I read an interesting article written by Jason Nazar on Forbes.com this week titled“Counter intuitive Things the Most Successful People Do.” I thought it would be interesting to apply these traits to our world of training and development.
Isolate Yourself – to re energize. Many of us corporate trainers that are seemingly extroverts are introverts. If you recharge when by yourself, you need to seek out isolation from time to time.
Purposefully Offend – us corporate trainers are too worried about making everyone happy. Sometimes the only way to get someone’s attention is to call him or her out.
Seek Out Rejection – to get desensitized to the fear of it. Once we lose the fear of rejection we more easily go after what we want, and thus get more of it. Trust me this works!
Ignore Consensus – when your own data and foresight is convincingly contrary to the wisdom of the crowd (like Jobs, MLK, Gandhi). Consensus bonds us together and creates harmony, but it rarely moves us forward. Progress in eLearning sometimes has to come at the hands of an individual’s decisive disruption.
Expect Nothing – in return for helping your peers. Karma points are dispersed unexpectedly over decades, not in a scorecard of dollars.
Quit – those activities you’ll never win at, and take a new swing at the plate.
Self-Sabotage – yourself when you find yourself mired in complacency. In corporate training, don’t ever get too comfortable with the status quo, always be willing to blow it up and start all over again to truly create something better.
Abstain from Work – which others can do for you. Delegate every task that others can do 80% as well as you, and focus on those items that only you can achieve that have big payoffs. For example, hire a custom eLearning developer.
Plot & Scheme – your next couple moves ahead. If you don’t see the whole landscape of the playing field, you’re bound to get your butt kicked. In corporate training, know where you’re going far in advance of making your first move.
Underestimate Demand – for corporate training. Don’t ever assume people want what you got, and you’ll always have the appropriate amount of urgency and hustle to validate what you’re trying to achieve.