Tips to Improve Extension Professionals' Essential Competencies

The roles and responsibilities of Extension professionals have changed throughout the years, but the dynamic nature of the position has not. Extension professionals require a certain skill set to serve communities effectively. In this article, we have identified competencies needed for the modern Extension leader from the literature and shared tips and resources to further develop these competencies.

Modern Extension Professional Competencies

A synthesis of previous studies helped us to provide a list of essential competencies of the modern Extension professional (Argabright, 2019; Benge & Sowcik, 2018; Haynes, 2000). Identified competencies include the following:

• Leadership (self-knowledge and knowledge about working with others)
• Communication (marketing, person-to-person, writing, research, management)
• Cultural Intelligence
• Time Management and Organization
• Flexibility
• Discretion
• Problem Solving & Decision-Making
• Professionalism
• Teamwork
• Ability to Take Initiative/Form Partnerships
• Organizational Awareness
• Community Development Knowledge
• Ability to form Partnerships
• Knowledge of Business Practices and Grants
• Needs Assessments
• Program Development and Evaluation
• Volunteer Development

Tips to Improve Your Modern Extension Professional Competencies

Here we will provide tips adapted from the literature to help you improve your competence in each area:

• Leadership (self-knowledge and knowledge on working with others): Have you engaged in at least one leadership development workshop in the past year? If not, set a professional goal to engage in one personal leadership development opportunity and one interpersonal leadership development opportunity. Read on, attend a workshop about, or attend a conference on a leadership topic of interest. Consider applying tips from our leadership development article series; here is the link to the article: "Preparing to Engage in Leader Development". Sign up for our tip email to view past issues on leadership topics and receive monthly, research-based leadership development information and tips.
• Communication (marketing, person-to-person, writing, research, management): Ask your supervisor how you might be able to improve your communication skills. Ask them which of the listed areas you may need to focus on. Set a goal to improve in at least one sub-area of the areas this year. If you choose conflict management, virtual communication, crisis communication, or difficult conversations as sub-areas to set goals in, you may use tips from our past articles.
• Cultural Intelligence: Consider taking a self-assessment by reviewing the Harvard Business Review article on cultural intelligence to determine your cultural competence level. Based on the results, engage in professional development in the area where you could improve the most. Ask your supervisor for help identifying opportunities. Consider reading our "What is Cultural Competence and how to Develop it".
• Time Management and Organization: Assess your calendar system. Do you feel like you are managing your calendar, or that your calendar is managing you? Check out "Self Mastery - How to Thrive and not Just Survive" for time management tips.
• Flexibility: Ask yourself: Am I willing to be flexible when changes arise, or am I easily bothered by unexpected interruption? Try to change your mindset to "go with the flow". View challenges in the workplace as opportunities to learn something new rather than a burden.
• Discretion, Problem Solving, & Decision-Making: All of these areas are part of the ethical duty that comes with being an Extension professional. If you struggle with discretion and ethical decision-making, check out "How can we Better Model Ethic in Extension Work". Ask your supervisor for professional development opportunities that may help you improve in this area as well.
• Teamwork/Organizational Awareness: Are you a team player or a lone wolf? Are you aware of the many stakeholders educators work with, from clients to funders to politicians to volunteers to university administrators and professors? Extension work involves working with many types of people on multiple teams, and even includes virtual work  (check out our past article "How to Create an Effective and Motivated Virtual Team). If you are used to working independently, think about how you can adjust to a more group-oriented mindset rather than an individualistic perspective.
• Ability to Take Initiative/Form Partnerships: Do you do what needs to be done, or do you wait until you are told? Oftentimes, the Extension professional is one of the key leaders in community efforts and task forces. Ask yourself: Am I proactive in the work I do? Be bolder in your community efforts; don't be afraid to lead by organizing the first task force or needs assessment to address a community issue.
• Community Development Knowledge: Did you have a coursework background in community leadership or economic development? If not, seek more professional development in this area and learn how you might apply that knowledge to help your community.
• Knowledge of Business Practices and Grants: Did you have coursework background in grant-writing? Business? If not, seek more professional development and mentoring opportunities from your senior colleagues.
• Needs Assessments and Program Development and Evaluation: Did you have a coursework background in needs assessment, program development, and program evaluation? If not, seek more professional development in this area and learn how you might apply that knowledge to help your community. Here is one example of a needs assessment technique for small groups.
• Volunteer Development: A large part of serving as an Extension professional involves recruiting and managing volunteers. The ISOTURE volunteer management model is a great guideline for doing so. Our past articles also provide tips for working with college student volunteers and how to create a welcoming environment for your volunteers. Sign up for our tip email to view past issues on volunteer topics and receive monthly research-based volunteer development information and tips. Articles include strategies on many topics, from recruiting different audiences, tackling different volunteer issues and recognizing volunteers.

Authors' Note: Similar outreach and non-profit organizations may also utilize these tips for how to improve competencies among their educators.

References

Argabright, K.J., Davis, G. A., Torppa, C.B., King, J., Scheer, S.D., & Stollar, M.K. (2019). Developing and Supporting the Future Extension Professional. Journal of Extension, 57(4).

Benge, M., Harder, A., & Carter, H. (2011). Necessary pre-entry competencies as perceived by Florida Extension agents. Journal of Extension, 49(5).

Benge, M., & Sowcik, M. (2018). Online Leadership Short Course for County Extension Directors. Journal of Extension, 56(6).

Denny, M. ISOTURE: A Model for Effective Volunteer Management. Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Early, P.C. & Mosakowski, E. (2004). Cultural intelligence. Harvard Business Review.

Haynes, B. R. (2000). Management skills of county Extension administrators: Are they sufficient to do the job?. Journal of Extension, 38(2).

Hollenbeck, G. P., McCall Jr, M. W., & Silzer, R. F. (2006). Leadership competency models. The Leadership Quarterly, 17(4), 398-413.

Windon, S. & Stollar, M. (2020). Conflict styles outcomes and handling strategies. Penn State Extension.

Windon, S. & Stollar, M. Difficult discussions – Tips for tackling conversations you don't want to have. (2019). Penn State Extension.

Windon, S. & Stollar, M. (2019). How can we better model ethics in Extension work? Penn State Extension.

Windon, S. & Stollar, M. (2019). Leader in You Part 1 – Preparing to Engage in Leader Development. Penn State Extension.

Windon, S. & Stollar, M. Leader in You Part 4 – Self-mastery – How to thrive and not just survive. (2019). Penn State Extension.

Windon, S. & Stollar, M. Negative factors affecting telework and strategies for virtual improvement. Penn State Extension.

Windon, S. & Stollar, M. Positive youth development / Strategies for creating a 4-H welcoming environment. Penn State Extension.

Windon, S. & Stollar, M. (2020). What is cultural competence and how to develop it?. Penn State Extension.

Windon, S. & Stollar, M. (2020). Working with college student volunteers. Penn State Extension.

Windon, S., Stollar, M., & Alter, T. (2020). Application of a modified brainstorming technique. Journal of Extension, 58(2).