When You Learn a New Skill
When I was a little girl, I used to play at Cherry Park. There was a bandstand at this park, and I spent hours on that bandstand pretending to be in front of an audience. I started off dancing on that bandstand (see photo above), but I knew that one day, I would be a public speaker. I had no idea what I was going to SAY in front of said audience, but that didn’t stop me from believing that one day, I would speak in front of audiences all over the world.
Today, many moons later, I have met that goal, and I continue to speak in front of groups on a regular basis. I love doing that work. However, I find myself missing working with my individual companies and clients. I miss the camaraderie. I miss getting to know the teams of people and seeing where and how they work. I miss watching the dynamics play out. And I really miss watching my clients have light bulb moments in their searches.
Don’t get me wrong: I am so glad that I learned how to present in front of groups of people. I am so proud of myself for graduating from Mikki Williams’ Speaker School and working hard to be a professional speaker. And, I am especially glad to be able to offer a training service to my clients. I think it has made me a better consultant.
Learning a new skill makes your employees more versatile and well-rounded, and this is why you MUST invest in professionally developing your people. The benefits of professional development go WAY beyond what you think it might: it boosts your employees’ confidence and makes them more willing to contribute. Developing ancillary skills will not only help your employee with their everyday job, but it also gives them self-assuredness to branch out in other areas. Win/Win
Yes, I am still on the bandstand. I am also behind the scenes supporting other peoples’ bandstand moments. How can I help support yours?
POWER THOUGHT: Support your employees’ bandstand dreams, because in turn, they will help support yours.