I’ve been a facilitator 18 years now & at times I’ve been asked by clients, “Why aren’t we seeing changes? Why are they still getting it wrong? Why isn’t the development working?”
For a second there’s a little bit of internal defensiveness which kicks in, followed by a bit of self-doubt, but I quickly remember something;
Development is a journey & patience is a virtue.
Whenever people go on their developmental journey, their objective is to improve in their overall capacity. To learn, be curious & to act without knowing in advance exactly the type of things they’ll need to act on.
What people are actually doing is working out how to adapt & cope. This happens over time from continually handling new & existing stresses, strains & challenges.
The more they adapt, the more they can cope. The more they can cope, the more new capabilities they acquire, together with deepening & strengthening their existing ones.
So, development isn’t instant & doesn’t result in continual perfection or constant invulnerability. It is accepting that there is the possibility of weakness, failure & that people will get things wrong from time to time. They may even get the same thing wrong again!
But they will succeed, they will adapt, they will cope, they will have greater capabilities & they will get more right than they get wrong.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Find the journeys end in every step.” Development is a journey of steps, not a destination, it’s a discovery not a demand. Be patient.