Sylvia's Journal

Today was all about alignment, or rather, mis or non alignment. Sometimes, in our eagerness to show results or do something (don’t just sit there but do something) we plough ahead leaving those who we are supposed to bring along, behind, chewing on the goodies (trips, per diem, certificates, uniforms, badges, pins, bags) given to them and eventually forgetting all about what they were supposed to do, or even care about. And then we get upset because they don’t seem to care at all, or don’t have the same excitement that we have for whatever it is we are trying to accomplish.

Lots of stuff that is in development plans ends up this way; it gives development a bad rap. This is particularly true for training. And so today was about figuring out how to get people along; how to pass ownership from us to them. There is a common misconception that you can make someone ‘own’ something. I have never seen it happen. I have gotten very good at spotting when that transfer of ownership doesn’t spontaneously take place.

For me the signals are clear. When something remains ‘unclear’ or feet are dragging, work plan upon work plan, strategy upon strategy is developed, meeting after meeting takes place and nothing significantly changes, it’s sure sign that someone in a position of power hasn’t ‘bought in.’ And nothing is owned without buying it first. And nothing is bought without someone selling.

So that brings us back to selling, which is what we do. We sell expertise, we sell solutions, we sell advice, and sometimes we sell hope and encouragement. It’s a very difficult job under any circumstance. Today was one of those days.

A four-day workweek is a good thing, it is weekend now. I can go home in good conscience now that it seems that our hapless travellers are returning home from Dubai in the early morning hours tomorrow; with, I am told, their suitcases.