First Things First: Training for others... reminder for me.
Today I conducted (for the first time in a long time - and I' not sure if it was the very first time) a training based on Covey's Habit 3 (of his 7 Habits fame) - First Things First. Let me say that I was glad I am familiar with Covey's ideas - even if its been years since I read his books (Seven Habits and First Things First... not to mention The 8th Habit as well). But really, one other reason I know od his work is because I tried creating a Mission Statement all those years ago.
Problem is, somewhere along the way - although I still subconsciously practice some of his ideas - I've sort of misplaced the needed practice or follow through. I guess it was because of not using the tools on a regular basis... after all, the tools are supposed to be easy and more importantly, easily accessible.
Unfortunately, the latter was not the case, so that is what happened. I lost track of Habit 7 (Sharpen the Saw), although as I said earlier, I do practice a lot of the suggestions and ideas in an almost automatic manner (a compass paradigm if you will), but at the same time, I am mot taking full advantage of how things should be with my QII activities. Damn...
So my conducting this training IS a good reminder for me. A reminder that I should refocus... plan and set goals again. In that sense, I would like to thank God and the people who made me do this conduct today. Yes, its March... not exactly the start of a new year. But better late than never, right?
So First Things First... I need to revisit my Mission Statement... wee if it needs tweaking. I also need to rededicate some 'me' time to plan and review. Sunday mornings still seem to be the best time for me and my reflections. So be it. Sunday, 8am... I'm setting this part of the day for a Mission Review, and I will write it down in my planner to remind me.
Tomorrow, I will also try to sharpen the saw by taking a few Brainbench exams (specially while its free)
Monday, March 05, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
This consists of three days of learning hos to use an internally-created tool for helping people come up with project estimates for different scenarios, differing platforms given the client's many possible needs.
To say that this is an intense training squeezed into three days is to sell it short. You see, its very intense, and the only thing going for most participants is the fact that they are familiar (or should be) with the client business and the Accenture way of doing projects.
When it comes to teaching this course in an ideal setting, one requires mastery of the tools - or at the very least, familiarity and understanding of how to use them, and why they need to be used.
I actually belong to the latter group of facilitator because I find it superfluous to study the tools further, specially since 1) I won't really be using these tool outside of Accenture, 2) I find no reason to use the tool, as I am not assigned to Accenture projects and 3) quality in the training is not really a necessity - these days its just a statistic. This is not to say that quality totally goes out the window, rather, its not a priority... hence my not putting the needed effort to master the tool. I'd say that this may be the root to my having a cavalier attitude to training in Accenture - thus just giving the minimum requirement.
That said, I get by... and still learn more of the tool whenever I conduct it one more time. Eventually, by sheer repetitive use or 'number of conducts' - I will get to be an expert with said tools given minimal preparation effort in learning it. But to really be an expert in its use? I'd have to use it in the environment it was designed for - and I don't see that happening. Maybe I should just decline teaching this. I don't see any reason (hence lack the passion) to really do learn it.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
To add to the contents of this site, I shall take more pictures of my class - try to get action shots of both the facilitator(s) and the participants. Hope this allows for greater dynamics - which in turn will rebound to more frequent conducts. As I take more pictures, it will allow for more interesting and diverse contents (or at least, that is the general idea), and hopefully leading to creating a more interesting site.
Here's to luck and great pictures.
Here's to luck and great pictures.
Its a new year - and with it comes new challenges; albeit the same old training conducts - at least, for now anyway. Yup, this picture, for example shows my first class for 2012 - namely a Packaged Application Design School (a.k.a. PADS), which is all about General Design concepts geared more for the packaged application solutions type of project (which basically covers platforms like SAP, Peoplesoft, Oracle, and other similar ERP solutions.
Funny thing is, I only started teaching Packaged-solutions related training this year - more so, after the U2K2 project. Ironic since the other way around - meaning conducting the training, then becoming part of the SAP project (which would really have helped me). Still, I was already starting to conduct such training in the past - but my exposure to U2K2 really helped galvanize my learning and appreciating how packaged applications are done, and why.
I only wish that the frequency of my training conducts get more frequent - I mean, there used to be times in the past that I would have 4 full weeks of conducts. It was tiring, but it allowed me to get the needed money for my usual expenses - including tuition. I do hope it becomes more frequent soon, as I do need to have more earnings to cover for my and my family's needs (expenses). Granted that I'm sure I can trim the fat in some aspects - but if I can maintain the comfort level (which isn't really that fat or totally leisurely comfortable), that would be better.
With respect to not being able to get what I need from the training, then I will really have to reconsider my career. It may be a sad day for training - as this will not be the first time I've heard of a really good trainer (no bias intended here) from retiring form training to pursue 'greener' pastures.
Monday, September 05, 2011
I'm sharing a few Leaders' Windows pictures... this way I get to update this blog - not just with articles, but with pictures of what we look like when we're doing what we do. Sorry if it sounded a bit wishy washy -but I wanted to make sure no one can get back to my article and say infringement or intellectual property sabotage, or whatever else nonsense some some legalistic paranoid pea-brained person can come up with by looking at what I could post. No it hasn't happened yet - and no one's complained... but better safe than getting a shiv on the behind.
This was the class I handled with Alain in McKinley - it went for two days and as usual, there were many activities that made this class lively. That said, let me now keep uncharacteristically non-descriptive and let the pictures be proof that what we do is fun. The picture above shows a group making a makeshift house - its one of the last (if not the last) activity everyone goes through - purpose of which is to prove that the 'situational time out' works.
As most activities are bent towards showing how groups can work better - by way of better leadership, we had the class break down into groups.
Some of these participants I've known for quite some time (beyond Accenture's walls - others, I've had the privilege of having taught for about two or three training conducts straight... coincidence, mind you, as it so happens that the conducts they enrolled are the ones i was scheduled to do.
If you're wondering why they're just posing - believe me, they're working on something... namely their closing presentation... in which case they wrap the training up by letting us see what they remember about the two-day conduct's topics.
Alain and I had no problems with this batch... if anything, they were eager to learn and share - in fact, in some instances, you'd have to limit their talking time, or they'd go on and on. Overall, it was a great time for all.
'nuff said!
This was the class I handled with Alain in McKinley - it went for two days and as usual, there were many activities that made this class lively. That said, let me now keep uncharacteristically non-descriptive and let the pictures be proof that what we do is fun. The picture above shows a group making a makeshift house - its one of the last (if not the last) activity everyone goes through - purpose of which is to prove that the 'situational time out' works.
