December 2017 - The FoCuSeD™ Facilitator eNewsletter
Make “People” the Real Next Big Thing! by Gary Rush, IAF CPF
You’re drowning in technology; inundated with work that not only requires engaging with others, but also requires meetings that you find a drag and a waste of time. Technology helps you communicate but it’s at a distance. You send and respond to emails and text messages, but you don’t know if the other person is smiling or recoiling. You read about methods, such as Agile, that promote face-to-face interaction, requiring training in “soft” skills, but you find getting training difficult.
Wouldn’t it be great if everyone in your organization had the skills needed to facilitate interaction? Meetings would be a pleasure to attend because you actually accomplish good work. Even short stand-up meetings are productive. People would work well together because miscommunication would be lessened.
So, let’s do something radical. Why not have everyone in your organization trained in “soft” skills? These people skills cover communication skills needed to correct the problems you encounter. “People” are the single most significant resource of your organization, so why not invest in your future working with people?
When you propose this type of training, cost and time resistance invariably comes up. Your organization wants justification. I’ve documented the value of using facilitated sessions in projects as improving productivity in ¼ the time. If we look at return on individual (ROI), the savings are even greater because not only does productivity and engagement increase, but morale and collaboration improves, innovative ideas are brought to the surface, and risk and responsibility is shared throughout your organization.
Investing in “people” is the single most important investment your organization can make. Just think:
- Meetings will become valuable and productive events.
- Technology then would be a useful tool to support human interaction.
- Your organization will become more agile because business agility relies on people working well together.
We’ve had many “next big things” in technology, such as Augmented Reality, AI, Internet of Things, Big Data, Blockchain, etc., so, instead, let’s do something radical, make “people” the real next big thing! 