Tag Archive for: training

I’d love a clue…

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So, I had back surgery yesterday. In the scheme of things, it was relatively minor surgery (no screws, rods, or other hardware were involved), but it’s still something to think about, right?

Of course, I was given instructions about what to anticipate after I returned home. The one admonition I found most amusing was “no BLTs” – no bending, lifting, or twisting.” Gosh, I had a hard time remembering that last one! I could say it’s the drugs that were still in my system that were impairing my memory a bit, but I think it’s because twisting is the least obvious to me.

Honestly, I’m not in much pain, and I thought that pain would be the indicator that I was doing something wrong (“Danger, Will Robinson!”), that reminder that I needed to be sure that I’m doing the right thing—with the awareness of what’s safe and what’s not. I’m not getting that reminder. Doing something naturally—twisting is, well, natural/part of daily living. Lifting less than a gallon of whatever (milk or juice) is easier to remember because lifting heavier things has been hard for me with this back issue. Bending is being at a different orientation to the world… easier to notice.

I find a compelling analogy to my communication and relationships with people. Over the years, I’ve taken my share of courses which, of course (haha) includes readings and exercises and ultimately the integration of the newly learned knowledge, skills, and attitudes. I love developing and delivering training programs for people in the art and science of communication and interpersonal skills. I’m aware of much of what I do. Let’s be clear, though, awareness does not equal perfection or success in these particular areas. I remain human and a “work in progress.”

How do we (you and me) tune in to/remain attuned to cues—within ourselves and with others, in both one-to-one interactions and in groups?

I love these questions and live them every day.

I have a lot of great resources around these topics—my favorites are The Platinum Rule and Non-Violent Communication. If you’re interested in chatting about these, let me know. If you have resources you’d like to share with me, please post them here in the Comments so others can see them. I would really appreciate that. I always want to learn more… and then integrate it into my life.

For me, it’s the journey and the destination

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Over the past few weeks, I’ve had three different types of learning experiences. Reflecting on the processes used and the results brings me insights about myself and the teachers.

In each of these intense experiences, I discovered that the process—what we were doing and how we were set up to do it—was critical to my engagement and feelings. 

A few of my faves from the two dozen paintings…

In the watercolor class (an asynchronous experience/pre-recorded), I noticed that the teacher’s expertise sometimes made her forget to explain or show how she was achieving the results we saw—for example, mixing colors off-camera. While I learned new information and techniques in every lesson and created more than two dozen paintings, the learning just wasn’t enough… 

With the Gaia Music Collective, a pop-up singing experience, we received the sheet music and recordings of the various parts in advance so we could come together having practiced the part with which we were most comfortable. I walked in feeling quite confident that I could step into an experience I’d never had before–singing with over 200 people I had never met and with a Music Director who was unknown to me in the basement of a church in Bushwick. (See the video of our singing here on instagram—it is AMAZING!)

As I sat down for three days of training, I steeled myself for a lot of one-way communication. While there was more of that than I’d like, there was also the most effective uses of Slack I have ever encountered. We were placed at “tables”/in groups and had a host, and perhaps ten times over the five hours per day, we were prompted to respond to questions and to comment on others’ ideas, questions, and suggestions in Slack. I always responded to the prompts (which were an application of what we were learning) and read through others’ responses. Given the group size and the time allotted, I rarely read through more than half a dozen responses (my takeaway was that the group was too large, though I could have read more later). There were also multiple designated channels for the event within Slack which were well hosted—what was going on live/on stage, our takeaways, help, and questions about the upsell. I was impressed. 

All of these process pieces impacted my overall experience and the end result… I

  • wouldn’t take another course from the artist
  • will absolutely go back for more fun with @GaiaMusicCollective
  • have stepped into the next level of work with this company—and I’m excited for the impact on my future!

What about you?
How do the various components of a learning experience affect your final impressions and thoughts? 

In my mind’s eye, I see a teeter-totter… I have learned that I am equally interested in the journey as the destination—which surprises me! I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Learning &  Feedback—for Learners & Trainers (Facilitators & Coaches)

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As a learner, I love sharing my thoughts and feelings about my learning experiences. Giving feedback is a gift.

As a trainer (facilitator and coach), I’m always interested in hearing from those with whom I work. I take people’s thoughts, questions, and future-oriented suggestions very seriously. Receiving feedback is a gift.

How do you ask for feedback and how do you use the information you receive? 

Just last month I attended a multi-day intensive online training. The courses and the speakers varied in their quality—the relevance of the content for the audience, the presenters’ styles of delivery, and group facilitation/engagement skills. Upon completion of the program, I happily filled in the Google Doc/evaluation. I endeavored to be open, honest, and forward-thinking – offering suggestions and alternatives, wherever I noted something I believed could be improved.

Just a few days after completing the evaluation form, I gave a Zentangle class. I have been teaching Zentangle since 2103. I LOVE teaching it as it is almost always a really wonderful experience for everyone.

This time there were a number of variables to work with:

  • the pattern was complicated—more so than usual—almost an optical illusion when finished
  • participants’ skills were at quite a variety of levels of expertise
  • people work at quite different speeds (from slower to faster)

It’s rare for me to complete a session and feel that there are a few things I could’ve done better. I say that because my business is being an educator/teacher/trainer. I’ve studied long and hard to hone my skills over the decades. I am very good at what I do. (I imagine you are very good at what you do too… I don’t believe in false humility, do you?) 

When things don’t go as I plan, and I feel learners could have achieved better results or had a more wonderful time together, I am curious about what I can improve and determined to make it so.