As most activities are bent towards showing how groups can work better - by way of better leadership, we had the class break down into groups.
Some of these participants I've known for quite some time (beyond Accenture's walls - others, I've had the privilege of having taught for about two or three training conducts straight... coincidence, mind you, as it so happens that the conducts they enrolled are the ones i was scheduled to do.
If you're wondering why they're just posing - believe me, they're working on something... namely their closing presentation... in which case they wrap the training up by letting us see what they remember about the two-day conduct's topics.
Alain and I had no problems with this batch... if anything, they were eager to learn and share - in fact, in some instances, you'd have to limit their talking time, or they'd go on and on. Overall, it was a great time for all.
'nuff said!
Here're two more of my colleagues in Facilitating... as I did say I would try to add pictures as soon as I could - well, I have no idea yet when my next class will be so it might not be a good idea to go wait for until I have had a couple of pictures before posting.
Meet Alain, in my PrimaryEdge days, he was one of the last people to get hired to perform falititating skills - more prominently, with some Professional development courses. Alain has proven to be a great facilitator - with his humor and his ability to explain things in simple, uncomplicated ways - his participants easily get to follow him... and after all, isn't that what's important?
His transition to PhoenixOne was, of course, easily done... coming from recommendations from the rest of the team - and though he first started in a limited capacity (having to handle the family business when his father could not), he has since then been given more facilitating time. A fellow colleague (Jingo) once referred to Alain as 'Poh' the character in Kung Fu Panda - and in a way, I find similarities in the characterization - not that Alain is a shoo-in for Jack Black of course, but that Alain can sometimes be seen as the character of Poh in several things... outlook in life, humor, maybe even the appetite?
Next we have Jingo:
What can I say about this person? He's a natural drama queen when he want to be... and that description speaks volumes in itself. He very conscious about how he looks and dresses, he's always making sure he is in the know about other people's thoughts - thus he does invest time in talking with people - and talks to them - both by listening and sharing... and in coaching parlance, sympathizing with others.
He also gets into the psyche of the female participant with his multitude of 'masa' related anecdotes - and can crank up the emotional factor with stories - both funny or with some emotional impact. He can act things out and can even belt a song or two with a very good voice. Some people refer to his as a thespian - and they won't be off the mark. Jingo is a performer... whether its on stage or off... and isn't facilitating somewhat like a stage?
Little surprise, therefore, that he happens to be the favorite facilitator of the BPO crowd. Lest this sound like a description of a typical derogatory blonde joke, I need to add that Jingo has equal mastery of substance - be it coaching or even the BPO project management (which I hear has better designed materials than the solutions version - though not as deep).
His transition to PhoenixOne was, of course, easily done... coming from recommendations from the rest of the team - and though he first started in a limited capacity (having to handle the family business when his father could not), he has since then been given more facilitating time. A fellow colleague (Jingo) once referred to Alain as 'Poh' the character in Kung Fu Panda - and in a way, I find similarities in the characterization - not that Alain is a shoo-in for Jack Black of course, but that Alain can sometimes be seen as the character of Poh in several things... outlook in life, humor, maybe even the appetite?
What can I say about this person? He's a natural drama queen when he want to be... and that description speaks volumes in itself. He very conscious about how he looks and dresses, he's always making sure he is in the know about other people's thoughts - thus he does invest time in talking with people - and talks to them - both by listening and sharing... and in coaching parlance, sympathizing with others.
He also gets into the psyche of the female participant with his multitude of 'masa' related anecdotes - and can crank up the emotional factor with stories - both funny or with some emotional impact. He can act things out and can even belt a song or two with a very good voice. Some people refer to his as a thespian - and they won't be off the mark. Jingo is a performer... whether its on stage or off... and isn't facilitating somewhat like a stage?
Little surprise, therefore, that he happens to be the favorite facilitator of the BPO crowd. Lest this sound like a description of a typical derogatory blonde joke, I need to add that Jingo has equal mastery of substance - be it coaching or even the BPO project management (which I hear has better designed materials than the solutions version - though not as deep).
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
I have been posting pictures of my colleagues lately - it gives me a chance to update one of my FB albums and experiment with my camera's zoom lens. Take this image of Mon, for example... a simple, straight forward shot of him while he was explaining a few concepts to the participants (and not a bad shot if I say so myself, he he he).
The training was all about the Team Lead School, and Mon was driving in some ideas for our participants, as I aligned the camera to take the shot... the really amazing part here was I was using a purely automatic setting. Naturally,I had to take some test shots and make adjustments before I finally got to this picture.
So why mention this at all? Simple, it means I'm not dependent on any automatic features that my camera offers - okay, maybe with exception to the auto focus part... but that's it
From Mon, I shifted to Ariel - I was lucky since a convenient opportunity arose.
Since Ariel took over Mon's place as my co-facilitator for the Team Lead School, I was nota bout to let this opportunity to further practice my skills pass - so when Ariel was up front talking, I decided to take a few shots of him too. In this case, my shutter speed was not too high, thus you see the blurring of Ariel's hands as he gestures while giving his explanation.
Normally, I would probably just ignore the picture and outright reject it, but then again, this is an action shot - not a posing session, and the blurred hands prove this.
Then there's Gina, who became my partner for the Packaged Application Design School (a.k.a. PADS). I like this picture because it shows Gina in a different action - as you can see how her facial expression tells volumes of how she's reacting to a participant. But worry not, this is not her usual haughty self... nope, despite the expression, Gina is just (figuratively) playing with our participants... and to be fair, our participants were the rather boisterous type... hence not surprising that Gina uses that expression.
Unfortunately (or is that fortunately?) Gina could not finish the course for its duration, so someone will have to run this with me... and Malou Jopillo (our overall coordinator) decides to bring in Jinkee...and naturally, once again I have a model for the photos.
So similarly, I took some pictures to preserve the memory of Jinkee in action. Hence I've got Jinkee doing her explanation, as she presents her knowledge to the class. Naturally, this option will not be complete without my trying to take a picture of her... as we both sahred co-facilitator roles on a Saturday training.
I will strive to further add to this blog the pictures of my other colleagues, should the opportunity to take them arise; that is.
So why mention this at all? Simple, it means I'm not dependent on any automatic features that my camera offers - okay, maybe with exception to the auto focus part... but that's it
Since Ariel took over Mon's place as my co-facilitator for the Team Lead School, I was nota bout to let this opportunity to further practice my skills pass - so when Ariel was up front talking, I decided to take a few shots of him too. In this case, my shutter speed was not too high, thus you see the blurring of Ariel's hands as he gestures while giving his explanation.
