I am passionate about my work. I get excited about the potential for inspiring people to create change through my presentations around person-centred practices. I have never been a fan of public speaking but when I get to share these messages I am not shy at all to get up in front of groups and talk for hours. It's not the status of being a "good trainer/facilitator" that is fulfilling (although flattering) its about the message and people taking the message and creating action.
Recently, I delivered four of the exact same training session in two days to four different groups of agency staff. The training was around Person-Centred Thinking and ensuring that we understand the importance and value of making this mindset habit when supporting people in any human service area.
The first three sessions went really well, people were engaged, participated and truly had some aha moments leaving them with great ideas for action for the future. The fourth group left me deflated. For the first time in all the years I have done this I wondered "why am I standing here doing this?"
Was it my facilitation style? Was it because it was an evening session? Was the room too hot? Why could I not get through to this group who work for the same agency as the past three groups?
I was watering rocks!
These were not bad people. They were having fun and seemed to enjoy each other in conversation. They just had ZERO interest in what I was saying (well 75% of them anyway). WHY?
They were told that attendance was mandatory.
They were all casual staff who picked up possibly one shift a month.
They were staff that have no investment in the agency they work for.
Simply put, they did not care what I had to say, they just wanted the 2 hour session over with and they wanted the food that they anticipated would be provided but it was not. They want to satisfy any mandatory requirements to keep their casual job for the extra cash. It was up to the full time people to worry about what my message was.
I was watering rocks!
These people, as every human, have amazing talents, abilities, gifts and capacities in some area of life or many. I am sure they are human service workers because they are passionate about helping people. Also, as every other human, they were thinking about the "what about me" question we always ask; "what will I gain from doing this?" The gain for them was not to see people live fulfilling lives with their own choice and control it was to meet mandatory requirements to keep their jobs and get a free meal. They were hired based on education, competency, experience in the field.
As I stood there attempting to get their attention so I could help them see the importance of this work I got more and more frustrated with them. When it was over I realized I needed to ask myself the question "why am I doing this?" I have great intentions and I share my message well but how many people actually leave and use what I teach them. A small percentage. Training is a wonderful thing to motivate people but it can't be offered as mandatory, it must be accessed on interests, values and passion for the subject.
We need to employ people whose values are in line with our purpose, Maybe the neighbour who used to be the garbage man values the work of the organization more than the people who are hired through current hiring approaches. Value based recruitment, get people who value your mission, value your purpose and are truly invested in seeing success. Better still be sure that the work you do is in line with your values, this will have a domino effect on your wellness.
Stop watering rocks, find the flowers and give them nourishment to bloom. And don't forget to fertilize yourself along the way.
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