Everyone, including me, has questions they are afraid to ask. And instead of asking them and dealing with the answers, we find ways to bury them temporarily. But they are still there and every once in awhile they rear their ugly heads…until we suppress them again – often by getting busy – or busier.
As training and performance consultants – whether internal or external – there are questions we’re afraid to ask. Here are a few:
- Is it possible you have nagging thoughts about how to really improve performance – but intuitively feel the work required would be too overwhelming? And that you don’t have the clout to really pull it off? So why start down that path?
- Are there projects you know that, if implemented, would really skyrocket results? But when would you have time to flesh it out? Or even begin another project? So it gets suppressed, but the thought of it keeps coming back over and over again?
- Are there training programs you currently offer that are screaming to be redesigned? You know there are better ways to get people involved, keep them energized, and help them remember, but there’s just not time to re-work the material—despite knowing that re-working it would be a bigger payoff than the way you currently spend your time.
- Are there other ways you and your people could apply your skill and knowledge that would increase your impact and value to the organization? Whether it’s teaching project management, facilitating meetings, making meetings more effective through increased interaction – but organizing the knowledge or gaining new skills isn’t something you or your team have the energy for right now?
Have you asked yourself these questions? Had these thoughts? Be honest. A part of you knows, if you allow yourself to be quiet, that working on these things would really create a positive impact in the organization.
So do something about it! Make a commitment to spend just five minutes each day exploring one of these questions and jotting down the beginnings of answers. You’ll be amazed at what five minutes a day can do to create momentum that in six months provides answers, plans, projects, and programs that get implemented rather than remain nagging thoughts.
