Permission Granted?
Last Friday I launched my first subscription to a paid AI Model. Though admittedly behind the curve, I look forward to learning and growing in this space.
In September I spent a full day under the tutelage of a master facilitator honing my craft. Last week it was two-and-a-half days of training in Chicago (travel, hotel, etc…).
And that’s just a sampling.
Never before have I been more convinced of our need as leaders to be in a constant state of intentional development.
Personally, I believe it is critical to my survival – as a leader, as an executive coach, as a facilitator, as a business owner, as a pastor, as a husband…
…as an increasing ‘value add’ to the world around me.
But in order to do this, I must give myself ‘permission’ to not be actively productive for a measurable portion of my time.
As the owner of my business (and my calendar), I can do that.
If you are the owner of your business (and your calendar), you can do the same.
But do you?
Do you give yourself ‘permission’ to invest significant time, effort, and resources to prepare yourself for the world of tomorrow?
(Side note: Our Convene teams dedicate, at minimum, one day a month to intentional development as executive leaders, which I believe is one of the reasons why 85% of Convene members outperform the companies in their industry!)
Let’s take this idea one step further.
How do you feel about giving your employees significant time, effort, and resources to develop themselves for the world of tomorrow?
Not on their time. On yours.
Not just once a year. Or once a quarter. Or once a week.
Back when I was an employee, the prevailing wisdom was that professional development was expected to be done on your own time.
Work hours were strictly reserved for productivity.
I was given time to attend a conference here and there. But beyond that, if I wanted to truly develop myself, it was on me.
In the midst of raising a family, serving my community, engaging with my church, maintaining my home, and ‘all the things’ that fall under the heading of adulting, it was up to me to figure it out.
Have we evolved yet as business leaders that are positioned to have an impact on this old school MO?
Do we understand and appreciate how much more valuable a developing person is to our organization – let alone to themselves and to our world?
What would it look like to normalize regular, intentional development in the workplace?
Providing a workshop or training once a quarter would be a stretch for some, but it’s a start.
How about dedicated, calendared R&D time – not for a project, but for a person?
What if it became ‘normal’ to see someone reading a development book at their desk?
Not on a break. Not on a lunch. But during a regularly scheduled calendar-blocked development time.
This would be an extreme position for many – leaders and employees alike.
But why?
Because we don’t feel we have permission in the workplace to not be actively productive for any measurable portion of time.
What would it look like to change that mindset – to build a culture that says, “Permission granted!” when it comes to development?
I realize this can be a tough bridge to cross. But with the pace of change today, how can we expect our organizations to keep up if we don’t give them permission to do so?
Something to think about, anyway. Blessings to you all!
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This Week’s Resource Recommendation:
"Who Moved My Cheese?"
– Spencer Johnson, M.D.
The world is changing quickly – arguably faster than it ever has before – which means the cheese is on the move as well. This week’s resource is a classic for a reason.
From Amazon: Who Moved My Cheese? uses a simple parable to reveal profound truths about dealing with change so that you can enjoy less stress and more success in your work and in your life.
It would be all so easy if you had a map to the Maze.
If the same old routines worked.
If they'd just stop moving "The Cheese."
But things keep changing...
Most people are fearful of change, both personal and professional, because they don't have any control over how or when it happens to them. Since change happens either to the individual or by the individual, Dr. Spencer Johnson, the coauthor of the multimillion bestseller The One Minute Manager, uses a deceptively simple story to show that when it comes to living in a rapidly changing world, what matters most is your attitude.
MMS 24-16
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Blessings to you, my friend!
