27 years later…
Who would have thought that I and vocational education would progress so far – ‘What is this internet thing and what’s it got to do with me??’
- Roz 1993 😊
Quite unintentionally I have made adult education my career, and I have no complaints.
I am sometimes amused that the shy teenage introvert I used to be makes a living by talking to groups, but I simply followed a path from hospitality employee to educator. My journey then took me along a teaching path of bar work, communication, working in a diverse workplace, functions, food service and gueridon service, to financial and business management, managing workplace diversity, discrimination, human rights and legislation to now.
When I think about where I have landed and my topics of choice (workplace culture, communication, bullying and diversity), I reflect on the workplace microcosms I have experienced along my journey. From my first ever workplace, at the tender age of 14, I quietly observed interactions, conversations, support (or lack of), and dynamics and certainly learnt more than I did in any classroom. Goodness what a hotbed of human interactions and hierarchy that workplace was! Perhaps it is from these observations that Respect at Work became my destiny.
Getting close to 27 years as an educator my craft has developed along the way. I remember my first ever bar course – 120 overhead transparencies – I felt that any prospective bar server obviously needed to know EVERYTHING there ever was to know about the history of every spirit, beer, and wine - oops 😊
The library to the internet
Overhead transparencies to PowerPoint
Written assessments only to competency based training and flexible learning
Industry jargon and lectures to Plain English, LLN, and accessibility
ATS, NTB, AQTF, ASQA, AISC, TAA, TAE
Emailed newsletters to on-line blogs
Workbooks to E-learning, webinars, and on-line modules
School students, employees, managers, executives
Face-to-face training to ZOOM or TEAMS sessions
Who would have thought that I and vocational education would progress so far – ‘What is this internet thing and what’s it got to do with me??’ – Roz 1993 😊
I don’t always love the driving, and Candy Crush level 3638 can certainly be attributed to time spent waiting to start a session, BUT I love my trade. I even love those harsh evaluation forms, it’s crazy how just one candidly negative evaluation form amid 500 positive ones is enough to keep a good trainer awake and obsessive for days.
Walking into a training room still gives me a buzz; never knowing exactly where a conversation might go, if there are any hidden agendas in the room, who the protagonists and antagonists might be. Being constantly ‘on,’ steering participants to the acknowledgement and ownership of their behaviours and culture while maintaining the (hopefully) right balance of empathy, gravity, and compassion. These things drive me and make me smile.
I love developing content to incite curiosity, drive change and improve cultures. And then I love adapting, twisting, turning, challenging, and improving that content as I listen to and learn from my participants.
I made the decision through the pandemic to not move to on-line training as my content really does work so much better with face-to-face interactions but then relented last month and started a trial of ZOOM sessions for a client. It’s tough work! but I think I’m getting there. I’m insisting on small groups and ‘cameras on’ and am gradually getting better at checking the chat box. With candid feedback and consultation we’re achieving some positive results and generating some great conversations – progress.
I guess workplace training has become my life.
Respect at Work facilitates discussions about respectful workplace communication and workplace behaviours, please get in touch if we can be of assistance for your workplace.