My new "Learning to Fly" newsletter series

One of the major themes of my latest book was that individuals’ skills growth -- or lack of it -- regarding marketing and business development was a major impediment to their professional firm's effectiveness in competing advantageously. No matter whether people were client-facing practitioners or administrative staff, their lack of knowledge about professional services marketing and business development created significant internal barriers that negatively influenced their firms’ market share gains. 

Some may say developing a common understanding of what it takes to effectively market and sell in a professional services environment is as difficult as learning to fly.

But learn to fly we must, in order for true marketplace effectiveness to be achieved.

And so, for 2011, we will focus on one overarching topic in our monthly articles. We will call this new series "Learning to Fly."

Each issue will explore the state of professional development and skills growth in marketing, business development, management and leadership in the professional services environment. These monthly articles will be based on a series of more than 30 interviews with large global firms, well-established regional enterprises, and prominent boutiques. We asked, "How are your firms building peoples' skills to grow the enterprise?" (Or not building these skills, as the case may be.) 

Here's a link to our inaugural issue. It features a list of topics for the year. Feel free to suggest your own!