Normally, I would probably just ignore the picture and outright reject it, but then again, this is an action shot - not a posing session, and the blurred hands prove this.
So similarly, I took some pictures to preserve the memory of Jinkee in action. Hence I've got Jinkee doing her explanation, as she presents her knowledge to the class. Naturally, this option will not be complete without my trying to take a picture of her... as we both sahred co-facilitator roles on a Saturday training.
I will strive to further add to this blog the pictures of my other colleagues, should the opportunity to take them arise; that is.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Best of both Worlds?
Just some ramblings... first off... I'm back in training - albeit only on Saturdays, but hey... at least I get to do it on a semi-regular manner, right? So how's it been? Some changes apparently came to place while I've been gone - but at the same time, it's like nothing's changed.
How so? For starters, it seems that in the workshop/team building/outing that Phoenix One organized for all their facilitators, the end result is not a total cohesion as the team building would suggest. It seems that not everyone thinks or analyzes or for that matter, cooperates in activities. Ah well... apparently, it seems that some people were not sold on the need or necessity of such activities.
Some learnings were gleaned though - and I hope these get actionable, er... actions around improvement efforts.
Working attire seemed to take a hit as Fridays seem to have been considered a non dress-down item, thanks to people who - for whatever reason, just want their trainers to look more professional, and mot as relaxed as everyone else. Me? I'd be in the side of the fence that would say does it matter? If you're a really lousy facilitator, wearing a tux will not dramatically increase your skills in facilitating... similarly, how does short-changing happen when a good facilitator wear dressed down clothing together with their audience? Some facts and metrics please...?
Aside from this, the thought of putting all trainings on Saturdays - and only on Saturdays was, I'm sorry to say, so short-sighted, the decision-maker who made up this farce of a decision was probably hit with an inspiration of thinking... like a dodo. I exaggerate of course, after all... whoever thought this actually retracted after a week (or was forced to retract)... upon realizing that their actions will not help with their meeting certain metrics. Classic example of knee-jerk decision-making - these people should listen more to the people they get as trainers.
Some people are promoted to regional... hmmm, good luck with that - I wonder if that means they're promoted to a higher level of incompetence. Others find themselves in the same boat as those they used to put down... karma? Maybe. But for the most part, the inconsistent services of others seem to be still that - if not less efficient.
Good thing for me I'm not affected by these inane actions as I just have to deal with these things in a per Saturday basis only. Yup... I train, but only on Saturdays. The rest of the time I still am assigned to a project... and with luck, this will continue beyond September. So yeah... lets hope for the best of both worlds here.
I may even get to be assigned in a project doing something closer to training (as opposed to PMO work) - that is courseware planning development and execution. Or if I get tapped to do another U2K2 project in a different country, well... why not?
But I hope I get to still teach something. Should I finish my tour of Duty in U2K2, I could ask Mags to put in a kind word for me regarding the Unilever trainings. I mean, opportunities will abound... I just need to work as good as I can and keep my Karma clean.
I still like teaching... and these Saturday sessions make it come out as therapy of sorts - relaxation too, and it has (I'll have to admit) raised my effectiveness and capability to relate examples to my trainees. It somehow relieves me of tension from the project... and at least I get productive time out of a Saturday.
So yeah... I'm not complaining.
Just some ramblings... first off... I'm back in training - albeit only on Saturdays, but hey... at least I get to do it on a semi-regular manner, right? So how's it been? Some changes apparently came to place while I've been gone - but at the same time, it's like nothing's changed.
How so? For starters, it seems that in the workshop/team building/outing that Phoenix One organized for all their facilitators, the end result is not a total cohesion as the team building would suggest. It seems that not everyone thinks or analyzes or for that matter, cooperates in activities. Ah well... apparently, it seems that some people were not sold on the need or necessity of such activities.
Some learnings were gleaned though - and I hope these get actionable, er... actions around improvement efforts.
Working attire seemed to take a hit as Fridays seem to have been considered a non dress-down item, thanks to people who - for whatever reason, just want their trainers to look more professional, and mot as relaxed as everyone else. Me? I'd be in the side of the fence that would say does it matter? If you're a really lousy facilitator, wearing a tux will not dramatically increase your skills in facilitating... similarly, how does short-changing happen when a good facilitator wear dressed down clothing together with their audience? Some facts and metrics please...?
Aside from this, the thought of putting all trainings on Saturdays - and only on Saturdays was, I'm sorry to say, so short-sighted, the decision-maker who made up this farce of a decision was probably hit with an inspiration of thinking... like a dodo. I exaggerate of course, after all... whoever thought this actually retracted after a week (or was forced to retract)... upon realizing that their actions will not help with their meeting certain metrics. Classic example of knee-jerk decision-making - these people should listen more to the people they get as trainers.
Some people are promoted to regional... hmmm, good luck with that - I wonder if that means they're promoted to a higher level of incompetence. Others find themselves in the same boat as those they used to put down... karma? Maybe. But for the most part, the inconsistent services of others seem to be still that - if not less efficient.
Good thing for me I'm not affected by these inane actions as I just have to deal with these things in a per Saturday basis only. Yup... I train, but only on Saturdays. The rest of the time I still am assigned to a project... and with luck, this will continue beyond September. So yeah... lets hope for the best of both worlds here.
I may even get to be assigned in a project doing something closer to training (as opposed to PMO work) - that is courseware planning development and execution. Or if I get tapped to do another U2K2 project in a different country, well... why not?
But I hope I get to still teach something. Should I finish my tour of Duty in U2K2, I could ask Mags to put in a kind word for me regarding the Unilever trainings. I mean, opportunities will abound... I just need to work as good as I can and keep my Karma clean.
I still like teaching... and these Saturday sessions make it come out as therapy of sorts - relaxation too, and it has (I'll have to admit) raised my effectiveness and capability to relate examples to my trainees. It somehow relieves me of tension from the project... and at least I get productive time out of a Saturday.
So yeah... I'm not complaining.
Thursday, June 02, 2011
How the world changes...
If you notice my blog's profile picture, one that looks like a magazine called Riches, behind me is an artistic collage that used to hang on the wall of Accenture's Cybermall location. This was during my PrimaryEdge days - and definitely before Accenture temporarily let go of the place during economically leaner times... only to get it back after two year (or was that three?)
Anyway, for those in the know, that collage represented Accenture's Core values around what is supposed to be Tiger Woods' face - yes, he was still Accenture's endorser back then... at the height of his game, and definitely pre-scandal popular.
the only thing that has not changed ever since, happens to be that barong I'm wearing... I still wear it to work, and have not really realized how old it already is. In fact, I wore it just this morning to work. It's still in good condition - doesn't wrinkle easily - thus is a favorite of mine.
