FROM THE PRESIDENT
Greg Adamson
Since the fall of 2017, LTEN has hosted the annual Learning Executive Series Forum, an invitation-only think tank for senior leaders. Our most recent program was conducted in September in Boston.
This year, we welcomed 70 life sciences learning leaders, gathered to share best practices and learn from industry experts, including workplace culture consultant Devin Hughes and organizational psychologist Mary C. Murphy. Co-hosts for the event were LTEN Board of Directors colleagues Laura Last, who heads learning for BeiGene’s global clinical operations, and Kristy Callahan, who leads U.S. and Canada learning and development for GE Healthcare.
Kristy delivered a clever opening, asking each of us to pick a number between one and 10. To be difficult, I chose 10. Next, she told us that whatever number we chose is the number of new takeaways we had to leave with in less than 24 hours!
I was skeptical. Could the Learning Executive Forum really deliver 10 new takeaways for a salty, veteran training leader?
Turns out I was wrong! Writing this article forced me to reduce the takeaways to only 10.
Hughes, the author of 21 books and a former college basketball player, was our opening keynote speaker, and he delivered my first four takeaways:
1. He asked us “How are you really doing now?” The four choices were:
Great, no concerns.
OK, as long as I keep moving.
I’m not OK, but I do what I am asked to do.
I’m really not OK and I could use some additional help.
This simple question led to robust conversation and laughter at each table. Try this one at your next class and see what happens.
2. GDD – Gratitude Deficient Disorder: Be honest. Who did you think of first?
3. Emotional Contagion: Laughter filled the room and all minds were spinning with examples.
4. Magic Stimulus: One smile offers endorphins equal to 2,000 chocolate bars.
Murphy, a professor at Indiana University and Stanford and author of Cultures of Growth, delivered numerous soundbites and thought-provoking takeaways. There were so many, in fact, that I purchased her book and wrote a book report for the Olympus sales training team. Who volunteers to write a book report?
5. Fixed vs. Growth: An “I’m either good at it or I’m not” vs. “I can learn anything I want to” mindset.
6. Four mindset triggers that throw off our game:
Evaluative situations.
High-effort situations.
Critical feedback.
Success of others.
7. Macro vs. Micro: Is your culture focused on the whole company or on the department or team level?
8. Stanford Duck Syndrome: Look this one up for yourself, like a homework assignment. It’s worth it.
And, of course, I also learned from the learning leaders and LTEN members who attended this year’s forum. I’ll share two to round out my list:
9. You are certified only after the sales manager witnesses the behavior in the field, not when you pass the class. This may be difficult for some, but I found it to be interesting.
10. Redundancy is OK: This came from a fellow training leader (and former Marine). Cross training staff members to do more than one job can be very beneficial for the employee and company.
I could go on for a lengthy period, but as LTEN member Steve Woodruff, the author of the book Clarity, would tell me, “Get to the point and be clear.” If I’ve piqued your interest, you can learn more and share these takeaways with your colleagues.
I hope you and your family and friends have a safe and happy holiday season. Thank you for a great year at LTEN!
Greg Adamson is president of the LTEN Board of Directors and executive director, sales training, for Olympus Americas. You can reach out to Greg via email at greg.adamson@olympus.com or through www.linkedin.com/in/greg-adamson-9b85ba7/.