What a great time of the year – all 3 kids started today, and the summer of awesomeness transitions once again. Going back to school is an opportunity to both Learn and Teach – perhaps something we can all consider, regardless of our age.

LEARN:

Make a pledge to learn something new, by reaching out across departments, and/or taking a professional development course via any of our trade associations (MRA, MRIA, CASRO etc).  Many offer online courses, and many firms hold regular expert webinars (eg – Vovici, Peanut Labs, Communispace).

TEACH:

If you possess subject matter expertise, share it with others within your organization, and/or with your industry peers.  Sharing knowledge is a rewarding experience on so many levels.  Take it a step further, and seek out teaching opportunities at your local colleges/Universities, which helps us inspire the next generation of Market Researchers. I frequently guest-lecture at McGill University on Research/Marketing issues, and was thrilled to see Annie Pettit from Conversition Strategies guest lecture at Georgian College last week.

So beyond the earlier wake-ups and after school homework, how will you “Go Back to School?”