The first training session went well, although I wondered about the lack of questions from the trainees. After the class was over I solicited feedback from a colleague, asking him to be brutally honest. And he was.
M's criticism was constructive. I now realize that the launch of this project was not well done. What I forgot is that I had been in many meetings discussing the implementation of this new software, but many of the attendees had heard about it for the first time when the class registration email went out last week. I had also assumed that everyone knew the meaning of the terminology that I was using, but they did not. So I spent the rest of the day adjusting the presentation, talking to other colleagues and preparing for the remainder of the training sessions.
This project has been a learning experience for me. For years I have longed for (and believe I had earned) the chance to be a leader at work in just this capacity - owning a project from beginning to end. Why did it take so long to get this chance? Lots of reasons, but what I realize now is that had I been given this chance earlier I might have found that I wasn't ready. The fact that I was able to accept M's constructive criticism without becoming emotionally upset was a very pleasant surprise.
There's a time for everything. The time for me to blossom in my career seems to be now.
Cool.
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