A Well-Kept Secret

Our volunteers carry the IEEE mission by conducting activities every day that benefit their local IEEE communities throughout the world. To support them in this effort, MGA ensures that they have the right training resources at their disposal.
 

Among the training resources offered by MGA, the IEEE Center of Leadership Excellence, (CLE) is perhaps one of its best-kept secrets! What is the CLE? The CLE is a training resource targeting IEEE members and volunteers. In fact, it is part of IEEE members' benefits. CLE provides self-paced access to on-demand content. All IEEE members and volunteers can access the CLE using their IEEE Account.

 

The CLE targets multiple audiences. Elected or appointed volunteers have access to Action Plans (checklists) in CLE, to help them perform in their roles. There are Action Plans available for 24 volunteer leadership roles across all the geographic units (e.g., Section, Student Branch, etc.). The CLE also targets those interested in the Volunteer Leadership Training Program (VoLT), and provides content for conference organizers.

 

There are many ways to leverage the CLE.  Sometimes, when a volunteer steps into an officer role, he/she may not be entirely familiar with the position. The Action Plans help volunteers familiarize quickly with the role. To access the Action Plans, simply go to the Volunteer icon on the CLE homepage and click the "Action Plans" icon to begin. 

 

Another effective way to leverage the CLE is during officers' transition. The outgoing leaders can point the new incoming officers to the CLE to review the Action Plans for their respective roles. After referencing the Action Plans, new officers may hold a meeting to ensure the roles and responsibilities are clear.

In early 2018, more than 80 pieces of new-recorded content was added to the CLE, offering an array of topics covering many areas of the entire IEEE organization.
 

The MGA Training Committee oversees the CLE as well as other training resources such as the Volunteer Leadership Training Program (VoLT). A long-time volunteer from Region 5, Diane Bowen Collier, chairs the committee. The Training committee held its annual meeting in July 2018, and one item at the top of their list is to publicize MGA training resources, which grows member and volunteer usage of those resources, and encourages volunteer engagement

 

Keeping our volunteers involved, energized, and motivated to serve in leadership positions, contributes to the success of the larger IEEE. Effective training is key in achieving this goal.

 

For questions regarding MGA Training, contact m.t.schneider@ieee.org