Just back from working with The European Commission’s Middle Managers and leaders. Really quite inspiring, exhilarating and exhausting in about equal measure but so worthwhile doing. The topics we covered were those which they had expressed a particular desire to focus on and so were particularly relevant to them.

On the first morning I naturally talked with people about what was on the menu and whether there was anything else that was even more pressing. I am particularly grateful to one delegate, who I think spoke for many, when she asked that I address the issue of OVERWHELM. And so our day began at the practical level with most pressing of challenges, namely, if there is more to do than is humanly possible what are you to do? Working through this conundrum proved quite liberating and it was great to see so many people reclaiming their managerial initiative and knowing what their next steps now needed to be.

The days were so interactive and people had so many questions that our schedule needed to be adjusted and break times became briefer. As one delegate said to me at the end, “I now realise that the best trainers not only need to have complete mastery of their subject but also the the skills of a stand-up comedian so they can work with the changing moods of a large audience and harness those to good effect”. For me it was a lovely moment because I think these are wise words and I told him so.

As you might imagine I’m looking forward to the next time.

Ian McDermott