Yesterday in church, my wife whispered into my ear: “Look at what your daughter is drawing.” What I found was amusing, and not altogether surprising.
Last year on a vacation to Hawaii, my wife suggested I had a one-track mind. Most guys do, I guess. Of course, my “one-track” is wholly devoted to learning and development.
I didn’t realize how obvious my one-track mind was until this morning when I saw my daughter draw this:
It made me think that a “top 10 reasons I enjoy learning and development” would be a fun post to write today, but I couldn’t come up with 10 really good reasons. Maybe a “top 5” list? Still couldn’t do it.
Yes, I love the opportunity to be creative. I love using Mr. Sketch markers and flipchart. But there’s really only one core reason I have a passion for what I do: learning and development (when done well) can change the world. And in a world where there are so many problems, I want to do my part in changing it.
I don’t have TED Talk-sized audiences, so the worlds that I change are mostly individuals. When I design and deliver a learning experience that helps someone do something new or differently or better at work – a place where people spend more waking hours than anywhere else – it can improve their quality of life. And that can change an individual’s life as well as the lives of those around him – both at work and at home.
How about you? Perhaps you’ve been in the learning & development field for years, subscribing to this blog for some tips and ideas. Perhaps you’re what Shannon Tipton recently labelled an “accidental trainer” who fell into a learning and development role recently. Perhaps you’re someone who has a presentation coming up and you stumbled upon this blog. I believe that in order to do something well, there has to be one core reason that’s at the heart of what you do.
What drives you to do what you do? I’m curious to know where your passion lies. Leave a note in the comments section.
