Chapter 8 – How to Develop Workers

Training by example – The more I have seen, the more I begin to think things like, “a degree is not a guarantee.” I think perhaps we should go back to apprenticeships. We learn so much more when we are working together in the field. And if, of course, you don’t like the work, then you don’t do that job. We could save time, money and effort.

At the Summer Reading desk, whenever we have a new volunteer, we ask them to sit with us and listen to our “spiel”. After hearing it a few times, you begin to be able to reproduce it. Yes, we have a list of things to remember to say and ask, but until you actually “do it”. It doesn’t feel natural. And every “interview” with a patron is different. And we each have a different flow.

Availability – I find that there are people that I would like to model myself after. Not entirely, but just portions. But if they are never available to you it simply isn’t possible. You might wonder how they manage certain things, but you are left to wonder because you never actually see how they do it. Or you might mistakenly think it works one way, when in reality it is the opposite.

For instance, a person might be very “even keel” and patient and quiet and balanced. It might just be their nature or they might be on happy pills. How willing are they to admit to the latter one? I heard yesterday that you can watch a classroom take on some of the characteristics of a teacher. An easy going teacher = an easy going class. A volatile teacher might equal a more volatile class. No wonder some children don’t do well in some classes.

Transparency – I have noticed one person in particular is very open about his weaknesses especially in comparison to the strengths of those around him. This person calls it like it is. And you never get the sense that he is putting himself down. He is being truthful. I am this. I am not that. It is very refreshing to be open about your strengths and weaknesses. It seems in today’s world that more people are apt to be the best at everything and announce it to the world and be very prideful about it.

Training on a personal basis – Of course this means keep it small. Work in depth and not in breadth, but your efforts will be rewarded in breadth by those your work with in depth. Jesus only had many, many disciples. He chose twelve to work closely with. Of those twelve, there were three that were even yet closer. He chose them as well.

God, please send me one who will choose me and then lead me to one I can choose.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 (ESV)