Curtis Curry has been an ATD Member since 1993. Here's his story in his own words.
Years in the Talent Development Field?
30
Favorite or Most Used ATD Member Benefit?
TD magazine, webinars, and State of the Industry reports
Best Talent Development Advice?
Be a model for development yourself. Since my youth, I've been a voracious reader and have had a powerful drive to learn more about the world by engaging and observing others. This insatiable appetite for learning and questioning has been a consistent feature of my own development. I've also found that listening especially hard to those who see the world differently from you yields tremendous benefits. This challenging-to-develop skill has been a boon, especially in my talent development work across borders and languages. Speaking of languages, learn to speak the language of candor fluently and be able to apply it skillfully in your work. Along with attentive listening and masterful use of empathy, candor is a powerful development tool. My final piece of advice would be to develop good research skills and the ability to analyze the quality of research you use in your interventions: It's important to use talent development approaches grounded in good science and best practices.
Most Valuable Thing You’ve Gained or Experienced During Your Membership with ATD?
When I first entered the field managing learning projects, I had only my degree in political science and history and was completing my master's in international studies: This was far from ideal preparation for managing and designing learning programs. My local Miami ATD chapter was active, and I learned much from the monthly presentations, many of which gave me practical tools and activities to apply in my own work. I also devoured features from TD magazine and used the articles to acquire other sources to deepen my understanding of learning and development. Finally, the ATD [conferences] were a terrific way to supercharge practical learning as well. This ATD support, along with some amazing, caring mentors along the way, has greatly enriched my journey as a talent development professional.
Would you like to be our ATD Member of the Month? Share your story with us!