Reinventing training
My buddy Rob Searson and I who’ve collectively clocked over 60 years of coaching have been recently coming to the conclusion that we need to totally reinvent the whole notion of “training” for leaders, whether in the corporate or civic space.
We have literally thousands of “leaders” just in this region who have had all the requisite “training” which, as Rob suggests, has been nothing more than very expensive exercises in personal networking.
If the most impactful and sustainable learning happens in relationship - not with heads stuck in powerpoints and binders - then coaching and mentoring will be the key to leadership development that actually makes a difference in organization and community building. Interestingly enough, the whole coaching and mentoring route has not been the core of developmental processes and programs to date. And the ones that have, have not been assessment-based, appreciative-focused, and context-specific.
It is definitely time to reinvent development … and we are only too happy to bring decades of “secrets” to the table.
April 23rd, 2006 01:29
Jack…Michael Herman and I just finished offering the latest iteration of our own “Open Space training” workshop. It has morphed into a pratice retreat on the leadership[ practices that support the evolution of the inviting organization.
It’s about practice, not training. Seeing, not tools. Offering and inviting, not doing and managing.
Wanna play in Cleveland sometime?
April 23rd, 2006 02:10
You captured it, brother. Practice … seeing … rather than tools and managing.
As for the invitation - we really need to do that! Let’s Skype on it soon.
April 23rd, 2006 06:20
I have been advocating for using the term educate versus train around the roastery and with my customers. WE train dogs, but educate people. Dogs only respond in a certain way for a given situation. They are like on a “train.” One way and difficult to backtrack, never able to swerve or ad lib without risking derailing.
I suggest educate about coaching, social networks, and open space. By definition, incidents of these topics are unique, unpredictable and surprising. Being nimble, flexible and innovative are the best ways to approach this and that only comes from awareness and understanding from education.
April 23rd, 2006 09:35
Yes let’s revision ‘development’ ‘training’ .. even ‘coaching’. Not because we’re beyond tools and training - tools and training are still important - but because they always seem to lack context. When all you’ve got is a hammer - ‘the 5 steps of being the best this-or-that’ - then everything looks like a nail.
I honestly can’t say anything other than ‘intervention’ without feeling a little suffocated by the language, until the appropriate methodology sifts itself clear.
So what if put the developmental frameworks of Torbert, Kegan, Wilber’s ‘methodological pluralism’ .. Graves, Maslow, etc., together, on the table, regarding leadership? Regarding being human, and really reinvent development?