It was supposed to be an in-person event— a high-energy, hybrid symposium designed to showcase best practices and emerging trends across the continuing education and training ecosystem. But then budgets tightened; travel shifted and sponsors waffled, and within six weeks, what began as our latest anticipated success transformed into a simulive experience (think of it like a “silent disco” for professional learning). Pre-recorded sessions aired live, with real-time engagement, chat, polling, and breakout discussions layered over top, all with energy and intention matched by speakers, sponsors, and staff operating in concert.

Don’t get me wrong; it wasn’t perfect, but that pivot taught us—me—something powerful: learner empowerment, when rooted in agility and accessibility, becomes more than a revenue strategy. It becomes a commitment to learner agency.

That’s where this article begins—with a question that continues to guide my work: What does it look like to design workforce development around the success, voice, and dignity of every associations’ learner?

Business Development as Learning Practice

At its best, business development is about maximizing mission. For associations, it’s the mechanism through which learning and growth are scaled: credentialing programs, conferences, publications, and partnerships all live here.

Beyond those basics, however, learning leaders must center learner agency—the ability for adults to make their own informed, empowered decisions about their individual learning paths—at the core of professional development. It’s lofty, and it requires infrastructure, which in turn demands systems that ensure accessibility by designing, credentials carrying meaningful value, and partnerships which open doors rather than gatekeeping possibilities.

It’s at this intersection where strategy meets sensitivity. Sunsetting a legacy credential or rethinking a long-standing program is never just about the numbers; these offerings often carry emotional weight for staff, volunteers, and members alike. Balancing that history with current data—on market demand, learner outcomes, and member engagement—requires both head and heart.

That’s why success in business development demands dual lens: return on investment (ROI) and return on engagement (ROE). The former ensures financial sustainability and the latter ensures our offerings still resonate with the people they’re meant to serve, merging together to build a foundation that sends a message louder than any mission or vision.

Through transparent intentionality, learning leaders can manifest increases in retention and word-of-mouth engagement. Most of all, it positions the organization as caring, future-focused, and learner-centered.

Clarity in Community: Integrity Builds Trust

As in learning, business development depends on clarity, especially when the stakes involve credentials. Education and certification are not interchangeable, and when those lines blur, trust is eroded.

In an era of fast-moving microcredentials, digital badges, and on-demand content, this clarity becomes even more essential. Learners need to understand what they’re earning and what it means to employers. Certifying bodies need to uphold processes that protect credibility and ensure fairness, all while business development professionals must avoid the temptation to stretch or oversell offerings beyond their scope.

The good news is that associations are already well-positioned to lead here. Research and practice consistently show that learners—and their employers—trust association-provided education. They view it as higher quality, more relevant, and more consistent than other professional development sources, even as YouTube remains the single largest “just-in-time” trainer. That trust is a differentiator, and it’s one we cannot afford to take for granted.

Product Lifecycles and Portfolio Management: Stewarding Relevance

Professional development, when done right, is one of the most strategic tools associations have. It binds individuals to the organization, reinforces shared standards and skills, and fuels both recruitment and retention. But like any product suite, offerings need to evolve to stay relevant in today’s learning ecosystem.

That’s where product lifecycle thinking comes in. By implementing regular, structured reviews—through mechanisms like product councils or content committees—we create a cadence of accountability. We ask: Is this offering still aligned with member needs? Are we measuring its impact meaningfully? Should we retire it, reimagine it, or scale it further?

This cyclical approach to design, delivery, and measurement allows us to stay agile, grounding offerings in evidence over assumption. When these questions are asked at the front and back ends of program design, the results are offerings that are more relevant, more equitable, and more effective.

Partnerships That Expand Possibility

Of course, associations rarely scale alone. That’s where partnerships come in.

Strategic partnerships can do more than add logos to a website. Done well, they allow organizations to expand reach, improve effectiveness, and access new audiences. Whether it’s co-developing content, expanding into a new market, or sharing resources to reduce costs, partnerships amplify impact.

But they must be structured with care. Every partnership should be grounded in aligned missions and mutual respect. Expectations must be codified: Who owns what? What are the accessibility standards? How will revenue and responsibilities be shared?

These aren’t just operational questions; they’re questions of integrity. They determine whether the learner experience remains consistent, whether the brand remains trusted, and whether the mission stays centered. When the right partners come together, with the right agreements and shared values, the results can be transformative. Associations become stronger, more agile, and more capable of meeting the evolving needs of their communities.

Closing the Loop: From Growth to Agency

That simulive event? It may not have been my vision of success, but it expanded our imagination. It showed our team what’s possible when business development, learner agency, and product strategy align. It reminded me that the core of growth isn’t just in what we offer, it’s in how we honor the agency of every learner we serve.

So, as we build the next credential, design the next event, or explore the next partnership, let’s ask better questions. Not just “Will this sell?”, but “Will this serve?” Not just “Can we scale this?”, but “Will this remove a barrier?”

No one is doing it perfectly, but if we can all commit to being just 2 percent better than we were in our last offering, our pennies will add up to something truly meaningful: a world focused on building ecosystems where learners thrive, trust is earned, and access is never an afterthought. That’s not just a strategy; it’s a responsibility.

As you reflect on your own organization’s practices, I’d encourage you to consider these questions:

1. How does our current business development strategy reflect both ROI and ROE, and are we measuring both with equal intentionality?
2. Where might legacy offerings be limiting our ability to deliver relevant, accessible, and future-focused learning experiences?
3. What policies or processes do we have in place to ensure that our credentials are clearly understood, respected, and aligned with industry needs?
4. In what ways are we proactively designing for inclusion and accessibility, and how are those efforts being resourced, measured, and improved?
5. Who are our strategic partners, and do those relationships truly extend access, reinforce our mission, and support learner agency?

Who knows—maybe in the answers you’ll discover the secret sauce that turns your association’s learning function into its amplifier of success. After all, I never would have thought a silent disco would have led to a total stranger saying, “I think I found my people,” and I’m so glad she did.