We each have a version of ourselves that is our most effective, confident and capable – a position of poise. Being poised helps us to feel steady and secure, ready to face the unknown. It helps us to make better judgements. This in turn helps us to deal with conflict and to act naturally, overriding negative self-talk and managing our interactions elegantly. Superheroes have it. So can you. And you won’t need Spandex!
I am a Learning and Development Consultant and have spent 30 years training and coaching people to develop various capabilities, including:
- management skills
- presentation skills
- problem solving
- assertiveness
This can be in groups, or one to one. Many of these topics have an element of fear and anxiety and I help people overcome that, giving them flexibility in how they respond and behave. Understanding why we get scared, and what to do about it, can open new ways of working. The combination of critical thinking and emotional intelligence can give people clarity and confidence to handle anything. They can handle their colleagues. They can talk in a straightforward way to their seniors. And That Customer (the one everyone avoids – even you!)? No problem.
This is what I do; I help people work towards their position of poise.
But who am I and how did I get into management training?
On my wedding day my father described me as eccentric. I prefer idiosyncratic but, hey, it is not a label I resist. I think it comes from a lifetime of pushing at boundaries, doing things in an atypical way, looking beyond what is in front of me and being curious. Incidentally, I learnt this from my father, who was rather eccentric himself.
In 2012 I started my business, Janet Webb Consulting, after a lifetime of saying yes to opportunities and seeing where they took me. Along the way I have learnt a lot about how the brain works, project management, effective communication and emotional intelligence (particularly the impact of fear). I got to this point by saying “Yes, I can.”
A career built on saying “Yes, I can.”
Egypt, Dance Captain.
At 18, after three years training, I became a professional dancer. The following year I was working for a French dance company and when the director asked me if I could be captain for the next contract in Egypt I said “Yes, I can.”
It was challenging; very challenging. It meant managing a troupe of dancers, in a very different culture, under quite difficult circumstances. Being a young woman in the 80’s in a Middle Eastern country didn’t offer me much respect or support. But I battled on. I didn’t always get it right but I quickly learnt how to be there for my team and to negotiate with clients. My time in Egypt wasn’t the happiest but it was one of the most stretching and educating.
Selfridges, Manager.
After four years of travelling around the world I walked into Selfridges in Oxford Street, looking for a job; any job. I left after an hour with a three-month contract as a temporary sales assistant in the Christmas Greeting Card Department. When after two months my manager asked me if I could join the Stationery team permanently, and then afterwards be team leader, I said “Yes, I can.”
Seven years later I left the store. I worked my way up through the leadership ranks and then I joined the training team, delivering everything from sales skills to management training. Managing staff was fascinating. And I discovered that I enjoyed leading on projects and training people. I had found my new home and passion.
ESCC, HR Manager of Projects.
Whilst working at East Sussex County Council (ESCC) in the training team, managing the training centre and delivering management training to outside organisations, I was asked whether I could take on the management of the HR Projects team. I said “Yes, I can.”
I had to quickly learn about HR and develop the role as an HR Business Partner. During this time, I went through a professional assessment of competence and so gained my Chartered status with the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development). I loved my time in HR, particularly managing a team of staff again.
East Sussex County Council again, Registration Service Manager.
However, after a round of redundancies across the council it became clear that staff needed to go from the HR team and my job could easily be shared out between others. In December 2010 I was given notice of redundancy; I was leaving on the 31st of March 2011. But on the 20th of March an email was circulated asking if anyone could manage the Registration Service, whilst the current manager was on long term sick. And I said “Yes, I can.”
I had previously worked with the Assistant Director who was happy to take me into her team. A three-month contract became six months. I then managed a series of other projects for her over the next year. (I broke the redundancy register software twice. Apparently, no-one is supposed to be at risk of redundancy for over 18 months!)
I repeatedly had to learn a new set of skills and knowledge and I loved the challenge. And each time, it became easier to take on something new.
CIPD, Subject Matter Expert in Critical Thinking.
When I was five years old, I watched an episode of the television programme UFO and a character made a decision based on incomplete information. I can remember the moment as if it were last year. I realised, even then, that much of the time we don’t have the full picture. As a child I probably didn’t use quite those words, but I have been fascinated by how we think, ever since. The study of this is called metacognition. I just thought it was incredibly interesting.
In 2022 I was asked by the CIPD whether I could work on a new course on Critical Thinking as the subject matter expert. I said “Yes, I can.”
Develop your critical thinking skills with the CIPD
Improve decision-making and judgement and find the best solution by learning to use critical thinking strategies.
I was happy to share a lifetime of learning on the topic; how we make judgements based on our beliefs, how we assume things to be true based on our experience (and therefore our culture), how we argue against things with faulty logic, how the state of our bodies impacts on our ability to think or take risks. The list goes on.
What saying “Yes, I can” has taught me.
I have developed a number of crucial skills and attributes through all of this activity:
- an ability to embrace and cope with change
- being undaunted by working in unfamiliar territory
- a massive breadth and depth of experience
- having an objective yet unrestricted outlook
- great project management skills
One of the main things that I have learnt is that if someone of good sense believes in you, then you should trust their judgement and have a go. Stepping into the unknown is one of the most developmental things that you can do for yourself.
And sharing this breadth and depth of knowledge is one of the best things that I can do for you or your staff. It’s what I am here for.
If you need management training, better presentation skills or just some understanding on how to deal with people, then give me a call.
Note: I originally published an article on this in the Sussex Chamber of Commerce’s Business Edge magazine This is a fuller version.