New Day, New Lesson

I sat in on a DiSC certification with a major client and had a marvelous time watching light bulbs go off left and right as a masterful trainer took them to new leadership heights. The participants understood how their outward behaviors had served them well and how they could learn new and exciting things from those they work with and are around every day.

Perhaps the best part of all was the reinforcement that the desire to improve one's leadership skills is very much alive and well in 2009. Many companies have obliterated their training programs and budgets, while others have realized that to do so will leave them with mediocrity at best when the economy turns around and it becomes an employee market once again. That was not lost on the leaders in the class today. They understood their OD department had found value in sharing with them skills and knowledge that will strengthen their teams, increase communication, and bolster morale.

Workplace learning and performance still has ground to gain until we no longer have to battle and fight to demonstrate our ROI. How refreshing it was to know that my high "i" is valued and appreciated, and respected by my client as a driver behind the program that left their leaders refreshed and renewed to head back to the front lines.

Managing Performance?

In getting back from the ICE conference and getting back into the swing of things, it's become apparent that in order to be effective at helping leaders and employees manage their performance, I need to be on my game at managing my own. I got stuck in DC last Wednesday due to cancelled flights and wicked thunderstorms, and found that I am more reliable on my self than originally thought. I found a hotel, arranged a flight home the next day, and settled in for the night.

On the way home, I finished Renee Mauborgne's Blue Ocean Strategy (which I thoroughly enjoyed and immediately began an evangelical sharing with fellow WLP professionals) and started sketching out how I can get out of a red ocean of consulting and get into a blue ocean where competition is irrelevant. Mind you this was done on the back of a barf bag, however what I planned out is already in action and I'm already seeing results.

The kickoff was a call to action for innovation from Dr. Stephen Lundin's CATS: The Nine Lives of Innovation and is being carried forward with the desire to be found in blue ocean. Follow me here and on Twitter and I'll share books, blogs, posts, and all sorts of info that I find as I search high and low for the support to keep moving forward. I feel as if I have one of those jet engines behind me driving me onward. This is only going to get better...

Welcome

I'm at the ASTD ICE conference and one of the themes has been embracing Web 2.0 and social media. So in addition to tweeting like a hummingbird on speed, I've started a blog. I'm heading out to an evening reception, but I'll be updating my session info, people info, etcetera over the next few days to get up to speed and up to date. Welcome aboard!