Other than that... everything's changed. Tiger no longer is at the top of his game - at least, not yet. He's not an Accenture endorser anymore. and though Cybermall is back - it's got an entirely different... and to me a much better, paint job. Never did like mustard yellow for walls.
If you notice my blog's profile picture, one that looks like a magazine called Riches, behind me is an artistic collage that used to hang on the wall of Accenture's Cybermall location. This was during my PrimaryEdge days - and definitely before Accenture temporarily let go of the place during economically leaner times... only to get it back after two year (or was that three?)
Anyway, for those in the know, that collage represented Accenture's Core values around what is supposed to be Tiger Woods' face - yes, he was still Accenture's endorser back then... at the height of his game, and definitely pre-scandal popular.
the only thing that has not changed ever since, happens to be that barong I'm wearing... I still wear it to work, and have not really realized how old it already is. In fact, I wore it just this morning to work. It's still in good condition - doesn't wrinkle easily - thus is a favorite of mine.
Other than that... everything's changed. Tiger no longer is at the top of his game - at least, not yet. He's not an Accenture endorser anymore. and though Cybermall is back - it's got an entirely different... and to me a much better, paint job. Never did like mustard yellow for walls.
Do I miss it?
You might be wondering why I started of with such a question. Not surprising since I've not been updating this blog for months. So what exactly am I alluding to here? Simple... I'm currently in the more demanding role of a project. Specifically the role of a PMO for a multinational organization. Add to the fact that this project has a very aggressive time frame and you can imagine how the complexity just piles up. Then there's the fact that I feel a bit like a fish otu of water since this is an SAP project where I've little experience regarding the software or infrastructure side whatsoever. Interesting, right?
I've been doing this for close to two months now - actually a month and a half, and by providence's hand, I'm sure to do it for the next three month - seeing the project to completion. Yes it's a struggle - and at times, things can get disheartening when I'm trying to consider what to say, what to do in terms of concepts. Making reports becomes a struggle... simply because, half the time I'm trying to interpret what is being said. I know the methodology - or at least, the idea behind them... thanks to my teaching experience with Project Management, but even then, it's an entirely different scenario. It's like I know football (or soccer, to some people) well enough - but the problem is, I'm now in an American Football arena.
So with all these challenges piled up - do I miss it? The time when I was more a Training Consultant working with Phoenix-One, teaching Accenture employees? Definitely... after all, in that area (or arena), I was doing quite well... doing okay. Heck, I was more than just okay. I was comfortable with what I was doing, I had control and I could even predict a few things and by doing so , manipulate them - like training pacing to match my needs or moods. I liked being in the spotlight (sort of) and being appreciated for helping people learn.
So am I regretting this shift? Not really... yeah it's harder - a whole lot harder than I imagined, and I feel that I may have been given a cheap deal (relatively speaking) but at the same time, this is a learning experience and a wake-up call to me. Learning since I do get PMO exposure, some rudimentary SAP project exposure as well and I get to stretch my wings - btu most important of all, I get to have an increased earning capacity.
One of my main frustrations is that I find trainers to be under-appreciated, in a sense, people like us, admire us... but they put little stock (or importance) to training. When push comes to shove, it's one of the first things to get pulled out f the expense side of a business that needs to penny pinch. The practice gets little respect, and the trainers are not seen as valuable assets - people don't see the ripple effect that a great trainer has on the workforce.
It is because of this lack of appreciation that trainers don't get the top pay they deserve. It's what attracted me to the project to begin with. I mean, I would very much love to be a trainer - at the day's end, the fulfillment is there, I don't need to worry about countless unfinished business, and my environment is contained and controllable. But the pay that should go with it is not there. And with a son who's just entered college, I need a higher earning capacity.
So... do I miss it? Hell yeah. I also miss working with my training colleagues. But do I look forward to training again? Yes I would - if the price is right. But should I be offered another project, I might just jump into that again just to ensure that my earning capacity remains what it is - if not higher. Until I get a better deal elsewhere... preferably training related - but with a much better paycheck, I'll be working projects.
On the other hand, I just might find a way to train on weekends. Heck, that may even be therapy for me - sort of.
You might be wondering why I started of with such a question. Not surprising since I've not been updating this blog for months. So what exactly am I alluding to here? Simple... I'm currently in the more demanding role of a project. Specifically the role of a PMO for a multinational organization. Add to the fact that this project has a very aggressive time frame and you can imagine how the complexity just piles up. Then there's the fact that I feel a bit like a fish otu of water since this is an SAP project where I've little experience regarding the software or infrastructure side whatsoever. Interesting, right?
I've been doing this for close to two months now - actually a month and a half, and by providence's hand, I'm sure to do it for the next three month - seeing the project to completion. Yes it's a struggle - and at times, things can get disheartening when I'm trying to consider what to say, what to do in terms of concepts. Making reports becomes a struggle... simply because, half the time I'm trying to interpret what is being said. I know the methodology - or at least, the idea behind them... thanks to my teaching experience with Project Management, but even then, it's an entirely different scenario. It's like I know football (or soccer, to some people) well enough - but the problem is, I'm now in an American Football arena.
So with all these challenges piled up - do I miss it? The time when I was more a Training Consultant working with Phoenix-One, teaching Accenture employees? Definitely... after all, in that area (or arena), I was doing quite well... doing okay. Heck, I was more than just okay. I was comfortable with what I was doing, I had control and I could even predict a few things and by doing so , manipulate them - like training pacing to match my needs or moods. I liked being in the spotlight (sort of) and being appreciated for helping people learn.
So am I regretting this shift? Not really... yeah it's harder - a whole lot harder than I imagined, and I feel that I may have been given a cheap deal (relatively speaking) but at the same time, this is a learning experience and a wake-up call to me. Learning since I do get PMO exposure, some rudimentary SAP project exposure as well and I get to stretch my wings - btu most important of all, I get to have an increased earning capacity.
One of my main frustrations is that I find trainers to be under-appreciated, in a sense, people like us, admire us... but they put little stock (or importance) to training. When push comes to shove, it's one of the first things to get pulled out f the expense side of a business that needs to penny pinch. The practice gets little respect, and the trainers are not seen as valuable assets - people don't see the ripple effect that a great trainer has on the workforce.
