In the enduring Journey of the Self, when last did You perform a Code Review?
Designing an Effective Learning Course
Designing an Effective Learning Course
October 2017
The primary goals of any training program are to engage the participant with relevant content in an interesting and perhaps provocative way, and in a way to sustain comprehension (so-called stickiness) and promote practical application of the knowledge. An additional goal depends on whether the training involves teams collocated or in separate locations connected via video conferencing. Designing a course should consider how adults acquire, retain and recall knowledge. The three main learning models form a foundation - Behaviorism (learning through association or conditioning into new or changed behavior), Cognitivism (learning as internal processing, and measured by behavior), and Constructivism (learning as constructed from knowledge and/or experience). Models are helpful bringing structure and consistency, but adults don’t all learn in the same way. There are a few best practices which can increase the likelihood of sustained success across the student spectrum. In my experience, it is a combination of elements in these models which are most effective. The focus of any training is to expand the comprehension, and change (or reinforce), the behavior of the attendees. In part by providing practical applications which focus their attention (and intention). It should benefit the performance of the attendees when they have organizational objectives reinforced, and procedures created for them to follow. And for that to take place, the attendees need to internalize the concepts and buy-in to the message. Finally, you connect the information to knowledge so it becomes insight (making it easier to internalize) and you incorporate real-world user exercises or scenarios to simulate experiences the attendees may not have yet had, to deepen that insight. It is essential that the training is relevant or meaningful to the attendees. It provides the strongest (and longest lasting) link to comprehension. It’s been noted that adults will listen with understanding for 90 minutes, but with retention for only 20 minutes. So, designing content in 20-minute (on average) sections with discussion (debriefing) between sections to reinforce that content is a way to keep steady, sustained, effective engagement. Designing a course on a platform of Relevancy to Engage and Sustain creates a durable foundation for learning.
The first step is to define the training program objectives in detail. For example, what knowledge do you want updated (or what capability do you want enhanced)? in what time frame (next quarter, end of year)? and for what target audience (executive, professional staff, administrative staff, all staff)? There may be multiple targets spread across the fiscal or operational year, and planned separately. This is a strategic exercise forecasting the future of the group to be trained (department or client). If the training is for clients, taking into consideration any difficulties or concerns the clients may have with the product (or service) lines is essential in the planning. This information can form the basis for a training Plan. The Objectives need to be realistic and relevant to the context (state of the business or project, needs of the business, skills or experience levels) in which the attendees are learning.
The next step is to perform a training needs assessment. Identifying what specific skills are necessary to meet the objectives. What are the core skills in the target group, and which are needed? Or need to be upgraded (or refreshed) for the current market. And how wide is the gap (if any) between the target attendees? One of the most difficult things to do is to train a group of students of diverse levels. When the novice and knowledgeable are learning side by side, it’s best to either have those new to the content take an introductory workshop, or if that’s not feasible, craft the opening section as a specific introduction overview which lays the foundation for the new students, and serves as a refresher for the more experienced students. Capturing this specific information in the Plan allows it to be reviewed and edited by the team. This needs assessment also ensures the relevancy of the content.
The next step based on the previous two is to identify the learning objectives required to meet the training program objectives, considering the skill needs of the target audience. Specifying learning objectives enhances and focuses course planning. Such as: becoming functional in a new skill, preparing for certification, practical application of a product/service, or learning a new platform to be a developer on that platform. Clear learning objectives also provide metrics for determining if the training has succeeded in meeting expectations.
I incorporate a pre-survey with my course welcome. I like to know from my students what they need to gain from the course and what problems they’ve had with the subject matter (or the practical application of the subject matter) in the past. Since I create my own materials, it means I can add to the content in real-time over the period of the course. If it’s for a workshop or one-day course, it is helpful to ask (if possible) at least 2 or 3 weeks before the course meets. Which allows time for incorporating any content not already included. And increasing the likelihood of engagement and retention. The students feel a part of the design, and are more engaged and more likely to retain information they’re interested in learning.
