The coffee was hot, the room comfortable and the numbers solid for the workshop I’d chosen to attend on strategies for growing your business. The powerpoint was ready to go, but as I removed my coat I was quietly reassured that it didn’t look quite as exciting as the TV news themed confidence building workshops I offer.
It was a good workshop though, and here’s why. The host didn’t claim to be what he was not. Rob Da Costa was soft-spoken and thoughtful, a touch shy perhaps. But that’s what I found so engaging. The blurb and introduction had spoken of years of experience, and I’m sure it was all true, but by admitting more than once that he didn’t have all the answers, that he himself was still learning, he made me listen all the more carefully to the answers he did have.
It’s a lesson I shall take to my own venture. I’m an experienced TV journalist, not a consultant in team dynamics, resilience or confidence building in a CPD focussed human resources context. I certainly know a thing or two about making a quick decision and hitting that evening’s deadline, night after night, but I don’t know all the jargon that may come with it. As a reporter, I count myself a jargon buster.
I’m taking a punt that that can be a refreshingly good thing when sharing ideas on teamwork, and, having weighed up what I saw this morning, that sharing what you’re not entirely sure about can be as effective as sharing what you are.