spend time with others who are competent Spend time with others who are competent at a skill you are interested in acquiringat a skill you are interested in acquiring

• Take on a challenging special assignmentTake on a challenging special assignment

• Recruit a mentor Recruit a mentor

• Serve as a mentor for othersServe as a mentor for others

Continual Learning Comes Continual Learning Comes in Many Formsin Many Forms

• Read books, articles, and other materials Read books, articles, and other materials dealing with leadership skillsdealing with leadership skills

• Go out to lunch with someone with these Go out to lunch with someone with these skillsskills

• Ask others around you for feedback to Ask others around you for feedback to learn how you are doing in a particular learn how you are doing in a particular leadership skill arealeadership skill area

• Socialize with a goal in mindSocialize with a goal in mind

Continual Learning Comes Continual Learning Comes in Many Formsin Many Forms

• Arrange a detail in another part of the Arrange a detail in another part of the organization or another agency or non-organization or another agency or non-profit organization to gain experienceprofit organization to gain experience

• Subscribe to a publication that covers an Subscribe to a publication that covers an area with which you have not had previous area with which you have not had previous exposure or experience. exposure or experience.

• Try a new skill in a volunteer organizationTry a new skill in a volunteer organization

Continual Learning Comes Continual Learning Comes in Many Formsin Many Forms

• Conduct interviews with professionals in Conduct interviews with professionals in unfamiliar disciplines to gain knowledgeunfamiliar disciplines to gain knowledge

• Work the netWork the net

• Spend time looking for information Spend time looking for information pertaining to your clientelepertaining to your clientele

• Join Listservs and discussion groupsJoin Listservs and discussion groups

• Sign up for E-NewslettersSign up for E-Newsletters

Journal of ExtensionJournal of Extension

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Why is Extension Why is Extension Important Today?Important Today?

• Change is at the heart of the Extension mission. Change is at the heart of the Extension mission. • Extension professionals are public servants and Extension professionals are public servants and

the American people are better-served by a the American people are better-served by a knowledgeable Extension professional who is knowledgeable Extension professional who is better-able to anticipate change. better-able to anticipate change.

• Avoid stagnation and embrace change.Avoid stagnation and embrace change.• Embracing complacency reduces our competency Embracing complacency reduces our competency

as Extension professionals and our role as agents as Extension professionals and our role as agents of change becomes moot.of change becomes moot.

Take Take PersonalPersonal Responsibility Responsibility

• Competency in this role Competency in this role is imperative. is imperative.

• Our employers expect itOur employers expect it

• Our country deserves it!Our country deserves it!

They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself

Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987)