It is because of this lack of appreciation that trainers don't get the top pay they deserve. It's what attracted me to the project to begin with. I mean, I would very much love to be a trainer - at the day's end, the fulfillment is there, I don't need to worry about countless unfinished business, and my environment is contained and controllable. But the pay that should go with it is not there. And with a son who's just entered college, I need a higher earning capacity.
So... do I miss it? Hell yeah. I also miss working with my training colleagues. But do I look forward to training again? Yes I would - if the price is right. But should I be offered another project, I might just jump into that again just to ensure that my earning capacity remains what it is - if not higher. Until I get a better deal elsewhere... preferably training related - but with a much better paycheck, I'll be working projects.
On the other hand, I just might find a way to train on weekends. Heck, that may even be therapy for me - sort of.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
New Spanking Hi-Tech Room!
Okay, it's not really new - more refurbished, but damn... when I first saw the room, I was definitely surprised - more so since it was the room I was going ot use for an Achieving Meeting Results training scheduled during the 2nd week of February.
I mean, let's face it... I was blown away by the number of flat screen TVs in the room - after all, who uses these all at the same time, and why? I mean, look at it... and mind you, I was not able to show one more wall - which had at least two more LCDs mounted like what the pictures show.
Honestly? The first thing that came to my mind was 'this is a war room'. I mean, to coordinate with a different person in screen... or to see their presentations or briefings all on display... and let's not forget the wide screen projector at the room's relative front.
Too bad my training here got cancelled - I had too little number of partipants showing up to make the training feasible. Oh well... next time.
Okay, it's not really new - more refurbished, but damn... when I first saw the room, I was definitely surprised - more so since it was the room I was going ot use for an Achieving Meeting Results training scheduled during the 2nd week of February.
I mean, let's face it... I was blown away by the number of flat screen TVs in the room - after all, who uses these all at the same time, and why? I mean, look at it... and mind you, I was not able to show one more wall - which had at least two more LCDs mounted like what the pictures show.
Honestly? The first thing that came to my mind was 'this is a war room'. I mean, to coordinate with a different person in screen... or to see their presentations or briefings all on display... and let's not forget the wide screen projector at the room's relative front.
Too bad my training here got cancelled - I had too little number of partipants showing up to make the training feasible. Oh well... next time.
Detailed Design anyone?
The trainings held February 21 to 24 were actually two sets of Application Component Detailed Design. This was done in Cybergate 2, 10th floor with 24 people in a room too tight for such a class size. My partner for these two back-to-back conducts was none other than Fiel Javier.
The trainings held February 21 to 24 were actually two sets of Application Component Detailed Design. This was done in Cybergate 2, 10th floor with 24 people in a room too tight for such a class size. My partner for these two back-to-back conducts was none other than Fiel Javier.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Direction shift...
I noticed that of all my blogs, this seemed to be the least dynamic in terms of content updates - or for that matter, looks. Ironic... since I spend a great part of my time being a facilitator, coach or leader. So what gives?
Guess in my everyday goings-on with my work I have failed to consider what may be interesting for me - or others... at least, interesting enough to blog about, anyway. Maybe in my 'been there, done that' mentality, I miss out of opportunities to express certain events.
That said, here's what I'll try and do... I'll infuse this with a little more everyday training, facilitating, coaching relates stuff... most likely, I'll place in pictures of what I'm doing (or what my co-facilitators are doing). That way I have reason to update this more often and hopefully, others get to a glimpse of my life in these dimensions.
I noticed that of all my blogs, this seemed to be the least dynamic in terms of content updates - or for that matter, looks. Ironic... since I spend a great part of my time being a facilitator, coach or leader. So what gives?
Guess in my everyday goings-on with my work I have failed to consider what may be interesting for me - or others... at least, interesting enough to blog about, anyway. Maybe in my 'been there, done that' mentality, I miss out of opportunities to express certain events.
That said, here's what I'll try and do... I'll infuse this with a little more everyday training, facilitating, coaching relates stuff... most likely, I'll place in pictures of what I'm doing (or what my co-facilitators are doing). That way I have reason to update this more often and hopefully, others get to a glimpse of my life in these dimensions.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Sharpening the Saw... but at what price?
When you think about it, what makes Corporate Trainers marketable is the fact that they are resources... fonts of wisdom and knowledge. The thing is, we may not necessarily have all the purported experience offered... nor the knowledge that comes with the introduction of new ideas. I mean, just who can ever keep up with the many changes, innovations and permutations from these ideas? No one can... unless you're tapping into a group-mind of innovative tribes, you... me... we all can't subscribe to all new ideas... sift through the bull crap and filter out the gems of wisdom.
But that never means we don't try. It certainly does not mean we simply concede the fact and say... 'Well... I tried. Then wave the white flag. Nope... I'm not suggesting this at all' Instead, I - and anyone who wishes to really pursue being a Corporate Trainer, need to 'sharpen my saw' whenever I can.
But how much must we spend to do just that? Many seminars offered by certain institutions ask you to pay an arm and a leg... heck, even a torso, to attend their trainings - guaranteeing you to learn the latest technique, familiarize yourself with the newest 'best practice' and being in this business, I wonder why the price need be so steep? Really... are they selling 'gold'?
The same goes with books. Some are rather costly; though in this department, I at least can peruse it's table of contents - maybe even a chapter or two, before I decide whether the content are worth the price. Some are references to have... tools to tap into - others give wisdom, allow us to consider alternate ideas - sometimes, even jump at 'conventional wisdom' in the face and prove to us that it wasn't really wisdom... or in some cases, not the only path to meet one's goals.
Yesterday, I bought a book - probably one of the more expensive ones I've had the opportunity to get - and it wasn't exactly new. If anything, it was all about conventional wisdom by people known to be the trailblazers in their respective specialties - put together to give anyone getting the book a 'bible' on Project Management.
The thing is, I'm not new to the concepts... heck, I've known about PM since the mid-80's... okay, maybe I exaggerate - mid 90's would be more believable, but I kid not about knowing some of the tools used, as early as the mid 80's. And it's not as if I have not been handling PM trainings these past years... I do... at least once a quarter. I teach two PM related courses in Accenture. So why did I bother getting the book? To see if there were other skill sets in the book that could help me... ones that Accenture may not be practicing - either intentionally or unintentionally.
I felt that I needed to enrich my knowledge further without having a purely Accenture-centric thought process. Will I use this? Of course I will... when the time comes. Meanwhile, like any trainer worth his (or her) salt, I read more to learn more... to enrich my knowledge and wisdom - to gather materials I can pull from. To sharpen my saw. How much is this worth? In this case, the book cost Php4K, and it was discounted by 20% at that, so aside from the Php1K I saved, I also forsee using the knowledge of this'bible' for a long time to come.
