Over the years I’ve done a lot of things; I’ve changed a lot of jobs—from being a secretary in an office to a creative writing coach.
A Job That Made a Difference
Of all of these (besides me being a writer), one job stands out. I was a trainer in a multinational company, training our sales people on the product and how to achieve success in direct marketing.
Most of the people who joined our sales force were young women, a lot of them mothers and housewives.
A large part of my training involved building up their self-image and creating a mindset shift.
Almost all the women felt inferior, useless, and inadequate. I knew that no matter how good our product was, if my sales people lacked confidence, they would never do well, which would reinforce the feeling of not being good enough.
So my main thrust at the trainings was to get them to realise that they were truly worthy. And I too believed with all my heart that each one of them was worthy.
A lot of times, I’ve had women break down and weep at the training sessions. What was beautiful was how all the other women instinctively stepped forward to comfort and encourage them.
I did not stop being their mentor at the initial training sessions. This relationship continued as they grew in the organisation.
I felt blessed to be part of their journey and took pride in seeing my trainees bloom and grow. My role and the work I did here gave me tremendous satisfaction and a sense of purpose.
Till it didn’t.
Losing the Personal Touch
Somewhere along the line, my role changed and instead of being an encourager, I was expected to be an enforcer, make them chase the numbers, in spite of the fact that during my tenure sales of the new recruits increased by 88%.
I was told to stop being “so nice” and “get results instead” (which I was already getting).
My conversations with my trainees now started with:
“How many calls?”
“How many appointments?”
“How many orders?”
I had lost the personal touch and I started becoming more and more frustrated and unhappy till I finally quit to start my own coaching classes to help people develop their skills.
Finding My Way Back
Today I am enjoying working with no boss, setting my own rules and helping people become the best version of themselves.
I encourage young writers to find their voice and share it with the world.
I love what I am doing, yet sometimes, just sometimes, I think of the old days with a bit of nostalgia.