TAILORED TRAINING: THEMES AND LEARNING OJBECTIVES

Personal and work environment: a solid combination?
It's probably a sign of the times: a lot is expected of you. Or, in other words, you demand a lot from yourself. Performing in/with/on your job, career building, your family demands all your attention and then, on top of all that, even if you don't have a family or a partner, there's the assumption that there will be enough time and quality left for social contacts and activities.

Some people seem to have no problem combining all of the above. Naturally, this training program is not intended for them. Other people do have problems keeping it together. It's as if there simply aren't enough hours in a day. You're often left with the feeling of 'not having gotten around to'… Focusing your attention on one thing comes at the expense of another.

Do choices have to be made? Perhaps. But then how do you deal with the subsequent feelings of loss? Or is it possible to live and work in this tension field with more balance and without the feeling of guilt, the idea of coming up short or missing out on important events?

In this training program, we start with the assumption that the latter is possible, that it is possible to make changes without feeling that you are forced to make choices. There is leeway to find your path in all serenity and with a good grasp of the overall picture.

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Getting a grip on your career
Career? Happy you have a roof over your head? Not completely happy with your job? Stuck with the idea you can achieve more than what you're currently getting out of it? Do you have what is, essentially, the right job for you, yet you don't seem to get along with your colleagues or your boss? Do you feel that you can't meet the demands put forth to you? Did you suddenly wake up with the idea: how did I ever end up in this place, in this job and with these people?

That's too bad. Because all of these examples indicate there's a poor match between you, your wishes and expectations and that which your work environment has to offer (based on your experience).

You might have to readjust your expectations and wishes. Of course, there are romantics who, deep down, are simply never contented with where they are. We can explore this in the training program: what would you need for you to be more at ease with your situation?

Perhaps you need to make it more clear to your boss that you are dissatisfied, and to develop the necessary skills which will enable you to better influence your surroundings. You can see to it personally that your wishes correspond to reality: what would you need for you to be able to influence your work environment more effectively?

We can also deal with the other side of things: how you can get a grip on your career in a more proactive way. Maybe there are some subliminal barriers that you yourself put into place and which inhibit your ability to think clearly about the next step? Maybe you're excluding a number of options that, when examined more clearly, actually belong to the possibilities? Who in your inner world usually guides you in making these important decisions? Is it your 'conservative self' or your 'adventurer'? And, after having taken a closer look, who should be the one in charge from now on?

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Learning to intercept: dealing with criticism more effectively
Nobody likes to receive criticism. That's why, in workshops and training programs, we learn to give others criticism appropriately - which we then call feedback. We set up some guidelines on how to do this: clearly indicate which behavior you are addressing and how that behavior affects you. And this works, too. When voiced in this way, it becomes easier for the other to accept criticism.

One of the greatest obstacles within organizational communication remains that people do not address each other sufficiently. I hardly know of any organization where it is common to 'address one another's behavior'. And yet this is commonly found in the organization's set of core values. For example: 'open, honest, reliable'.
This wish is there, along with the necessity, and yet it is not common practice. Where does this discrepancy come from? Because of the fact that in reality, but also in training programs and workshops, oddly enough, no attention (or hardly any) is given to the other side of 'giving feedback': the way in which the receiver deals with criticism.

Which methods are unproductive, and why do we tend to employ these mechanisms? Why is it so tempting to revert to denial or to go on the defensive? What causes you, at times, to feel so small, misunderstood or wronged? And, most importantly, how can you deal with criticism in a different, more productive, and perhaps more creative, way?

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Reacting creatively to tough situations
It's somewhat contrived to go and say that 'every crisis is an opportunity', or that 'problems don't exist, only challenges'. These catchphrases trivialize reality. After all, there can be troublesome situations and problematic events in any (work) environment, situations and events that require attention and, ultimately, a solution. Unchecked and naïve optimism alone will not do the job.

What does help is to abandon old resolution strategies, and whether or not you are able to look at situations with a new set of eyes. In this training program, we start with the assumption that everyone, subconsciously, has a limited take on reality and, therefore, that it is possible to take a different, new look at yourself and your environment.

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Learning to delegate: letting go and starting over
Once you're in a leadership position, it can really get difficult to let the others do the work. Indeed, they don't always do it precisely your way. Sometimes, they seem to have different priorities, yet you're the one left to worry if everything will turn out okay. And, sometimes you're right: the situational leadership theory tells you that, sometimes, you have to be a strong leader and state clearly what you want and how you want it, because, otherwise, things will go wrong. How does one recognize those situations where this style of leadership is needed?

Perhaps you need to admit that you have a really hard time letting go and experiencing that there is, in fact, more than one road that leads to Rome… If this is the case, then what would you need to develop so that you could stand on the sidelines more often? Doesn't that sound like a nice option?

In this training program, we explore these questions and their possible solutions.

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Learning to represent yourself
You're good at your job. As far as job content goes, you know all the ins and outs. Still, every once in a while, they tell you that 'you need to show yourself more often' or that 'you need to demonstrate more seniority'. There's some truth to this, because, sometimes, you notice you're feeling a bit uncomfortable during an MT meeting, or that you're not looking forward to giving a presentation to a group comprised of 'strangers' or 'superiors'. Maybe you also don't like to attend informal gatherings where you're expected to talk about 'the birds and the bees'. You can't fall back on 'knowing all the ins and outs' in that type of situation: it's time to bring out the 'charisma'.

In this training program, we explore what's holding you back and what could make it easier for you to represent yourself.

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Relaxed working: more results, less stress
It is a misconception that quality of work and better results always correlate to the time and effort spent. Take, for instance, the 80-20 rule: 80% of the work can be done in 20% of the time, while the rest of the time is spent on the rest of the work (20%). (This applies to complex tasks and not to routine activities.)

It is a well-known phenomenon that artists, such as painters, 'ruin' their canvases when they don't stop in time. You've probably been there before: without even noticing, you sunk your teeth into putting that piece together. 'I have to finish it now, even if it means burning the midnight oil', or 'It could still use a few more touches'. This type of behavior needs no justification because, after all, there's nothing wrong with working against the clock or delivering a good end product, is there?

However, it's less obvious for people to rationalize time: does it really need to be finished right now? What will happen if it's finished tomorrow? Isn't 'good' good enough? Why can't we aim for an 8 instead of a 10?

Strangely enough, the result and the quality will improve in the long run, in both your work and your life.

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Learning from conflict
Running away or avoiding. Or looking for quick compromises. Or always going on the offensive and winning the battle, but not the war.

Everyone has their own preferred style of dealing with conflicts. And maybe you think your style is the best. Or maybe you think there's no other way to go about it, because 'that's just how you operate'.

Herein, too, lies the possibility to develop more flexibility. Wouldn't it be nicer if you could choose between different approaches? That you could choose how personal or impersonal you're engaged in a conflict. That you could measure how much emotion and how much ratio you put on the line.

In this training program, we explore what you would need to be able to switch between styles more effectively. If necessary, we can also deal with any sleepless nights you may have (had) resulting from conflicts.

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Personal and professional effectiveness
Above are some examples of training programs centered on a specific theme. However, it is also possible to design a training program in which we deal with a variety of learning objectives. Here, 'learning from each other' then becomes an important factor. One person may have difficulty representing himself, while the other is very good at this but also has a hard time letting go or delegating. In this case, you can serve as a mirror for one another. Participants always differ in their learning objectives, but in order for a training program to be successful, their differences should not be too great (age, work experience, work level).

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