Parenting teenagers is not for the faint of heart. A mother of a teenager shared some wisdom with me last night that her moment of awakening came when she realized that she “could not go to college with her son.” While there is obviously lots of opinions/grey area around control and parenting, growing up means making independent choices to do some things and not do other things. It takes lots of energy for the parent, and for the teen. Growing up is a transformation for both.
So how does this relate to professional development? A cornerstone of the Gallup Research is a statement that says “People don’t change that much. Don’t waste time trying to put in what was left out. Try to draw out what was left in. That is hard enough.” I think back to a person who went through Franklin Planner class 4 times (when paper was king) to become more organized – – and I think about the effort trying to put in something.
Helping someone chart a course to a future level of performance means asking two questions:
- Is this about adding some skills/knowledge/experience to help them work smarter OR
- Are we asking for more transformational growth (shedding old habits and adopting new ones)?
If it is the former, then classes, peer support, the whole practice/feedback/practice loop will work. People who like to learn will get it done.
If it is the latter, then a moment of reckoning has come. The next question to ask is: This will take hard work, lots of your energy (for a while), and undoubtedly some pain. Are you ready – – – (if yes) then how can I help?
Too often in helping people to grow at work (often called talent management/professional development) we forget what real change takes.
How many classes have you been to more than once? 🙂