I was reading an article about management one day and I came across a word – ossified. It was defined as fossilized: set in a rigidly conventional pattern of behavior, habits, or beliefs; inflexible. That got me thinking of how – in my line of work, that it was not in my vocabulary even if I wanted it to be. Flexibility is a key element in training and development. As a trainer, you have to be ready to shift from one approach to another when something does not work or when something unexpected and out of your control happen. You have to be ready for anything. Say, a discussion that is getting out of hand and heading towards critical or sensitive issues. It can even be a discussion straying away from the topic at hand or even an equipment failure. Being flexible means not sticking to doing something the same way. Based from my experiences doing training, always doing the same thing the same way does not always work sometimes. One time, I was doing a product and services training. One thing about doing hard skills training, there are so much things to learn about a certain service or product, or several services and products that your learners suffer from information overload. They end up dazed and confused. From a trainer’s perspective – that is not good. Going back to the training I was handling. There was this part where there were several products and each had these conditions to it like, this has this…this does not but has this instead… When I went through the training as a learner, it was taught to me as is. Nothing fancy, just discussed. As a trainer you would agree with me that our learners learn in different ways and different phases. Hence, you have the slow learners and the fast learners. You have them and you can spot them in the group too. Most learners are also visual. Instead of just discussing the products like I was narrating a grocery list (as how it was taught to me to be taught), what I did was I made it visual for my learners. I made a table, on top of each column, I wrote down each condition. I started with one item, writing it down on the whiteboard then asked my learners – ‘Does this have this condition…?’ then put Xs if yes and dashes for no and so on so forth until I finished all the columns before moving on to the next item. The change of approach worked. I not only got them involved but we learned together. Being flexible does not mean being flighty. It just means that you are open to changing your way of thinking and approaching situation. Same thing if you are manager handing people in your team. You do not coach all of your team members the same way, do you? People are different from one another. As a manager, being flexible will not only help you help each member of your team to perform their job well but it will also help you get to know them each as a person. Be open. Change your way of thinking. Change how you approach a situation. Include being flexible in your vocabulary. 

I remember the first planner I owned. I got it at a bookstore. It was made of synthetic material not leather, not really sure what it was called, not hardbound like a book but the cover was hard enough for the planner not to get bent and out of shape. It had a blue cover and red trim or more like a column on the right. It had one of those loophole closures made from the same material. At that time I needed the planner mainly for schedule purposes since I worked shifting schedules, I needed to write down my schedules because it changes every month and even sometimes mid-month. Plus, I had to keep track of my rest days which do not normally fall on weekends at that time. That was the start of my using a planner religiously. The next years that came, I used the planner not only for schedules but more for things I needed to get done at work and home. I started with things to do, company and social events, appointments and the list goes on. My preference to planners became more specific since then. I looked for planners with large spaces below the date so I can fit all of the things I wanted written down. I would write all of the things that needed my attention for the coming over the weekend so I would not forget. But of course, things like unexpected meetings, events get added during the week. At the end of each day, I check off what was done and what was not and the progress status of my things to do. Between the pages of my planner, you would see post-its on some pages at times. On the post-its are reminders, but most of them are ideas or thoughts that came to me that I would find have some relevance to what I was working on at that time. I would even have some items or entries color-coded on the pages of my planner. A reminder here, a training program outline there, a quick note or two, needless to say, it was an obsession to me. If some people could not live without their mobile phones or other gadgets, mine was my planner. I would always have one. I like writing things down. It helps me get organized and it helps me think. Any time I experience a mental block or find my thoughts all scattered about, I pick up a pen, get my planner or paper and start writing. When you write ‘em down – you get ‘em done! That is my mantra to this day. What do you really, really want to accomplish over the day, the week, the month, the year or years? Think about it. Once you have a clear picture of what you really want to do – the first step is to write them all down. Be it a crazy idea or a good one, just go ahead and write them down. This will help you think of your second step and your third and the next one and so on and so forth. So… you writing yet?

Sharpen the saw is one of my favorite habits, stated in Stephen R. Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It is a habit I have practiced in all of my 13+ years in training and development. I still do. To me, sharpening the saw is a continuous process. Whether you have just started a job or have been in a job for several years or a lifetime. This habit is what makes you better at your job. The best even. This is what will make you stand out from others in your industry. Some people have this attitude that they will learn everything in their job as they go along. Be open to look outside your job, outside your company. I have. In every job I have had and jobs I am now in, I have this attitude of learning every update, changes, new trends and practices to improve my skills and knowledge in the learning, training and development industry. If the company I was working for did not provide it, I went out and looked for where I can get the skills, the information, and the knowledge. Never pass up an opportunity to sharpen your saw. The outcome will be worth it.

