A Whole day of training?

Classrooms have never been my favorite place. Not so much the classroom as what took place in the classroom. I guess that is why I would tend to create my own entertainment while I was in there.

Whether it was turning on the gas taps in the Chemistry lab and ligthing it creating a flame that shot across the classroom. Or, sucking innocent tadpoles (whose growth we were supposed to be monitoring) up in a small stopper tube then placing them on my plastic ruler and spring boarding them on to the roof where they instantly disintegrated into a nondescript black mark. The 'not so bright' list could go on. Bottom line I get bored easily and classrooms were theaters of boredom to me.

I am sure I am not alone.

(The reality is however that by the time I went to collge I had worked out the benefit of what took place in the classroom and applied myself more - it is amazing how the grades changed accordingly.)

As a result when it was suggested that we have an all day training for the new Performance Management Process I was not so keen. Maybe you share(d) my sentiment.
However, when I reflected on the value and the heart behind it my attitude changed.
We care about our team and we care about what we do as an office. We want each person to be healthy and functioning at their maximum capacity so they can be fulfilled in what they do. We want to become more effective at what we do so that more people, prayer and money can be mobilized. It is very difficult if not impossible to know how to improve or if we are improving if we do not measure how we are doing now and set measurements to aim for in the future. The two axioms - 'You can't manage what you don't measure' and 'If you aim at nothing you are sure to hit it everytime.' come to mind. So the heart and value behind this all is to develop people so that we become more effective in what God has called us to do.

Spending a few hours to ensure we know how to measure and hold each other accountable was made much easier for me when I realized this. I know that this is only the beginning but I like to think of a time in the future when all of us are feeling more fulfilled in our roles, attempting even greater things for God and benefiting from being held accountable to what we said we would attempt and believe God for. I think this is possible but it will take some time and preparation like this training is a key factor in making it happen.

Just don't let me near the tadpoles.