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From NetSpeed Leader Volume 33, May 2007
This month's Trainer Tips are from Andy Kaufman, a Certified NetSpeed Leadership trainer based in Chicago.
Who do you love to train?
I really enjoy working with executives and those who aspire to grow in their leadership competencies. They're usually motivated and have the ability to put the learning into action. I find it rewarding to help project managers learn how to plan and execute more effectively and hearing about their successes in delivery.
Yet there's another group that I love to pour into: those who typically are pouring into others.
Think teachers. Administrative assistants. Nurses. And, yes, trainers.
That's right! I'm talking about us! I love working with fellow trainers who invest so much time and energy into helping others learn.
Let me ask you this: how do you develop yourself? When there's far more work to do than time and people to do it, what are your strategies to develop yourself personally and professionally?
Certainly we gain additional knowledge and skills as a side benefit of designing and delivering the content we facilitate. However, I find it's often difficult to find the time to truly invest in myself, and if there's any group that needs to be committed to lifelong learning, it's us!
Sharpening our skills allows us to bring fresher insights to our facilitation. It can enable us to connect the dots between problems and opportunities more effectively. It can keep us from feeling like we're stuck in the trainer's version of Groundhog Day: different day, same material!
Here are some practical tips to investing in your personal growth, despite the lack of time our schedules afford:
Accept responsibility. A clear principle of time management is that if you don't take responsibility for your time, other people are happy to do so! Ultimately it's not your supervisor's responsibility to develop you. It's your responsibility. Use this as an opportunity to commit yourself to more proactive personal development.
What's on your iPod®? Five years ago I had the opportunity to interview Zig Ziglar, who talked about what he calls Automobile University. He recommends listening to books on tape as a way to learn while you drive. If you have an MP3 player, there's a seemingly endless supply of personal development awaiting you in the form of podcasts. More often than not, if I'm traveling by myself, I'm listening to podcasts, not the radio or music. It is one of my primary personal development strategies over the last year. If you have an iPod, a great place to start is with Apple's free iTunes program. If you don't have an MP3 player, you can listen to podcasts from your computer. Try podcast.net to find topics of interest and start learning!
Get the summary. So many books, so little time! Why not start with a summary? If you're a member of ASTD, you get free access to a service called ExecuBooks, which provides a weekly dose of must-read business literature in a crisp, concise format. If the summary looks great, get the book! If not, you saved time and money.
Stay in learn mode. Some of the best learning comes from the laboratory of life, not from a classroom. When I'm watching other speakers and trainers, I try to listen at multiple levels: I want to understand their content, for sure, but just as importantly, I want to learn from how they do their craft. When I'm in meetings with leaders, I like to watch how people influence, deal with conflict, manage change, etc. When someone is trying to sell me something, I like to pay attention to how they do it. Everyday life is filled with the opportunity to learn... if we're watching for it.
Keep a learning journal handy. I keep a notebook with me nearly all the time. It's a running log by date of ideas, notes from meetings, mind maps, and lessons learned. I've found this helps seal the learning more effectively as I go back and refer to the journal regularly.
A good friend of mine once said, "Ten years from now I want to be working on things I learn eight years from now." This month's tip is "Trainer, train thyself!" and I trust these tips help spur you on to a year of greater personal and professional development!
P.S. Let us know what you think! What are some of your favorite ways to stay up-to-date despite carrying a heavy workload? Send us a note at info@netspeedleadership.com.
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