Is it time to make time for training and development?
It fills me with joy to see businesses in a position to develop their people again.
This month, I’ve been delivering my Exceptional Service Makes Sense programme (in a beautiful marquee) just outside London. The hotel staff were a pleasure to work with. Their leaders are so committed to taking the time out for training and development. It’s a new hotel and they want to hit the ground running by delivering the highest standards of customer service when they open their doors this summer. They say the best things come to those who wait, and on this evidence it’s absolutely true.
With my mind so focused on work I’ve not had as much time as I’d like to catch up with friends. So at the weekend I made time to make a few calls and re-connect with a couple of people. It felt good to take time for the important things in life and I’m glad I did it.
Everything in life and work takes time. Sometimes we have to accept it’s not possible to do everything. Even when you manage your time well, there still isn’t enough time to do everything you want to do now. Plus, when someone tells you to be patient, it only makes you even more impatient!
We have half the year left!
Isn’t it shocking that 2021 is already half gone.
Now there are six months left to accomplish the goals you set out at the beginning of the year!
The one goal I have accomplished is writing my book, which is driven by my ambition to encourage all UK businesses (and why not the world!) to become renowned for exceptional customer service. My challenge for the rest of the year will be to launch it and encourage people to read it and implement the guidance. If you’re interested in getting your team involved, please message me.
A personal commitment
Since Zest for Life came to life over a decade ago, marketing has always been one of my biggest time challenges. Thank goodness I found someone to support me in this area! With the right support in place, I use pockets of time in between clients to carry out my marketing actions.
At a recent coaching session I realised that I genuinely enjoy marketing. I intend to learn how to take the time to make this happen as part of my life. I need to hone my skills, broaden my knowledge and change my attitude towards this activity with the intention of making a bigger splash out there about Zest for Life and how it can help individuals and teams become exceptional in all they do.
What do you find you have insufficient time for? How will you commit to improving your skills, knowledge, attitude or behaviour in this area during the second half of the year? Message me if I can help.
Taking time out for personal development
The value of taking time for training has been magnified by the new addition to our family, Fizz our Whippet puppy. Way before we brought her home, I was very clear about the skills, knowledge and behaviour I’d like her to show. These outcomes drive the time we spend together. It’s up to me to show her the right way to behave.
I’m not for a second comparing dogs with humans, however the principle of training and nurturing is the same. It’s very similar to growing plants. You can nurture and tend to them but you have to allow them time to flourish and grow. Up to now I think Fizz and I are doing well. She’s on the right track. We made some significant progress when I let her off her lead at the dog park last weekend!
I’m pretty pleased with the time I’ve spent on my own development since lockdown. Joining webinars and discussions, facilitating online workshops, listening to podcasts, engaging with a coach, reading books and trade magazines has been enriching. I’ve picked up some handy hints and tips that will help me to become even more effective.
What will you do differently?
True professionals take ownership of their personal development, making sure their skills, knowledge and behaviour are up to date. Dedicating time to training and development can be tricky and finding budget sometimes even more so. Yet training, coaching and development is vital if you want to challenge the status quo and improve yourself and your team.
Is it time you stopped to think about how to become even better at delivering your product or service to your highly valued customers?
I would love to hear how you aspire to develop, and if we can support you to achieve your goals with one of our training programmes, even better!