From time to time, I update my playlist. I like to find songs that will keep me motivated when I run or workout. Ever gone to those cardio or yoga workout classes at your gym? Have you noticed that when the music they play while you are kickboxing or doing a hip-hop routine or even meditating helps you really lose yourself in the workout? It keeps you motivated to get moving, do higher kicks or shadow box with much more gusto and in yoga, relaxes you more into that difficult pose you dread to do? When I develop a training program, I listen to my playlist too. It helps me think. Something I have done since I was in college while doing interior perspectives, elevations or rendering them. I find that it not only helps me think, but keeps me motivated to get lost in what I am doing and eventually finish the task. Of course, I cannot help but sing along sometimes or hum along especially when I find myself having a mental block. In the end, I get the results I had in mind.

A good playlist counts. Selecting the right music for that run or that workout is like finding the right elements or topics for a training program that has quality and value to your learners. Like a good playlist, relevant, useful and valuable content in your training programs should have that goal of capturing your learner’s interest and motivating them to take action of applying the learning back to the work environment. How many times have you sat through a training program that just did not hold your interest, nor motivated you to even think about taking it back and applying it to your workplace? I have sat through some of those classes that majority of the content were useless and irrelevant and that the whole training program could do without. When you start developing a training program, you need to know what purpose or goal you want this program to achieve. What do you want your learners to know about? What takeaway do you want your learners to have? How can they apply these takeaways once they go back to their workplace? How will it benefit them? You need to have the end in mind when you begin to develop a program. Once you do have that, you will be able to know which topics are useful and relevant and which are not. Which topics do you need to spend time on and which topics do you just brush on. Some trainers have the mistake of trying to squeeze every topic they can think of without even considering if these topics are aligned to the overall purpose of the program. Have faith in your learners. If the topic is something they can read and easily be understood such as a list or basic information that needs no discussion, give it to them as reading material they can go over during their spare time, or say, like homework. Something to read before they go back to class. This way, you will have more time for the important topics or even have extra time to discuss these topics some more. If you give delicate care, time and attention when you are updating or selecting your playlist, be the same way when you are developing your training program. Remember that your program has to capture their interest and motivate them and it all starts with the topics you select. Just like the songs you select for your playlist, it will have that flow to motivate your learners to think more and do more.

We all get bogged down at times. Whether it is work-related or has to do with personal stuff going on in your life, it is pretty easy to lose inspiration and fall into a rut and remain there – stagnant. When I get into these moments, I try to go somewhere and clear my mind. For some, they may go a quiet place which they find peaceful. Maybe the park or a nearby lake. Not me, though. I have two places I can go to. One is a bookstore. I often look around a bit – nothing particular in mind, just browse around. After browsing a little, I then head to the Self-Improvement aisle and just check out the books. I do not know why but looking over the books about happiness, motivation, positive thinking just makes me feel a little better. That is why when I go to malls, I usually go to the bookstores first more often than going to clothing stores or shoe stores. The other place I go to are the arts and craft stores. I like the making jewelry with beads aisle. I like finding unique beads I have not seen before anywhere. I especially like the beads that have inspirational messages on them. One day, we were expecting snow showers and I was experiencing cabin fever and I just wanted to get out of the house and experience the showers. Was not much of a shower, though, but more of a snow drizzle. But at one craft store I went to, I had found beads with words such as believe, faith, hope, and love, thrive, blessed. I found a resin pendant with the word ‘create’ and without a second thought – I bought it. I got it not because I needed a new pendant, I got it because I love the word on it. Create. It just gives you inspiration, does it not? These simple, everyday but inspirational words just jump at you. After my purchase, when I got outside, there was the snow shower promised. I put on my snow cap and gloves and headed to Starbuck’s for my traditional holiday season drink – a tall Peppermint Mocha Latte. Walking home that day, I felt much better, felt lifted out of whatever rut I was feeling when the day started. What about you? Where do you go and get your inspiration in times where you feel stuck in whatever you are trying to accomplish? Or to just get out of the ‘blah’ mood we all get sometimes.