
Handle With Care
I’d like to invite the trainers amongst us to take a good look at their delegates the next time they’re delivering a training course or facilitating a workshop. You might just have the next Richard Branson or Dr Nasrin Hafezparast sitting in your midst. Interesting thought heh! What’s particularly sobering about contemplating such a possibility, is that we might be the one person who is instrumental in determining whether or not they one day realise their full potential. The truth is we do make a difference.
Although I’m no Richard Branson, I’d like to share the following story in order to give some gravitas to my thinking.
At the age of thirteen, after showing signs of academic improvement, I was elevated from C Stream to B Stream within the school I was attending. While I found it somewhat demanding, I believe I adapted reasonably well to the challenges presented. The one exception being mathematics. I still have, somewhere in my archived material, an end of year report that says I came thirty second out of a class of thirty one. I can assure you that it certainly wasn’t a typographical error. So how was it that I eventually managed to become a highly qualified engineer; firstly within a Master Patternmaking Company and then within the Construction Industry. I am convinced that it was all down to my learning experience.
Although my former maths teacher is probably no longer living, I have no desire to name him on a public platform. I will therefore simply refer to him as Mr C. I’m not sure if I had some form of OCD in my youth, but I remember constantly wanting to get into the minutia of why things worked the way that they did; evidenced on one occasion by dismantling my Grandfather’s pocket watch and being unable to but it back together. This was also true when introduced to many of the rules within mathematics. This sadly resulted in me dramatically falling behind; causing me much anguish and frustration in the process. To the point where I continually found myself out of favour with Mr C.
The most humiliating moment came during a double period of maths. It was then that I was told to stand on a chair, facing my friends and peers, at the front of the class. In those days you just did what you were told without question. Mr C then went on to inform the rest of the class to look at me, declaring “This is what an idiot looks like and if you don’t apply yourselves this is how you’ll turn out”. I remained standing on that chair for the duration of the lesson. From that day forward I simply lived up to the label that I had been given; convincing myself that I couldn’t do whatever I was presented with. So what changed.?
When I left school I signed up to serve an apprenticeship as a Patternmaker in a Master Pattern Shop; primarily serving organisations within the automotive, aeronautical and utilities industries. For the first year I swept floors, cleaned machinery, made cups of tea and went to buy cakes for the Master Patternmakers; in-between which I was given a range of small engineering tasks to perform. Over a period of time, with the support and patience of the qualified members of the workforce, I became quite adept at what I did. At the end of my first year, however, I genuinely thought my career was about to come to an abrupt end. The issue of mathematics was about to rear its ugly head again.
For the first year I wasn’t allowed to attend college; which, at some point, I would have to do in order to become qualified. That time had now arrived. For the first year of college I had to go in my own time; which meant attending college two nights a week. I can still remember that very first night. As I travelled on the No 12 bus from Bartley Green to Harborne, and thereafter on the No 11 from Harborne to Bearwood, my anxiety and self-doubt grew with every mile. When I eventually arrived at the entrance of Chance Technical College in Crocketts Lane (Smethwick) I can remember asking myself the question “Do you really want to do this..? Are you ready to endure a repeat of the embarrassment and humiliation you experienced at school..?”
I’m still not sure why I chose to walk through the main entrance of the College and take my place in a class with twenty seven others. Bloody mindedness..? Mmmm… Or was it that my love of the career I had chosen was able to subjugate my fears. I can only say that I’m extremely glad that I did; in that it not only proved to be the first step in achieving my qualification but also the first step to becoming a first rate trainer later in my life.
The course tutor proved to be one of the most patient and inspiring people I have met. During a period of three years he took me on a journey that not only equipped me with the mathematical skills needed to do my job, but one that also gave me self-confidence, self-belief and self-esteem. Although I can’t remember his name I will forever be indebted to him. His storytelling (in a broad black country accent), dishevelled appearance and sense of humour all added to what was an incredible learning experience. For those interested I came third year on year. Since that early experience of being made to stand on a chair, with all of the accompanying humiliation, I went on to occupy the main chair as Vice President of a successful Saudi Company.
Who knows what past negative experiences people bring with them into our training rooms; in respect of their prior learning journeys. What I do know is that we all have the opportunity to provide everyone attending our courses with an experience that can either reinforce or dispel those feelings. I know which experience I choose to give. How about you..?