11.02.18 | Chris Daily |
Sitting in my hotel room getting ready to travel back to Indy, I began to reflect on the events of the past week. I was in Portland for a second opportunity within two weeks to provide soft skills training that I feel is often overlooked and sorely needed.
In the past, my workshops have been focused mostly on what many would consider process topics – Scrum and Agile. This new workshop intends to focus on recognizing the contributions of emotions, EQ, and behaviors of how individuals react when they find themselves in a difficult conversation. We’re providing fundamental steps for turning a challenging conversation into one with a positive outcome.
Many would consider this kind of curriculum as soft skill training and relegate it to the HR department. I am inclined to disagree. With tight budgets both at work and at home, the development of soft skills often gets lost in a rush to the latest and greatest buzz framework, process, or certification. Which is why on-the-job (OJT) training presents itself as the only potential solution.
The Power of Immediacy
I was lucky. I had the opportunity to facilitate this training with a great client in Indy last week, receiving immediate and genuine feedback. As many of you know, I am a believer in the idea that feedback is a gift to be treasured. Without it, it’s downright impossible to foster true improvement.
The Portland team yesterday provided fantastic feedback. Having a week’s time between workshops allowed me to resolve some of the initial feedback trouble spots and implement suggestions. Additional reactions from Tuesday’s workshop revealed even more opportunities for improvement. The result? Validation that some of the unresolved items from the Indy session still need to be addressed.
I was amazed at the amount of self-teaching that seems to occur in workshops naturally. Since all the training participants work together within the same department at their company, much of the conversation included experiences that they could directly relate to. These shared experiences, while potential rabbit holes, are invaluable instigators of more profound, more thoughtful discussions concerning dialogue, suggestions, and solutions.
A Clear Need and Focus
It’s no secret. I strongly believe the soft skills of our teammates, colleagues, and collaborators have been largely ignored for far too long. It’s an area, perhaps THE area, that is critical to the success of every organization.
For 2019, beLithe’s focus is evident: empowering individuals to lead organizational transformations.
It’s all connected to answering our big question: how can we help folks on their own personal journey?
Thanks,
Chris
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