by Steve Marriott
Have you ever noticed how the euphoria and commitment created within a learning event often rapidly disappears as soon as we leave the training venue and return to ‘the real world’? Yes, that world where all those ideas you created, all the inspiration you felt and all the actions you committed to hit a barrier when your boss says something like:
‘That’s okay in theory BUT…’ or worse
‘Back from your jolly, now are you?’
How is it that these few words can destroy even the most inspired optimism, returning us to the compliant masses and assigning the event you’ve just experienced to the ‘nice time’ file in your memory.
Much research has been done by the likes of Detterman and Sternberg into the transfer of learning and yes I agree that the reaction of the learner’s line manager is important. But…
Who is your REAL Line Manager?
I have the pleasure of working with many, many people who have achieved success beyond their dreams in so many arenas both at work and at home. The key factor? Success comes easier to those who take responsibility. They stop pointing fingers and blaming ‘them’ and step up to the plate, honouring their own internal line manager and reclaiming their lives.
We all have the ability to choose. Every second of every minute of every day. We can choose to listen to ‘common wisdom’ and go along with the crowd or we can choose to do what REALLY matters, what’s REALLY important.
“The only person standing between you and the success you desire is the person who stares back at you from the mirror.”
We are surrounded by people who with the best of intentions will use ‘common wisdom’ to protect us from failure. If your commitments and dreams of success can be brushed aside by a few well meaning words of ‘reality’ then how committed were you in the first place?
Call to action
- What commitments did you make at your last learning event? If you have to dig them out to refresh your memory then how committed are you REALLY?
- What promises have you made to yourself or others? What actions and dreams have you relegated to the back-burner recently?
- How committed ARE you to your goals? If your answer is ‘not much’ then check in with your real line manager and get committed – OR forget them and find something you really are committed to.
- Do something or do nothing – it’s your choice and no one else’s.
Contact us at tips@kaizen-training.com for Steve’s FREE Five Questions for Success.
