T&D Week – A Little Gem

And just like that … we are back. Santa is but a distant memory.

Plenty of posts around about “kickstarting your 2024 & setting goals”. All pretty basic stuff and no doubt as a manager/leader you have already run a planning session or team retreat which includes this theme. Or will do so pretty soon. Remember to throw in the Wheel of Fortune when you do (see my previous post on that one). Revving the team up (and yourself) for the exciting year ahead is a great way to get back into work-mode.

What isn’t making the rounds is something I like to do in January of each year with my teams, that you might also find useful. We call it:

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT WEEK

Or T&D for short. Not exactly the sexiest of names, granted. But a fabulous and productive use of time during a period which is typically quiet for many office workers because a lot of clients are still on leave.

During T&D Week, you put together a program where each person has a chance to present to the rest of the team. About? Anything they want. It can be cooking tips, hobbies, sports, how-to topics or any quirky subject of choice … I never care what they go with. Sure, even work-related if they want to. Why do this? Because you want your team to practice and improve their communication skills and in particular, their presentation skills. In today’s competitive world, being able to present with confidence to a group is a highly sought-after skill. It’s something that needs regular practice and training. This time of year gives us a great opportunity to sharpen those exact skills.

How? Run two sessions a day … one mid-morning and the other mid-afternoon. A max of 3 sessions per day if you have a bigger team; spread over 2 weeks if even bigger. Draw from a hat re the order (hey, make it fun) but most importantly: you must go first. Lead by example, always. Set the standards. Make them 30-40 mins presentation time plus 10 mins for Q&A. Get your people into the habit of addressing an audience and being put under pressure. Presenting to our peers is often more difficult than presenting to clients and prospects. This is a winner.

Want to jazz T&D week up even more? Get an external person to come in and run a session for your team. Nothing like a different voice to mix it up, spark new conversations and generate fresh ideas. And it doesn’t have to just be about presenting. Build in other training and development work that is appropriate for your team and your business. It makes for a great week that is not only enjoyable but ensures their time is spent well. None of that pretending to work (honing their alt-tab skills) needed here.

T&D Week … give it a go! A little effort for a big boost to your culture.