We just celebrated Independence Day in USA and as I was reflecting on how deeply ingrained Independence is in #PBJAM, I thought of writing a short post.
Many professional development resources are inherently one-way learning streets, whereby, the students learn how certain technique, toolset, or thinking is used to effectively address their workplace challenges. Even when you take 1:1 coaching, many times the coach tries to show you how they have handled a similar situation in their life, thus again, telling you 'their' way of doing things. It's almost like the colonial masters telling the USA what to do, rather than allowing the USA to figure out what's important for the nascent nation-state.
This is far from ideal in terms of effectiveness and sustainability. It is the prime reason why our office bookshelves and drawers are full of past training binders that we haven't opened. It is also the reason why we find many coaching/training sessions to be bookish and hard to implement in real life. It's because they are not our experiences and our approaches (and sometimes, not even our real problems!).
#PBJAM recognized this very early and made #individualization a fundamental building block of their platforms, structures, and toolsets. For us, individualization is independence. And independence is a pre-cursor for life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, isn't it?
At #PBJAM, we do not tell our clients what they need to work on, rather, our structures help our clients to figure out what they each need to work on at this particular point in time. At #PBJAM, we do not set absolute targets or as-is assessments, rather we let the clients assess where they are and where they want to be. Our mutual accountability frameworks help our clients to see their performance and change not only from their personal perspective but also from their peers' and work-colleagues perspectives.
Our conversations start with "How was your recent month at work and what has been bothering you the most"? rather than "Let us tell you how to be a great leader/collaborator/team player/communicator/organizer or anything else". Our clients who use #PBJAM regularly (as an annual subscription), gain clarity in their development needs, develop confidence in their own ability to improve, and establish visible feedback from their stakeholders to help in their career growth.
Have you talked w your HR partner about #PBJAM yet? Give us a try and see for yourself if #PBJAM is the right fit for your needs. Happy independence day!!
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