3 posts tagged “creative”
I stood at the front of the board room, projector pen in hand: "Does anyone have any questions?"
A sea of blank faces greeted me. Apparently, the entire team already knew everything there was to know about using email marketing.
"Ok... Lets take a break, and meet back in five mi..."
Before I could finish, everyone stood up and left.
I stared at the endless pages of my Power Point presentation. I'd been up all night preparing for this training session. The Managing Director of this particular company was having a bit of a love affair with Power Point. His favourite phrase was "Lets present that on the projector!@#" Ugh.
In light of the fact that I hadn't managed to consume enough liquid crack (coffee..) that morning, and that my letter of resignation was already written. I just wasn't in the mood for pretending I gave a toss about e-marketing, or anything else for that matter.. I didn't. And I knew full well that my presentation was boring these poor people to death. This wasn't me - this wasn't how I did things.. No one wants to listen to someone talk for hours - people need to engage.
After our break (during which time I managed to chain smoke myself back into reality), I decided that I had two options. I could lose all credibility and self-respect by delivering this appauling Power Point presentation that the MD had requested and my boss had authorised. Or, I could take matters into my own hands and risk getting a mouthful from the MD and/or my boss.
I'd already written my letter of resignation, and I was determined to walk away knowing that I'd achieved something. So, I put the presentation to one side and announced that we were going to do something a bit more 'interactive'.
With everyone sat back at their desks, with steaming cups of coffee and notepads - I stood up and talked everyone through the new software. All of a sudden the bored sea of middle-aged faces disappeared as the paired-up staff went through the basics of the system. I flitted between pairs, answering questions and guiding people who were stuck.
I'd always wanted to be a nursery school teacher, as I thought it would be the most rewarding age to teach. What could be more satisfying than teaching a child how to write his or her first word?
I'm not sure it was more satisfying than my dream-job. But as I walked out of the office at six thirty this evening - despite hating my boss - I had a smile on my face. I have to be honest - I was in my element doing that training session today. I knew I'd taken a risk by scrapping the well-planned presenation and letting ten IT-shy middle aged marketers loose with new software. But as soon as I started the presentation, I knew it wouldn't work. You can't explain some things, you have to show people. Once they've done it for themselves, it all suddenly makes sense.
It wasn't the fact that everyone understood the basics that had made me smile. It was quite simply that instead of spending the afternoon pretending to listen to me - everyone seemed to have learnt something and had a bit of fun.
I'm probably going to be told off by my boss tomorrow. We don't 'do' flair - we do traditional and professional. I train, I support, I explain. I'm not paid to be creative - I'm paid to be helpful and patient. To explain things simply in a straight forward manner. But that doesn't always work. Just because people are 'adults' it's usually assumed that a 'seminar' is the best approach to training. Why not let people loose and take the old-school Do-and-Learn approach sometimes?
I'm intelligent enough to know when something's wrong and when something's right. And when our client shook my hand tonight, thanking me for an 'innovative' session - I knew I'd done the right thing.
I still haven't made my mind up about that letter of resignation - but I've made up my mind about something.. If I do leave, it wont be my loss, and I realise that now.
I have a new blog-crush..
Incredibly creative, funny - and the hottest voice I've heard in years. Haha. ;)
What's the last thing you crafted, constructed or created yourself?
The most recent thing I've created - plans for my back garden :) Properly drawn out, decisive plans. I'm very proud, I don't do decisive! But, it's all planned on, on squared paper.. Waiting for a nice strong man to come and help me with turning my plans into a garden.
I like to think that I'm a creative person.. I try approach things as creatively as possible, and I'm always looking for inspiration. I can draw (albeit not very well, but I try!), I can write - prose and contemporary poetry. I've become utterly addicted to interior design, despite having no interiors left to design.. I love creative thinking - philosophy and the philosophy of religion particularly.. Most of all, I love turning simple things into something creative. You haven't lived until you've shown a child how to make potato prints and how to paint with their feet. ;)
So yes, I think I'm a little bit crafty.. But my mum is the master of crafting. She makes handmade cards, she can paint, she can draw perfectly.. She can make her own clothes, arrange flowers, design interiors, braid hair, make jewelry.. And she tells stories in such a way that makes you really believe that you're in them - I was absolutely enthralled by her stories when I was little (if I'm honest, even now, when I hear her reading them to children, I'm still enthralled!).. The list is endless. I really think there is nothing that she can't do when it comes to creative things.
My mother is truly artistic, and truly inspirational. While I'm nowhere near as creative as she is, she inspires me (even with my blatant lack of patience and intolerance for fiddly little things) to at least try.
I can't wait to get started on my back garden.. See, this is where my mothers creative ability comes in! Yes, I need a big strong man do mix the cement, etc.. And sure, I can draw out the plans, and I can put down on paper exactly how I want things to look.. But, I know nothing about plants. Infact, I have absolutely no desire to learn. I hate gardening. Passionately. So, with my ability to put down on paper exactly what I want, and her ability to choose the right (whatever right is..) plants/flowers to put where - we'll somehow turn that garden into something which doesn't look like something the QUEEN of all anti-gardeners designed!
