I recently spent 1 1/2 days with a Learning and Development client doing something interesting – facilitating a vision-building and forward-looking planning meeting. It was a very interesting and fruitful exercise, especially given the changes and turnover in that department (and company).
What was the biggest challenge? Getting trainers to rise above the day-to-day tactical (get-it-done reactive mode), and to start thinking strategic and long-term. Sound familiar?
We try to set strategic direction, but often get immersed in firefighting.
So, to remain pro-active and on point, here’s what we did – we distilled the key emphases for the department into three core concepts, and #hashtagged them.
You know about #hashtags, right? It’s how we label things on the internet. But, it turns out, it’s also a very useful memory trick. If we, as a group, can adhere to handful of hashtagged-words instead of long-winded statements, it’s much easier to retain focus, and use those key words as both filter and lens to evaluate upcoming decisions.
One of the hashtags for Impactiviti in 2015 will be #Depth, because I need to find ways to add value at a deeper, more long-term level with my clients. In fact, you’ll find that when I talk with you in the coming months, it won’t just be about the next vendor recommendation. We’ll go deeper, into levels of need that I may be uniquely qualified to meet.
Do you have a set of hashtags for your department for 2015? Maybe that’s the first discussion we can have come January!!
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