10 learning from the last 9 month.. aka was it worth?

I've been quiet for a while on my blog.. That's 'cos I have embarked on becoming a proper L&D professional. Not just in my heart but also in my job title. And I have made it!! Whohooo.. and phewww... Just about! I have 1 more week before I leave this job where I have been travelling up and down the country for 9 months working for a small consultancy. It's been a tough journey and I have learnt a lot on the way. I thought I share these with some old Mars friends and aspiring coaches/L&D professionals.

1. I have learnt how to run your own business and how to treat your employees.
2. I have also learnt that work-life balance becomes more important when you don't have it. I didn't know this was important to me either until I was on the road 2, 3, 4 nights a week.
3. I have learnt that talking about your values is not enough! Not for me anyway... You have to live these values otherwise you are a fake and everyone can see through you. I have read somewhere that you need to be the change you want to see around you. I believe this is very true and I hope that I am role-modelling that change already. Others around me didn't have these values high enough on their agenda.
4. Having worked for Mars for 11.5 years, I thought I didn't know much about business. (This is what they tell you anyway.. It's otherwise called, in Lominger language, "business acumen".) Actually, what I have learnt is that I just didn't know what I did know. When you grow up in an organisation like Mars, you loose perspective of the rest of the world (If you had one before that is. I don't think I did.) So, what I have also learnt is how much I actually knew already. And that was very liberating. This is important for those who might be afraid of leaving Mars.
5. I have realised that I can actually run a business myself very well and make sound strategic decisions. Only this short period of time has proved it, which I am really pleased about.
6. What I do need to do however is to build a much better network for the future. The "knocking on small-medium sized companies' doors" style of getting business doesn't work for me. You need to create a network when you don't need it, so when you do need it, it's there. I now understand what networking really means.
7. "You need to start with where you want to be" is a saying Sally and Jan (my NLP/coach trainers) used to tell me. Dear God, how right they were! If you start with low fees and not choose your clients consciously, this will bite you in the backside now and definitely later.
8. Have financial freedom already before you start your own business, so you can be free to make choices. Now I appreciate what the Mars' principle "freedom" really means. There is nothing more painful and daunting than having to compromise on your values to be able to feed your family. I suppose if you have "away from" motivation, this might work for you for a short time. Certainly not my cup of tea!
9. In terms of getting business and maintaining relationships... Well, what really sells is you! When you talk to clients, you sell your style, your humour, your credibility, your experience and your values. It really is about the ability to build and maintain rapport with your clients AND most importantly, your employees and suppliers. If you don't have good relationships internally, this will shine through. So, work on the inside first to get great, long term-relationships outside.
   
10. And finally, have a great long-term vision, a good accountant and a business mentor that can really help your business grow. This is all just a given really.. 

I am sure there are more learnings and I thought this might be a good start. So, was it worth to jump from a corporate cushy job? Definitely!! I am now a proper L&D professional with a lot of real life experience, I have gained a lot of confidence around business and training delivery, have changed a few lives in between (more on this later).. and albeit 9 months, it feels like 3 years worth of learning.. Or maybe I just learn faster! :-)

More to come later.. I promise. :-)