It isn't even 2023, but the work for 2023 is well and truly ongoing, but that doesn't mean that any of the 2022 tasks have been dropped. Next January, there will be a Global Sales kick-off in Portugal and my team is both doing most of the heavy lifting for the organization and, also the deliveries of content itself.
I will be hosting/ facilitating/ presenting a full day of sessions on two of the three days, and weirdly, I don't have support. All the other groups have two facilitators, so it is probably going to be a little difficult. At this point though, I am in the planning stages of the delivery, working out goals that align and support the overarching strategic direction, and then the more practical aspects of what the hell I am going to have them do.
Surprisingly to some perhaps, I don't do info-dump sessions.
These are workshops, not lectures, which means that they have to be defined and facilitated for people to work in smaller groups and manage themselves. But, they can't be too defined, otherwise people can feel restricted and forced, which kills their creativity and willingness to participate - it shouldn't feel like school. At the same time, there has to be an output from it, something that they have produced and will be usable, even if not polished during the sessions.
Knowing their current challenges, I think I have a good idea of what to do with them, but meeting their needs doesn't necessarily mean meeting their wants, and often, people don't even know what they want, let alone what they need. All they know is that they want something that is tailored to their expertise, high-value, doesn't waste their time, while keeping them entertained and engaged.
Easy.
I have been training adults for over two decades now and one thing stands out, they are far fussier than children and often, far more entitled. At least in the workplace. Professionals tend to live their work life in a bubble, as they are able to spend their time predominantly in their field of knowledge, and have other people professionally support the other areas that they aren't interested in.
This distribution of responsibilities is effective and efficient, to meet common goals, but it can also give somewhat a false sense of ability, as a lot of grand things are accomplished that an individual is part of, but they actually only contributed to a narrow slice. There is value in the cooperation, but often people forget that the role they play, isn't quite as large as they lead themselves to believe it is, which is why a lot of people feel that they are not expendable to their employer, until they are made redundant and things going on smoothly without them.
Everyone is expendable.
And, I was thinking (fantasizing) about this today, where if for example I just quit my job, it would be very difficult to be replaced, for all of a few weeks. Essentially, as soon as it happened, any non-essential tasks would be put on hold, and essential tasks would be taken on by my supervisor and a couple others, atop their normal work. This is essentially what happened when my colleague finished up a few weeks back, where for most people, nothing has really changed, since I picked up the slack.
But, at the same time as this, the workload I face is much higher and is likely to be prolonged in this way, because once someone is employed, since ramp-up takes time. However, if I were to burn out, essentially all the tasks I am currently doing would fall by the wayside, other than the critical. This is silly though, because if I am burning-out because of the workload and these tasks wouldn't be done if I did quit, why not lessen the work before burnout?
Good question.
In a lot of companies, there is incentive to perform, which means that there is also incentive to get more out of others who support your role. This means that it isn't necessarily "the company" that is the problem, but the employees themselves. When everyone is looing to maximize their own self, whether it be through monetary remuneration or social capital, the workload is going to increase.
For example, if you will get a 20% bonus if you get Task 1 done, and you need me in order to do it, will you be willing to miss out on the bonus because of my mental health?
Sure, companies aren't necessarily interested in really looking after their employees, but, neither are most people, because ultimately, we are interested in our own maximization and will roll over others inch by inch in order to get there. The same happens in other areas of the world too, where even with our children, we pat them on the back when they are "top of the class", without caring how or what were the costs to others, to accomplish it.
Top performers get rewarded.
As it should be.
Some people want pay equality based on role, but this doesn't take into account differences in individual ability and production. Writing a thousand words isn't an accomplishment, if it doesn't meet goals, expectations and needs. However, in a world of search capabilities and self-directed learning, when something we consume doesn't meet our needs, is it the fault of the author?
These days, we get to pick and choose to a very high degree what we consume, yet we are not very good at asking for what we actually want. While this works in the digital world with algorithmic learning through observation, it doesn't translate well into the physical world, where for example, a trainer is meant to deliver an experience driven by expectations, but not knowing what is actually expected. It is commissioning a painter to paint a picture under the provision that if it is good, they will buy it.
What is good? Is it a portrait or a landscape, abstract perhaps?
As said, I am in the phase of defining goals for the workshops at the moment, because that is a large part of the job done, because once I have the goals, all I need to do is design activities that will logically meet them. The challenge is though, which goals are more important, those of the company, or those of the participants? Because sometimes, they don't align.
But, I enjoy the process and while I don't think I am nearly as sharp as I once was in these areas, it is still enjoyable to solve problems to meet corporate wants, and meet the human needs at the same time. Information dumps, just don't cut it.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
