‘There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm’
Willa Cather
Leadership training and high-performance team training are ‘some things’, however most businesses only focus their attention on training when in calm. ? Is leadership training best completed in calm or in storm? How many times have you heard someone say ‘it is too busy right now to do training’? Some components of leadership and management – planning, strategy, time management, evaluation – all benefit when there is time to think, consider and reflect.
Several others though – decision making, difficult conversations, coaching, balancing priorities, constructive feedback – often need to occur when things are moving at pace. Why then do so many businesses only train people to complete these activities when things are calm?
Yes – training when things are busy can feel like an impost and difficult to balance – but the benefits often far outweigh the negatives. Coaching and training when things are busy prepare leaders and managers for what it is like in the ‘real world’, not just in a simulated training environment.
Training that is designed for pace and within the rigours of business life actually prepare leaders more effectively for what they will actually deal with.
Training and coaching should be completed in times that best reflect the environment that they will be completed in, and often that means when things are busy, when you don’t have all of the facts, time is of the essence and you are ‘under the pump’. Some of our best learning is done in these situations – not just when things are calm.
#coaching #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #management #IMLD #developingleaders