This will pay for itself in about a training or two - so I need not worry. All I needed to think about was how to schedule getting such a book - and in this case, save up - stretch my budget to ensure that I don't 'shoot my foot' budget-wise. And it looks like I could afford the book now... so get it I did. It may cost... but it is an investment - to stay credible; to stay updated; to stay believable.
I'm not saying throw caution to the wind and just buy books with wild abandon - though the idea feels great to me. Nope... Consider the budget... consider the acquisition... and if things feel right, then get the tome. Which is what I did... and I guess, what I'll continue to do.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Successful Conduct:
It's always a nice feeling when a training goes smoothly without a hitch. Even better when you consider that some parts assigned me were things I've not done yet. In this particular training, a topic (Orthogonal Arrays) was something I have never touched sue to the fact that my partner would normally handle it... so no worries on my end - I just had to concentrate on my usual modules.
This particular training, though was different - to begin with, I was not originally part of this, but had to pitch in since Fiel (my usual partner who handled the Orthogonal Arrays part) could not make it for personal reasons - and I had to take his part. Hence the need to cover Orthogonal Arrays.
The problem was, the materials were not really forthcoming with explanations, so I did what Fiel did... read the supporting sites - and what they had to say about Orthogonal Arrays in general and Pairwise (or AllPairs) in particular. Know what? I was right... the slides were poorly organized - and relying on them would have made understanding the topic harder instead of easier - so... I ignored the slides natural flow and focused on how to better explain Orthogonal arrays the way I thought it should be taught.
I did not just get the message across to my participants - but my co-facilitator, Tess, who was very reluctant to handle the Orthogonal part, was able to understand it - and can probably teach it next time as well. So mission accomplished... and then some. As an added treat - what was supposed to be taught in two hours - I covered in half the time. What do you know, I actually pair-wised the module - he he he.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
A 1-11-11 epiphany in the middle of carousing:
Last night, I was at the De La Salle Alumni Association kick-off of the De La Salle Centennial celebration - yeah... one of those rare occasions that I'm actually out drinking with old batchmates in a La Salle event, instead of resting at home after office hours... and somewhere during said celebration - as the Hotdog band was playing, a batchmate strikes up a conversation with me.
having seen my Facebook pictures, he realized what I've been doing and was just all praises with people like me... after all, being a trainer was - in his words, not easy... as we had to do our work by making whatever we taught interesting and engaging. He even asked if this has given me more respect for our teachers of old... and yes, I had to... and have to agree. Our teachers of old were really imbued with a lot of patience (and more to spare) to be able to tolerate and mold our batch into who we eventually became.
Maybe none of them would match the profound relationship of a teacher-student like that of Morrie (of Tuesdays with Morrie fame) with me... but I can't deny their help... and influence. Granted there were forgetful ones - just as there are self-proclaimed trainers who believe they're good too - but this is not about the forgetful ones... this is about the teachers (and trainers) that get to inspire others... that make like (be it as a student or corporate worker) better for others - the molders... the empowerers (I know... there may not be such a word - but hey, this is my blog.
Anyway - that little conversation made me realize how others may see me as well... and I would have to thank my batchmate Jason Lim for reminding me... for pointing this out... I guess in my everyday role, I forget about these things... the regular becomes the mundane, the mundane becomes ignored or taken for granted - and I was taking my role... my job... for granted, without knowing such. Again... thanks Jason!
I felt a bit better after our talk... and I do like to reminisce about some of our teachers. how they've helped... how they've inspired - and yes, how patient they were. I just hope that in my own way; with what I'm doing, I somehow pass on a legacy of learning and inspiring to others. I know I did... no question about that - I hope I still do.
Should life throw me a curve ball and I leave training... I know I have great communicating skills - thanks to my years as a corporate trainer.
Last night, I was at the De La Salle Alumni Association kick-off of the De La Salle Centennial celebration - yeah... one of those rare occasions that I'm actually out drinking with old batchmates in a La Salle event, instead of resting at home after office hours... and somewhere during said celebration - as the Hotdog band was playing, a batchmate strikes up a conversation with me.
having seen my Facebook pictures, he realized what I've been doing and was just all praises with people like me... after all, being a trainer was - in his words, not easy... as we had to do our work by making whatever we taught interesting and engaging. He even asked if this has given me more respect for our teachers of old... and yes, I had to... and have to agree. Our teachers of old were really imbued with a lot of patience (and more to spare) to be able to tolerate and mold our batch into who we eventually became.
Maybe none of them would match the profound relationship of a teacher-student like that of Morrie (of Tuesdays with Morrie fame) with me... but I can't deny their help... and influence. Granted there were forgetful ones - just as there are self-proclaimed trainers who believe they're good too - but this is not about the forgetful ones... this is about the teachers (and trainers) that get to inspire others... that make like (be it as a student or corporate worker) better for others - the molders... the empowerers (I know... there may not be such a word - but hey, this is my blog.
Anyway - that little conversation made me realize how others may see me as well... and I would have to thank my batchmate Jason Lim for reminding me... for pointing this out... I guess in my everyday role, I forget about these things... the regular becomes the mundane, the mundane becomes ignored or taken for granted - and I was taking my role... my job... for granted, without knowing such. Again... thanks Jason!
I felt a bit better after our talk... and I do like to reminisce about some of our teachers. how they've helped... how they've inspired - and yes, how patient they were. I just hope that in my own way; with what I'm doing, I somehow pass on a legacy of learning and inspiring to others. I know I did... no question about that - I hope I still do.
Should life throw me a curve ball and I leave training... I know I have great communicating skills - thanks to my years as a corporate trainer.
I've been reading the book 'Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs' since last month - not that it's a boring read... on the contrary, it is interesting read (though at times it can come across as if the author is almost too much of a Steve fan... just almost), and the observations are head on accurate, too... it's just that the Christmas season forced me to sidetrack reading the book. Well, the past two days allowed me to catch up on my reading... so what was I trying to say before I got distracted?
Yes, well... the book does indeed give insights to how Steve presents - in an almost blow-by-blow (or in this case, presentation slide by slide analysis, which really scrutinized Steve's style. Heck, if has definitely given me insight to Steve's techniques and preparation techniques. Now why is this important?
For many, Steve Jobs is not just Apple's icon - he's one great presenter. His talks are viewed by many - not just live... but through YouTube as well (and lucky for me that the latter is available), and his style is worth studying... even emulating (in some instances - though I don't think I can get away with long sleeved black turtlenecks and jeans as my presentation wardrobe... but then again, I have not tried that yet.
