Training, Development, and our Capacity for Growth

I’m a sucker for a good motivational one-liner. Over the years, I’ve collected several.

Some of them I remember exactly where I was and how I felt when it first hit me. Others

I have no idea where we first met, or to whom I can give credit for bringing it into my

consciousness. However, I came about them, my lifelong collection of quips, quotes,

mantras and proverbs has become a miniature arsenal in the fight against those heavy

moments in life. Difficult times, difficult choices, difficult tasks I have faced all made a

little more tolerable, a little more possible thanks to a few simple but powerful words.

Here’s one:

“You’re under no obligation today to be the person you were yesterday”. -Attributed to: Alan Watts

I can’t recall where I first heard this – not from Watts himself, our earthly journeys

did not intersect, nor do our tastes in literature. In fact, this isn’t even the exact quote for

which he typically receives credit, but it’s close enough to give him attribution.

The above is tried and true. Tried in the sense that it is one I go to often,

especially as I get older and habits, good and bad, begin to calcify. True in the sense

of…well, look at it. Of course it is. The beauty of this quote is it’s one of those truths

that’s so obviously true it begins to make us feel a little uncomfortable. Is it possible for

something to be a little too true? It’s a reminder that the forces which bind us to our

habits, tendencies, assumptions, and mindsets might not be forces at all – but choices.

Like Wile E. Coyote standing several steps past the edge of the cliff, unaware the

ground is no longer beneath his feet, there might not be anything keeping us where we

are. Like Mr. Coyote, coming to this realization can be uncomfortable.

As a Performance Consultant with Integra, delivering staff and leadership

development training to clients all over the place, the discomfort of this realization is

something myself and my fellow trainers see all the time. As we discuss practical tools

for navigating to the human realities of the workplace, often learners come to the

realization that putting the methodologies into practice requires change; change in

approach, change in standards, change in behavior. As with most change worth making,

it often comes at the cost of comfort. We’re comfortable, and changing creates

discomfort, however temporary.

Whether it’s how we navigate conflict, how we shape and live our personal

brand, how we manage our time, or as managers how we delegate, hold accountable,

or even interview – undergoing a change for the better means choosing discomfort. As

another one of my favorite quotes reminds me: you can either wish you had or be glad

you did. The good news is, Integra can show you how to show up to the workplace a

better version of yourself in hundreds of ways across our 45+-course training catalog.

After that, it’s as simple as making the choice. There’s nothing standing in your way!

Want to learn more about how Integra can help you, your team or your organization,

take your performance to the next level? Reach out to one of our Performance Consultants today at www.integra-hr.com