What Every Manager Should Know Before Sending People On Training
Do not quit! Hundreds of times I have watched people throw in the towel at the one-yard line while someone else comes along and makes a fortune by just going that extra yard.
E. Joseph Cossman
When I was a small kid, I had the unfortunate luck of having a hole (patent ductus arteriosus) in my heart that went undiagnosed for a few years. When it finally was discovered, I was about 4 or 5 years old. Some of the common symptoms were that I was getting short of breath easily and not growing at the rate that I should have been growing. Another symptom that was pretty dramatic, was that every now and then, so much blood would flow to my lungs that when I’d be laying down at night, it would just spill out my mouth and nose… yeah, I know it was pretty gross.
I don’t know all of the details of how it was discovered, I have heard that my older brother was being visited by the doctor (back when doctors made house calls) and he was afraid of the cold stethoscope, so the doctor, in an effort to show him there was no problem, put it on me and listened, and discovered the problem. After a few weeks, I was in surgery, and the problem was fixed.
After the surgery, I was in hospital for a few weeks for observation and recovery, but mostly to just keep an eye on things. While there, because my left side had the incision, I wouldn’t use that arm because I was afraid of ripping open the wound. Even after the hospital stay, and I was home recovering, I still overly protected my incision. Actually, I learned to use it as an advantage to get out of doing work or doing something that I didn’t want to do. If things got too rough, I would say “ohhh my operation”, and feign pain, and Dad would get my brothers to do what I was doing so that I didn’t have to. Help with doing the dishes after supper?… “ohhh my operation”.. I got to sit down and not have to do it. Do work in the garden pulling weeds?…”ohhh my operation” and poof! I was free of it! If play got a little rough, as it sometimes does with children, “ohhh my operation”, and people took it easier on me. Man, I milked this operation thing until it was dry, or at least until everyone caught on to my trick. Then it was a different story. Just like the boy who cried wolf: no-one believed me anymore.
People make all kinds of excuses and stories to get out of doing things that they either don’t want to do or are afraid of doing, mostly because they fear that their competence level will not allow them to do it. They usually fear how other people will think about them if they fail, or what they will say if it is not good enough. Usually, the main issue is that they are just not committed to the job, person or project.
As a leader, it is important to know that even though you are committed to the goal, not everyone is always as dedicated as you are. That is usually why projects take longer, or even why sometimes personality conflicts take place. From a leadership standpoint, if your team is not hitting their goals or commitments, before you send them away on some fancy kind of training program about goal setting or project management, it would be crucial to examine their level of commitment to the project, each other and the organization and have that conversation with them. When a person develops a commitment or recommits to a goal, they start to think differently. They begin to see things they haven’t seen before. They see it show up in things they read, or even in the people they talk to. When someone gains a newer or stronger commitment, they grow and develop more in a shorter period of time than they would ever have imagined. Gone will be the “ohhh my operation” kind of excuses, and present will be the “let’s find a way to get this done” kind of engagement.
They become masters when they learn on behalf of a strong commitment.
This week, if you feel stalled in your personal or professional development, if you are trying to quit smoking, lose weight, overcome an addiction or just trying to motivate or inspire your team, make sure that you examine the level of commitment that all parties have, yourself included, and look for ways to get re-engaged. Then, re-commit if necessary, and work from there. Please remember that where there is no commitment, people disengage in mind body and spirit.
Make this the week that you soar ahead of schedule and you achieve the results that you knew were possible. Don’t let excuses block your path or sap your energy, but re-commit to you and your goals and be a winner instead of a whiner. Remember that confidence comes as an aftermath of commitment.
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My vision is quite simple: to make an impact on the lives of the people who have been entrusted to me: You (for reading this article), my family and my clients.
I coach people. Direct, practical, innovative, meaningful. I coach for excellence.I love what I do… and so do my clients.
Over the years I’ve noticed that business coaching that was supposed to make us stronger actually took away our confidence and made us doubt ourselves. Confidence and people skills aren’t developed just by measuring and planning everything, they grow through doing and learning from experience and by taking risks. People want to make a difference. Build teams. Be better understood. Live more confidently.
I am committed to creating a world where business people communicate and act with confidence to create better worlds for themselves. Worlds where they feel powerful and free to express themselves. Worlds where something as simple as conversation creates energy, understanding and impact. Worlds so exquisite, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
If you found this article helpful, insightful or moving, please let me know, if you think it can help others, please share it with them.