Thing is, you don't need the book to watch Steve talk... but the book gives anyone reading it insight... it makes one focus on a few things in Steve's talks... and it has awakened the presentation designer in me... veering away from the default (and lazy thought process of) Powerpoint bulleted lists.
Of course, I don't see myself doing Steve-like presentations any time soon - but that does not mean I'll stop thinking about making these improvements whenever I see or need to use 'death by Powerpoint' designed slides. Yup... thanks to the book, I'm more aware... and likewise, thanks to the book, I had to rethink a few 'traditional practices' that we're asked to use when lecturing/presenting. In fact, the book has made me want to revisit a few presentations that I have created - and if only I had access to a time machine, I'd go back and do said presentations better.
As I said... I don't see myself doing these any time soon - but first chance I get... I will present using Steve's presentation style. BTW... it seems I already do some of these things. Good to know too.
Yes, well... the book does indeed give insights to how Steve presents - in an almost blow-by-blow (or in this case, presentation slide by slide analysis, which really scrutinized Steve's style. Heck, if has definitely given me insight to Steve's techniques and preparation techniques. Now why is this important?
For many, Steve Jobs is not just Apple's icon - he's one great presenter. His talks are viewed by many - not just live... but through YouTube as well (and lucky for me that the latter is available), and his style is worth studying... even emulating (in some instances - though I don't think I can get away with long sleeved black turtlenecks and jeans as my presentation wardrobe... but then again, I have not tried that yet.
Thing is, you don't need the book to watch Steve talk... but the book gives anyone reading it insight... it makes one focus on a few things in Steve's talks... and it has awakened the presentation designer in me... veering away from the default (and lazy thought process of) Powerpoint bulleted lists.
Of course, I don't see myself doing Steve-like presentations any time soon - but that does not mean I'll stop thinking about making these improvements whenever I see or need to use 'death by Powerpoint' designed slides. Yup... thanks to the book, I'm more aware... and likewise, thanks to the book, I had to rethink a few 'traditional practices' that we're asked to use when lecturing/presenting. In fact, the book has made me want to revisit a few presentations that I have created - and if only I had access to a time machine, I'd go back and do said presentations better.
As I said... I don't see myself doing these any time soon - but first chance I get... I will present using Steve's presentation style. BTW... it seems I already do some of these things. Good to know too.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Technical Training Overload? Maybe so...
You see, these past months, I have been assigned to handle technical trainings a whole lot more than Professional Development ones - my week would normally consist of either Testing-related courses (of which there are at least four (4) different trainings around it; Application Analysis (one of my favorites), Application Design & Detailed Design - two separate courses that I have recently been conducting, though I am not fully comfortable handling alone, and Project Management - technically speaking those could be three courses, though one is actually a cut version of the other (which actually makes it harder to conduct for having lesser buffer time to work with). Toss in Team Lead School on occasion and you get the near complete list of such technical trainings I handle (usually with a partner) in Accenture.
These courses cover almost the whole Systems/software development life cycle of your usual custom development - and yes, i sometimes am asked to delve into the design school for packaged applications as well... another conduct I am not too familiar with due to it's delving in SAP, an application I have little knowledge about... but with my partners either being Gina or Fiel, I get to make do with these conducts too.
Of my monthly schedule, I would be lucky to have a Professional Development course conduct - say, once every two weeks. Because of this, you could say that this has made me look forward to such trainings, since I tend to miss conducting them. The simple matter is that they are easier to handle, more personal and allow a stronger connection with the participants - not that we don't achieve a similar connection with the technical courses... but at the end of the day the Professional development trainings are less logically rigorous - thus, less difficult to get across. It is for these same reasons that I find the Technical courses more tiring (thank goodness for having a partner to conduct them with), while the Professional Development courses could be done by me alone and I would feel less drained... maybe because I really do enjoy them more.
At the end of the day, however, it is these Technical courses that have made me more or less, a regular fixture in Accenture this year - and have given me some comfort in terms of being able to 'bring home the bacon', so as you can see, I won't really complain about them. I guess it can be seen as a testament of sorts to my capabilities, that I can be equally home in either type of conduct. It has been that way since my I/ACT days... it still continues to help me now.
Still, I do look forward to these soft-skills trainings... if for anything else, they give me a break form all the technical conducts. If there is any silver lining to my current situation, I stay relevant in the I.T. business - heck, maybe even more so than I started out a few years ago. After all, back then I had some cursory knowledge of Testing principles - but my knowledge back then is incomparable to what I can teach about the topic now. So yeah... when viewed that way, I could say I am improving and am not stagnant.
Looking forward... it seems that Fiel and I will be launching the new version of the company's Application Analysis - a five (5) day conduct, as compared to the older three (3) day course. Embedded here will be the newer versions of their methodology - which houses their best practices. So once again, we learn newer stuff before most of their staff - both local and global it seems. Based on this pilot, possible adjustments for improvements will be considered.
Imagine that...
You see, these past months, I have been assigned to handle technical trainings a whole lot more than Professional Development ones - my week would normally consist of either Testing-related courses (of which there are at least four (4) different trainings around it; Application Analysis (one of my favorites), Application Design & Detailed Design - two separate courses that I have recently been conducting, though I am not fully comfortable handling alone, and Project Management - technically speaking those could be three courses, though one is actually a cut version of the other (which actually makes it harder to conduct for having lesser buffer time to work with). Toss in Team Lead School on occasion and you get the near complete list of such technical trainings I handle (usually with a partner) in Accenture.
These courses cover almost the whole Systems/software development life cycle of your usual custom development - and yes, i sometimes am asked to delve into the design school for packaged applications as well... another conduct I am not too familiar with due to it's delving in SAP, an application I have little knowledge about... but with my partners either being Gina or Fiel, I get to make do with these conducts too.
Of my monthly schedule, I would be lucky to have a Professional Development course conduct - say, once every two weeks. Because of this, you could say that this has made me look forward to such trainings, since I tend to miss conducting them. The simple matter is that they are easier to handle, more personal and allow a stronger connection with the participants - not that we don't achieve a similar connection with the technical courses... but at the end of the day the Professional development trainings are less logically rigorous - thus, less difficult to get across. It is for these same reasons that I find the Technical courses more tiring (thank goodness for having a partner to conduct them with), while the Professional Development courses could be done by me alone and I would feel less drained... maybe because I really do enjoy them more.
