Having recently received some very flattering positive feedback and evaluations from some stress management & resilience training recently delivered—I have been reflecting on its success and how this experience was especially rewarding for me too as the facilitator.
I use the term “facilitator” rather than “trainer” as I do feel that empowering others to learn and develop work place skills is a key skill in working with adult learners—and experience has taught me that a collaborative, strengths based, motivational approach is often what works best with busy & often experienced teams of people.
Casting my mind back I remember someone somewhere on a course telling me that people being “trained” only remember about 30% of what is “taught” on a course at any one time. Ironically I can’t recall when and who told me this… but my anecdotal experience as a learner myself is congruent with this idea.
Going in to others’ workplaces and being able to make a difference to people’s outlook and daily experience of work is very rewarding to me. Most of us need to work and the people I work with generally have a strong work ethic and vocational values which can sadly lead to burnout if the worker is not supported and “looked after” themselves—especially of course in this time of financial and often emotional austerity.
This particular “course” on developing resilience always demands a personal and individualistic approach. I hoped that the experienced multiagency and culturally diverse group sitting before me would be able to develop their own self awareness and then be more able to share and support their colleagues. My hypothesis proved right and I watched as they learnt from each other about thriving as opposed to just surviving the busy and demanding workplace that they all worked within. Some “leaders” emerged & helped me in my work by sharing advice, techniques and words of wisdom learnt from their own personal life / work experience and cultures.
I noticed changes in some people’s views throughout the session and nothing is more rewarding than when someone has a “light bulb” moment or is able to help another—sometimes by sharing a seemingly simple piece of personal wisdom—which was news to their colleague.
And despite all this intense concentration and learning, there was humour and real cathartic laughing which lifted the group’s mood and helped these supportive relationships to form. It was an honour to watch and partake in their development & take away some snippets of others’ wisdom for myself!
What also helps in successful facilitating is doing your “homework”—finding out about the issues facing these teams, having good relationships with the people commissioning you & a real understanding of the type of work of the different workers in front of you.
So their feedback is very important to me—not just as a business person—but as an individual too. I too need this positive re-affirmation of what I think I do well—as it re-motivates me to in turn to perform my best for my customers.
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