Hacking Your Future Training and Development
Some of It, Difficult. All of It, Powerful!
The New Normal
In case this isn’t abundantly clear already — you are the sole guardian,
administrator, judge and jury of what training and development you need.
Not HR. Not your boss. Not your company. They will guide you to T&D that
meets their needs, not necessarily yours. Do participate in whatever they
decide is mandatory, but don’t ever confuse that for what T&D is best for you.
Which means…
You’re In Charge of Your Ongoing Assessments
Never take any job or any project without first building your own assessment
toolkit and process. For the rest of your life, you will be responsible for
constantly re-assessing yourself. The best approach seem to be a
combination of…
1. Formal Assessment Tools
Leverage multiple assessments, not just one.
Here’s a sampling to get you started…
• DiSC: Personality
• Meyers Briggs: Personality
• Mind Tools: Leadership
• IMD: Leadership
• Leadership Circle: Leadership
• CCL Skillscope: Manager 360
• ProSpective: Career
• MAPP: Career
• What Color Is Your Parachute: Career
• iMap: Career
• Mind Tools: Communication
• Optimal Thinking: Communication
2. Two Mentors
• One who is twice your age (Or at least someone who is an old soul,
who has the wisdom of two lifetimes in one)
• One half your age (Or at least someone who is twice as daring and
bold and adventurous as you)
• Ask them each for feedback on your strengths and areas that
need improvement
• Compare and combine the results of both
3. Every Project: Seek Feedback
If it’s not automatically built-in, during and at the end of every project, ask
your teammates and/or clients: How was your experience? What could I have
done better? And don’t let them off the hook with easy “puff” responses.
You should be the one who is hardest on yourself. Keep following up until
you get a valuable insight.
Give Yourself Stretch Assignments
1. Seek out at least one project per year that pushes you far beyond
your comfort zone
2. At least once per year, attend an event that pushes you beyond
your comfort zone
3. At least once per year, attend an event that takes you outside
of your area of expertise
4. Continuously, donate time and talents to a cause or event or
group that’s far bigger than you
Publish, Create: Regularly
Not just to promote yourself. Not just to network and be seen. But to
continuously sharpen your unique POV, Point of View. Set a goal for yourself:
Each year, to become bolder or edgier — some form of being a you-ier you.
Simplify and Focus Your Year
One of the best versions of this, that I do every year, is Chris Brogan’s
My Year in 3 Words. An entire year in just 3 words. That will keep you focused!
Journal Online
Fast thoughts, continuous thoughts.
Journal Offline
Deep thoughts, time-out thoughts.
Write Your Eulogy
Or some form of long-term visioning: “At the end of my life, here’s
what I want to be remembered for…”
Some tools to get you started:
• Writing a Legacy Letter
• Eulogy Exercise Tool
• Build a Personal Mission Statement
• Life On Purpose
• David Brooks: TED Talk, Eulogy v. Resume
Then… Bring All That Together and Talk About It
• With your partner and family
• With your teammates
• With your boss/manager
Those conversations are where the magic happens!
You will hear things you never heard before. You will understand and realize
things you never understood or realized. The dots will begin to connect.
You will begin to shape your training and development around your life,
the way you want it to be.
That’s the moment where magic happens! That’s the moment where training
and development just becomes the way you life your life!
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