a conversation that weaves stories and strategies with a soulful question and quote
a story
“Ugh, another professional development thing I have to attend.”
Leaders who determine what professional development is offered to teams are highly influential in how team members view the organization and whether they believe leadership has an accurate pulse on the employee experience.
I remember being told during a no-cost discovery call by a potential organizational client that they wanted to “keep it light” at the training. This is the same leader who shared on the call that the team was at an all-time low for morale, engagement, and many were “complaining” about burnout.
I kindly declined, stating I didn't think I would be a good match for the approached they desired. I couldn't dismiss the current employee experience [and encouraged them not to as well].
Don't get me wrong, I'll bring the fun [and good music] to a training AND I will speak to the soul. Because to do otherwise would be inauthentic and create more damage when workers are weary and wondering how to cope with current stressors.
If you are considering, exploring, researching, professional development topics that focus on building:
capacity for those who are overwhelmed
clarity for those who are lacking direction or purpose
connection for those who are feeling alone in their stress
confidence for those who are unsure their work matters, or maybe questioning if they matter to the team, organization, to the people they report to, let's talk.
Studies are relentlessly shouting that our workforce is experiencing increase rates of:
exhaustion
confusion
isolation
uncertainty regardless of the industry.
I'm convinced you have what you need to change that storyline. I help teams surface resources they hadn't considered or dismissed in the hurry of daily work.
It doesn't take a flavor of the month or trending topics. It takes determining what the current experience is, identify the desired experience and outcomes, emerge resources, invest in relationships you already have [and discover new ones] so you can engage those impacted to their full potential for the common good.
a strategy
When you are considering a professional development training, use your mission, vision, and values as filters to determine relevancy.
Identify how the topic will help grow, represent, and/or protect your mission, vision, and values.
If you can't make a connection, the people you want to engage won't either. The risk is higher employee disengagement in the training and discouragement that leadership isn't in sync with those they lead.
soulful question[s]
Are you offering trainings that strengthen and stabilize the very people you need to activate the mission, vision and values?
Are you offering professional development that is practical and speaks to both how your teams lead AND live?
quote[s]
“How we lead impacts how others live.” -Bob Chapman
“How we live impacts how we lead.” -Sandy Anderson
[It's all connected, and influence inevitably flows between work and home]
next steps
If you are given the privilege of determining professional development for your team, department, organization recognize the opportunity to influence not only how your teams show up at work but also how they live.
It doesn't matter the day-to-day work or industry, if your team is struggling with lack of resilience the work will be more challenging and unnecessary levels of exhaustion will sabotage progress and productivity.
If you aren't in the role of making the decisions of training and development topics, you can still influence. Here's a short glimpse at how resilience-rooted training can re-energize teams to reimagine how they do their work you can share with those who are making the decision:
Why Resilience Matters
I'd love to have a conversation on how I might partner with you to nurture and nudge resilience individually and collectively for your teams!
Sandy
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