The difference of 16 years

1.     Describe a time when you failed to train and discovered that no matter how hard you tried, you could not accomplish your goal.

This will sound strange. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t train. Please, don’t think I’m copping out by placing the blame elsewhere, but I was trained to do some things very well through education and experience. And I simply wasn’t trained in areas outside of my degree – by choice. When I was put into a position that required different training, I didn’t have the option to go acquire it. So I tried, really hard, to do what was expected of me. Some parts of the job I could do well. Other parts, I was just thrown to the wolves. When I sought training and support, it just wasn’t something to be provided. Ultimately, I lost the job, for multiple reasons, but interestingly not for lack of training.

What did you learn from this experience?

Do what I know. Speak from my own experience. Draw from my skills, education and talents. Don’t offer to do something that you’re not ready to do right now unless you have the time to prepare.

2.    What might happen if a person takes training seriously in a specific area like language or business?

They might excel and go on to do great things in that area. They could become the manager, director, leader or instructor of that very area. OR they can become the very best at what they do and be quite happy just doing it. Having the ability doesn’t necessarily mean that one must go beyond to the next step. Certainly, the expert might go on to train someone else who is able to go to the next level. The student outperforms the teacher which is a success in and of itself.

Tell about a time you trained and prepared and how you felt when you were able to accomplish your goal.

I was working as the director of a nursing college library. It was my first real job and I was young and fresh out of college. Within the year, the college was going to go through the accreditation process. They had failed the time before and were on probation. They were a young school and were still learning the requirements and getting the appropriate people into place. They had been burned by the older, more experienced librarian before me and were very hesitant to let me go and do my job. I didn’t have much time and I had a lot of work to do just to run the library and provide the students and faculty with the materials they needed, however, there would be no future without the accreditation. It was vital to attain.

I settled in and used all of my free time at home and at work to study the accreditation handbook. I checked off what we had already and set to work on getting what we didn’t. Our book collection was severely lacking. My budget would not get me the materials we needed. So I studied up on grants and grant writing and got the money needed to establish a core collection and in the process set my first long range plan to build up the collection appropriately.

We had very little space for what we needed and no space on the shelves for more books. A Secretary had thrown out our periodicals in an attempt to make room! So I set to work proposing a way to double the library space and fill it with suitable shelving as well as pay for it through a grant. I also looked into getting our periodicals back for simply the cost of postage. I was shot down. The board was envisioning “paperless” library. How about “librarianless”?

I was overworked, underpaid, and not trusted. I was called their “model” librarian. Ouch! I looked good at the desk, but my knowledge from years of education and training were ignored.

Despite the fact that being grilled by the accreditation committee was one of the most stressful events in my life, they ended up being my supporters in the end. When they made the announcement that even though we still had a long way to go, we had achieved accreditation! we were over the top jubilant, but the best was yet to come. One of the few strengths they listed was the library and the librarian. Blush. And they made recommendations that supported all of the hard work I tried to accomplish. For instance, they suggested we double the size of the library and they backed, wholeheartedly, my strategy to do it.

I had worked hard, trained, for this job and then later for this accreditation. And it paid off in a big way. After four years, I was ready to move on. I had done all that I could and there was no more room for growth with the continued mindset of the board. BUT, I had proven my worth at least in the area of accreditation and I was paid to come back as a consultant for my replacement within the year. This time, they took my recommendations and they were accredited again. I don’t know if the library continued to be a strength, but it was at least no longer a weakness.

Wow, I didn’t know I had that in me. That must have been 16 years ago. What happened?

3.    Every area of life demands different disciplines for growth. What are some of the core elements of a disciplined training regimen that will help you prepare for spiritual vitality and maturity?

Want an answer without me cheating? I cannot look in the book? I’m putting myself out there …

·       Reading the Bible daily

·       Meditating on God’s Word

·       Studying His message to us

·       Praying often towards continually

·       Putting God’s purposes first

·       Putting our spouse’s needs second

·       Putting our children’s third

·       Putting the needs of our family’s next

·       Putting the needs of others next

·       Being last

·       Giving of our spiritual gifts and talents

·       Mentoring, guiding others to grow

·       Seeking our own guide/mentor

·       Finding our natural rhythm to operate most effectively

·       Having the time and availability to turn aside for God’s work

·       Keeping our eyes and ears open for God’s voice

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him
who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together
by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly,
makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Ephesians 4:15-16 (ESV)