I reached out to the participants the next morning to ask direct and specific questions about their experiences. Happily, I received very thoughtful and helpful feedback. I went to work planning for my next session.

Last night we had another class and it was a resounding success. In part, the patterns that we tackled were not as complex, and yet I had also, perhaps, more importantly, re-imagined and changed my approach based on the feedback received. I also talked to the participants about the difference between the two experiences—I love those meta-cognitive moments!

It feels great to recognize the places where I can grow and change to facilitate and deepen learning experiences for my participants.

Over the years I have observed that feedback is often not requested. Is that your experience too? In those instances, I assume, perhaps incorrectly, that the individual and/or organization do not seek to assess the quality of their work — to discover what is particularly effective and what might need some adjustment. It is disappointing—though only slightly less so than when feedback is requested and then not used to improve experiences. 

Whether you’re a trainer, facilitator, coach, or truly anyone working with others, here’s my question for you: How do you solicit feedback about your work? What do you do with it when you get it? How do you grow and change through the process? I’d love to know!

PS: If you’re interested in tangling/learning about Zentangle, a meditative, relaxing art form, visit this page to learn more, and this page to see the classes that I am offering. 

It’s about the how as much as the what, and definitely the why!

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In my travels over the past few weeks, I’ve met folks who didn’t know me or my work. Answering the question of what I do, sometimes feels challenging!

Have you had that experience? What do you say? How has your response changed over time?

In the (recent) past I would briefly answer, “I teach people to think and draw so they can communicate more effectively” without getting into the details of visualization or bikablo.

My new answer is, “I help people visualize… (Wait, what does that mean?) to express, share, and capture ideas through combining drawings and words, to more effectively communicate.”

When sharing about visualization/Bikablo

It’s about the how…how to

  • hold the marker
  • draw the various types of lines
  • attend to the details
  • create layouts 
  • use color 
  • understand and use the methodology

and the what

Simple planning for the weekend.

Whether we are “talking” to ourselves (planning, strategizing, remembering, creating) or working with others (graphically recording a meeting, event or training, graphically facilitating an experience, coaching, or training) we are clear about our purpose—it is not art. We consciously do it all in service of clear communication.

When talking about Zentangle 

I share with people, “I teach a meditative art form.” (Wait, what does that mean?)

My new answer is, “I help students create beautiful designs through drawing simple, structured patterns. In the process of learning, they gain perspective about their capabilities and a new understanding of themselves.”

By learning the Zentangle method, its philosophy, and drawing techniques, I guide people in discovering their inner artists.

It’s about the how…how to 

  • use the five marks of Zentangle in a variety of combinations 
  • work within guidelines for drawing
  • integrate the philosophy so that it becomes a practice
  • become more mindful, relax and focus
  • breathe and let go when we make mistakes (as we will inevitably do… we are human)

It is an easy shift, for everyone I work with, to understand that we are the artists, the creators of our work and our lives.

As artists/people, we all face challenges— interacting with others, with materials, living within systems, learning and failing, and more. 

 

 

Why do you do what you do? What have you noticed about why you have chosen your work?

I’ve noticed patterns in my life. I have always gravitated toward transformational work—whether it is my personal growth or the needs and desires of those I want to work with or the systems that I believe need to change.

My work continues to evolve—now I seek to be more aware of the inner struggles, learning and growth of individuals… discovering and shining a light on people’s strengths, values, and capabilities, and asking people what supports them through challenges. I find that I can ask these questions no matter the content that I am sharing (or the hat I am wearing).

What is your thinking about your work… the what, the how, and the why?

If I asked you for a brief and rich description of your work and why you do it—what would you say? I’d like to know.

Envisioning the future through reflecting on my past … which is not to say that past is prologue!

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Imagine me running full tilt toward the finish line… that’s how I felt on Tuesday—it’s a vision, right?

I was meeting with the students from the Baruch College Industrial and Organizational Psychology program (MSIO). My mission was to share information about talent development as a field, ATDNYC in particular (as the VP of membership), and address their questions about what the future might hold… i.e., “What if I want to switch fields now that I’ve just graduated?” “How do I narrow my focus, as I love all areas of I/O?”

I had taken on the task of creating a visual of my influences on my path as a visual practitioner. Then, I realized that I had to recognize my foundation—how I even started to think of becoming a visual practitioner—and believed that this information was even more important to the MSIO students. I created a visual of my academic background and training experiences and the key influences in each program.

Of course, I had all kinds of thoughts about the background—literal, metaphorical—and with the clock ticking (my strength of creativity getting in the way again!), I went with a simple yellow/golden pathway… reminiscent of the yellow brick road.

I have plans for the second path or stream, which will intertwine with what I have created already. It will be my journey as a visual practitioner. A third path is brewing in my mind, thanks to my buddy Julia Curtis. I am going to share an abridged list of places of work and my consulting clients to highlight the impact of my education and training. This is more complexity of design than I usually work with… and I both am enjoying it and feel challenged by it.

Over the next few weeks, I will share the ongoing process of creating this multi-path vision, which is beginning to feel like a 3-D drawing…

I hope that you will see this as an opportunity not so much to learn about me but rather an opportunity to ask the same questions of yourself and create your own answers… visually or in writing, perhaps collage. It’s the content that matters—choose a medium that calls to you. I hope you will share your creation with me!

PS: Since the event, several students have been in touch and spoken with me about the power of sharing the visual and my story to help them see possibilities for their futures. Understanding the variety of resources at their fingertips (ATD NYC and other organizations) also made them feel more relaxed and hopeful about receiving the support they want and need.

All materials copyright ©2019 Jill Greenbaum, Ed.D. All rights reserved.