Absolutes in Management…

I have been reading many posts on LinkedIn and various other social media platforms where two absolutes are compared, and readers are encouraged to “think” that one if definitely better than the other.  One example is comparing classroom training with e-learning initiatives or On the Job Training, with people asking: “what is better, x or y?”  You really are comparing apples to oranges in such cases, as each of those initiatives is warranted in certain scenarios, and an absolute cannot be derived. 

I realize that we are in a world driven by bottom lines, and as such, there is a strong drive towards having a specific measure or outcome that will, hopefully, result in the most optimum solution.  Yet I truly find it disturbing to have so many re-posting the infamous “Manager vs. Leader”  articles that circle around Linkedin and Facebook every once in a while.

In an HBR blog entry, John Kotter stresses that these two are “radically different”.  John explains the misconceptions or “mistakes” that people often make in comparing management and leadership, where, for one, management is more about functionality such as planning and budgeting, where leadership is about “people buying in, … empowerment and, most of all, … producing useful change.”

I usually take the “road less travelled by”… so stop thinking in absolutes. You might learn something new!

To Shine or Not to Shine - Who is the true celebrity?

Throughout my training profession, I have encountered many “trainers” that demonstrate an attitude of being the Stars in the classroom.  I have always grinned and internally thought of how much the audience must be bored with a person trying to impress rather than provoke thought.

My latest encounter of a similar kind happened while I was browsing for NLP training providers.  I came across one such trainer, and what captured my attention was the testimonial section of his website, interestingly entitled “Praise for X” where X was the name of the trainer (I could have used a name like Steve or Bob, but I truly fear there might actually be a real Steve who has a “Praise for Steve” Section LOL!  This NLP Trainer is convinced that the true celebrity is him rather than his trainees.  While I completely agree with a testimonials section as an effective marketing tool, I hardly see the benefit of a “Praise for Me” section where the main focus is how fabulous the trainer was, rather than how much learning his attendees have gained.

Hanan Nagi, Founder and CEO of HNI Training and Consulting, a business partner, mentor, and friend of mine, was always keen on making sure the trainers she deals with completely understand the importance of not trying to be the celebrities on a stage towards fame, but rather pass on the honor to their audience, allowing them to shine.  That’s where the real magic happens.