Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Spring Resolution

I just completed day 2 of 5 all day training workshops. I'm being trained on how to be a better trainer. And if you think that sounds dry, try this on for size. Last week, I attended Process Training for Process Management.

You'd think I just stepped into a Dilbert strip.

But here's the thing. These trainings are good. I mean, really good. And i'm not just saying that because the boss reads my blog.

Today, we learned about the high cost of instructor-led training. On average, an 8-hour training costs 2% of an employee's annual salary. (And this is a 40 hour training, so this no meager investment). But Terrence, our trainer, offered this conversation he once had with a client:

"But what if I train them and they leave?"
"What if you don't train them and they stay?"

Which leads me to my true takeaway from all these meetings: I need to improve my skill in asking good questions.

My undergrad degree is in Philosophy which means I ought to know how to ask good questions. There was a time when I could. But, quite frankly, I've gotten lazy. My mind is a muscle and I'm not exercising it they way I need to produce the results I want. This year alone, I've read nearly 3,000 pages of a vampire love story (ahh, Edward!) and I feast on a constant diet of Christian non-fiction, but it's not cutting it. One reason why I love school is because it forces me to read good books. In the fall, I was reading the Classics (in theology). It's time to go back.

Kierkegaard, Augustine, St. John of the Cross......I've missed you!

6 comments:

rachel said...

at least you finished the twilight series before coming to this realization. :)

Unknown said...

Whoo-hoo, you read my blog! :)

Keith Seabourn said...

Yes, I'm the boss who reads your blog! And I sent you to the training because you are worth the investment! The training is already paying dividends in your desire to sharpen you mind and ask better questions. Uh-oh! It just occurred to me that I might become a target of those "better questions"! Maybe this training wasn't such a good idea!

Enjoy the rest of the week!

Jon said...

reading that was like yada yada woah Karin read twilight?? yada yada

book 4 was by far my favorite.

Unknown said...

Yeah, the nice thing about school... and if not good books, at least it's being forced to read the stuff you might not otherwise pick up. I kind of miss that about literature classes.

But still, Twilight is a pretty fun distraction. (Also: Team Jacob! :P)

Judi-CAJ said...

Do you just have the best boss ever? I am thankful that he sees you as worth the investment and that he challenges you. I thought you were sort of taking the simpler path of late....which is not much like you.....but everyone needs a break every now and then. I really miss your very inspiring blogs. Love you!