At the end of the day, however, it is these Technical courses that have made me more or less, a regular fixture in Accenture this year - and have given me some comfort in terms of being able to 'bring home the bacon', so as you can see, I won't really complain about them. I guess it can be seen as a testament of sorts to my capabilities, that I can be equally home in either type of conduct. It has been that way since my I/ACT days... it still continues to help me now.
Still, I do look forward to these soft-skills trainings... if for anything else, they give me a break form all the technical conducts. If there is any silver lining to my current situation, I stay relevant in the I.T. business - heck, maybe even more so than I started out a few years ago. After all, back then I had some cursory knowledge of Testing principles - but my knowledge back then is incomparable to what I can teach about the topic now. So yeah... when viewed that way, I could say I am improving and am not stagnant.
Looking forward... it seems that Fiel and I will be launching the new version of the company's Application Analysis - a five (5) day conduct, as compared to the older three (3) day course. Embedded here will be the newer versions of their methodology - which houses their best practices. So once again, we learn newer stuff before most of their staff - both local and global it seems. Based on this pilot, possible adjustments for improvements will be considered.
Imagine that...
Sunday, May 23, 2010
I know... it's been a while since I posted here. Guess I have been too busy with work and other stuff, that sometimes I just forget thinking of work-related stuff I can share. Ah well... here's where I rectify that.
2010 (and using this year as an introduction to my blog in the middle of May just shows how long it's been) has been okay for me. I find myself busy at Accenture conducting trainings for them - more specifically, Coaching, Leadership, Project Management and other technical trainings (like Analysis and Testing)... and just to sort of play catch up, I've decided to post some work-related pictures.
For starters, here's a fairly recent Application Analysis class I handled a few weeks ago - and as classes go, this one was both a challenge (in terms of questions asked) and pleasure to conduct (the personalities were fun and funny to mix and match). In the end, they themselves knew it was an enjoyable session and they even threatened to enroll en mass to the next training on their list. Special mention to Hazel - despite being a manager (or because of that - for stress relief purposes) she was down to earth (no haughtiness at all) and even led with the funny moments.
Then we have another similar Analysis training - this time, the picture is of Lovern, conducting her very first training in both Analysis and Accenture - apparently with a little nudge from my end.
How did she do? She was well received, so yeah... she seems to be a natural for this type of work.
Then there are the Coaching trainings that I have been facilitating lately as well - they are a welcome break from purely technical weeks. Here's a picture I got of my participants practicing a coaching session on each other. He he... if I did not know better, I'd think that this was a quick dating game. Of course, it would look a bit awkward to some that if this really were a dating game, what are two gentlemen doing there? I'd probably say then... "Welcome to the 21st century." - but of course, this isn't the case. Nope... this is just one of the many activities in the Coaching training.
Lastly (at least, for now) we've a coaching session I conducted just two days ago - this in tandem with Gina because of the class size (24 participants - where the normal size would be 12 pax)In other words, it could have easily been two classes - I've a slight worry regarding classes too large... as it lessens the focus, and thus lessens the quality. Ah well, despite that little fact, this session was fun to have - since the participants were likewise game.
Too bad I had to leave them around 4pm - with just about an hour left of conduct time, as I was suddenly needed to help Marimel out in another training - this time, Presentation skills oriented. Over all, I worked for 12 hours that particular day... but I didn't mind. As I said - it's a welcome break form the technical stuff.
2010 (and using this year as an introduction to my blog in the middle of May just shows how long it's been) has been okay for me. I find myself busy at Accenture conducting trainings for them - more specifically, Coaching, Leadership, Project Management and other technical trainings (like Analysis and Testing)... and just to sort of play catch up, I've decided to post some work-related pictures.
For starters, here's a fairly recent Application Analysis class I handled a few weeks ago - and as classes go, this one was both a challenge (in terms of questions asked) and pleasure to conduct (the personalities were fun and funny to mix and match). In the end, they themselves knew it was an enjoyable session and they even threatened to enroll en mass to the next training on their list. Special mention to Hazel - despite being a manager (or because of that - for stress relief purposes) she was down to earth (no haughtiness at all) and even led with the funny moments.
Then we have another similar Analysis training - this time, the picture is of Lovern, conducting her very first training in both Analysis and Accenture - apparently with a little nudge from my end.
How did she do? She was well received, so yeah... she seems to be a natural for this type of work.Then there are the Coaching trainings that I have been facilitating lately as well - they are a welcome break from purely technical weeks. Here's a picture I got of my participants practicing a coaching session on each other. He he... if I did not know better, I'd think that this was a quick dating game. Of course, it would look a bit awkward to some that if this really were a dating game, what are two gentlemen doing there? I'd probably say then... "Welcome to the 21st century." - but of course, this isn't the case. Nope... this is just one of the many activities in the Coaching training.
Lastly (at least, for now) we've a coaching session I conducted just two days ago - this in tandem with Gina because of the class size (24 participants - where the normal size would be 12 pax)In other words, it could have easily been two classes - I've a slight worry regarding classes too large... as it lessens the focus, and thus lessens the quality. Ah well, despite that little fact, this session was fun to have - since the participants were likewise game.
Too bad I had to leave them around 4pm - with just about an hour left of conduct time, as I was suddenly needed to help Marimel out in another training - this time, Presentation skills oriented. Over all, I worked for 12 hours that particular day... but I didn't mind. As I said - it's a welcome break form the technical stuff.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
I have, of late, been posting a lot of Leadership-related articles in Facebook. I do this as a way to share what I stumble upon during my surfing the net... both as a way to keep track of them later, and letting my friends (at least, those following me in FB) in on the articles.
At first, I thought it was a relatively thankless job (although technically, it isn't a job, since I'm not being payed for doing this) - but you get the meaning of the expression. Then suddenly a friend (whom I've not yet met) asked me when my next sharing would be... and a classmate/batch mate gave me his thanks for the lessons I was sharing. Well, since then, I've made a more conscious effort to seek out these articles and see who likes them.
The point is, I learn by reading these articles - then decide if it's worth sharing - or not. If you've not been read any of said articles, try looking at my FB site... let me know what you think.
At first, I thought it was a relatively thankless job (although technically, it isn't a job, since I'm not being payed for doing this) - but you get the meaning of the expression. Then suddenly a friend (whom I've not yet met) asked me when my next sharing would be... and a classmate/batch mate gave me his thanks for the lessons I was sharing. Well, since then, I've made a more conscious effort to seek out these articles and see who likes them.
The point is, I learn by reading these articles - then decide if it's worth sharing - or not. If you've not been read any of said articles, try looking at my FB site... let me know what you think.
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