Things I've learnt in 2023 - Chapter I

It's funny being a L&D professional. The assumption, to many, is that L&D people know enough, have enough experience, know their sectors, are brilliant people-people and the rest. They're the people who dispense L&D and they're never the recipients as they know it all already.

That, I've realised fairly quickly into my time as a Leadership Coach, Trainer and Consultant, is just not true. Actually, that one realisation is possibly the biggest things I've learnt. That I'm always learning. All of us are. And realising that is what makes the best of us.

Example #1

That's not to say that I've learnt my lessons particularly rapidly or efficiently.

Earlier in the year I was given the privilege of working on a particularly significant eLearning project for a mighty business. 4,500 employees. No pressure, then.

What's more, the lead on the project, with much more experience of this kind of thing than me, after no more than 2 days into what turned out to be a 6-month project and rather cruelly for them, became incapacitated and was unable to do their bit.

Something not quite right...?

So there I was, potentially all at sea.

Initially I rose to the challenge and sailed through the 1st phase unscathed with great feedback from the eLearning trainees.

The 2nd phase wasn't as straightforward though and although I was able to get stuck into the scriptwriting, online design, video production and most crucially (and ineptly) project management, after about a month and a half I started to get a little overwhelmed.

I kept going, not wishing to bother my colleague and to be honest, secretly being afraid that it would reflect badly on me and not trusting that they would be willing to advise and help me out.

Crisis...?

Things were getting extra tough. So, eventually, having been prompted by the client who kindly and uncritically suggested I might want to seek a little assistance, I approached my lead colleague who, largely because of their experience and know-how, were able immediately, discreetly and sensitively to segue back into their role and join the project, leaving me to focus on what I do best.

I realised soon after that being vigilant, open and honest about my own safety within a project is far more important than watching out on behalf of others. Having the right environment for high-performing work is something I constantly advocate through promoting notions as far-reaching as a sympathetic physical WFH and Office space, openness, peer support, healthy competition, fun social breaks, psychological safety and the rest.

So why shouldn't I advocate it for myself, at all times, regardless of my status as an independent coach, consultant and trainer? Sauce for this goose, indeed!

What crisis?

Inevitably, largely because of both the support and acknowledgment that I had actually done well, despite my doubts, the project and my involvement within it came to a pretty successful conclusion. As far as I'm aware (though the officlal stats aren't available quite yet) there has been a high satisfaction rating for the eLearning programme from most of its recipients and, all-in-all, has gone down very well.

Lesson learnt

There was significantly nourishing food for thought from this experience. And of course I'm particularly lucky, as is the case with all other learning experiences, to have been able to take what I've learnt and apply it directly to my own L&D content. Which is to say...

"Whenever faced with the unexpected pressure of change resulting from unforeseeable circumstances, never be afraid to reach out for support from whoever is there to do so.

Never use pride alone to drive yourself on.

Be open with yourself about your capabilities and remember that your existing strengths are enough. That way you will grow and learn with your pride very much intact."