The University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School is launching an initiative to make learning from experience a powerful tool for executives.

"Leveraging the Power of Experience" is an initiative of UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Executive Development area (formerly known as Executive Education). The non-degree programs for executives are designed to transform experience and knowledge into enhanced work performance.

The "Power of Experience" approach is the foundation of all programs in UNC Executive Development, and is based upon research identifying the necessity for professional adults to reflect upon and share on-the-job experiences in order to gain meaningful learning and development – an opportunity their typical work day doesn’t afford.

"While we all learn from our experiences, this process is left to chance in most organizations," said James W. Dean, Jr., associate dean of UNC Executive Development. "By creating a focused process for learning from experience and for sharing these lessons among executives, we can help organizations to accelerate executive development and better meet their needs for leadership talent in key roles."

ExperienceBase™, a proprietary software tool, is one element of the initiative. The dynamic web-based software tool accelerates the executive development process. ExperienceBase™ essentially manages the process of learning by allowing busy executives to reflect on and learn from their own experiences and share those experiences with others. Recently tested by Microsoft Corporation, ExperienceBase™ will be integrated into several open-enrollment and custom Executive Development programs at UNC, and be available for licensing by corporations and government agencies.

An overview of the "Power of Experience" approach and a demonstration of ExperienceBase™ will be presented on Friday, March 30 at 9 a.m., Loudermilk Hall’s room 109 at the Paul J. Rizzo Conference Center at Meadowmont.