One of the interesting things about Impact Factory is the amazingly diverse range of clients we work with, from large corporate financial institutions to small entrepreneurial ventures and everything in between.
And so it was with glee, that I looked forward to unpicking networking with the Forestry commission.
As I had to stay over the night before, I wondered if I'd be housed in an 18th century hotel. I was wrong.
It was a 17th century coaching inn. Would the training be held in a tree house I mused.
Actually, it was a reconstructed Tudor hall in an arboretum set in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside!
Oh the perks of the job! On a serious note these thoughts of mine highlighted an area that came up again and again during the day's training.
Assumptions - wonderful things - we all make them.
You couldn't possibly check everything out all of the time, you'd be exhausted.
But when an assumption gets in the way, when someone thinks that because you work for the forestry commission, you wear check shirts and hug trees, it's just not useful
Over the course of our day, we looked at ways of pre-empting unhelpful assumptions.
Those that were already excellent net workers offered up their top tips, and for those that dreaded any impending event, a sense of 'serious play' was introduced.
Joining and leaving groups was practised, dropping off a pleasant but time-consuming bore with others was a favourite.
How to introduce a topic into the conversation about which you could speak with passion proved to be easier than people thought.
Most importantly the ability to put others at ease, whether it's a local gardener or Price Charles was explored and played with.
So next time you are lucky enough to walk through a forest in this country of ours, know there is a dedicated team of administrators, managers, foresters and a host of other personnel that work diligently behind the scenes to make that possible - and they don't all hug trees!
If you would like to talk to us about our
or any of the other
professional personal development work
we do, call us on
+44 (0)20 7226 1877
or
0800 1234 909
or e-mail us at
enquiries@impactfactory.com
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