Now that you have a game plan, it's time to design the training materials themselves. Consider the target audience (technical or not, experienced or not, collocated or not). Incorporate visual elements (colors, purposeful imagery, animation if appropriate) to stimulate audience interest and convey concepts and facts. The visual elements should be meaningful to the topic, not distracting away from the content or disruptive to the pace of the course, maintaining high energy and engaged participation. The white space of the slides emphasizes the elements on them. Slides that are too crowded are difficult to follow and understand. (Slides that are too empty may defocus some students.) It greatly improves the pace of training to break up substantive content into smaller sections. Add exercises (role-plays, scenarios, simulations, case studies) to reinforce learning touchpoints and help sustain comprehension. Consider a training workbook which provides a place for notetaking and "cheat sheets" (summary charts) the attendee can use as a reference going forward. The "book" could be provided in pdf format and the attendee prints it out at their own end. In this process, begin by outlining the material to be covered. Place the sections in some sort of logical sequence. Begin with an overview which summarizes the material, the order the presentation will follow, and the learning plan. End with a “conclusion” which reinforces the major learning points and their practical implication. This closure gives the audience a chance to grasp concepts that passed them the first (or second!) time they were presented. It’s been said that the human mind needs to be exposed to things three times before it registers the information. And ask closing questions to confirm comprehension. Build the content between the opening and closing from simple to complex, foundational to composite. You’re designing a ladder where students can stand on the earlier concepts to understand the later content.
Three critical components of this plan now are training effectiveness, retention and performance. How do you measure attendee comprehension during the training? How do you improve knowledge retention in the attendees? And how do you assess impact of the training going forward on performance or execution? These elements must be seamlessly designed into the training. The content needs to be informative and digestible. In traditional academic courses, there may be quizzes or other exams to assess understanding. In professional training courses, participants may disengage at that point. A workable solution is more compact knowledge retention exercises to "check-in" with the attendees. Conceptionally like a quiz but without formal grading. Multiple choice or short essay form (for example, "If you were going to use this tool, how would you apply it in this situation?”) The purpose is for the facilitator to gauge if the attendees are grasping the content and perhaps to make an adjustment in real-time. It is also a means to gauge attention. People are tired, distracted or otherwise lacking in focus. Keeping them engaged involves interesting content and energetic and stimulating delivery. And after the training, how will you check that this training has impacted (in a positive way) the work product (or effectiveness) of the attendees or the satisfaction (or comprehension) of the client? There would need to be a standard survey after training. To get the view of the attendees on their impression of the content, the materials, the structure and the facilitator. It would also be beneficial to have an auditor in the training. Someone who is part of the course development and is only assessing based on their impression of how effective the content appears to be in practice, how engaged the attendees appear to be, and how well the facilitator is delivering the content. Without being saddled with trying to understand the content themselves. Sometimes feedback is based on a student not liking the approach of the trainer or finding the material too difficult to follow. The closing survey should have as many specific statements as possible, with a sliding scale (word levels or number ratings) and a space for final comments. Management should be tied into the training and given a survey tied into the objectives to ask their assessment of whether those objectives are currently being met. Similarly, a follow-up inquiry to a client as to whether they found the training effective would be valuable. (With clients, there is also a measure of the number of inquiries or complaints which were related to a lack of understanding, which have been reduced because of the training.) These follow-ups need to be short and sparing. As much as it is valuable for gathering intel, it can also be annoying to those forced to fill them out.
Sample (General) Survey Content
Y/N Questions:
Were your needs for this course met?
Would you recommend this course?
M/C Questions:
The training was effective: strongly agree, agree, n/a, disagree, strongly disagree
The training was relevant: strongly agree, agree, n/a, disagree, strongly disagree
The facilitator was engaging/interesting: scale of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
I’d recommend this course to others: scale of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Q/A:
What would you have liked to learn that you didn't?
What was the most helpful thing you did learn?
The implementation of the training requires scheduling the date(s), organizing the invites, listing the attendees, and confirming actual attendance. The training itself also needs a facility plan. What type/size of room, technology, seating is necessary? Wi-Fi, outlets, computers if necessary, etc. Is part of the content in the cloud? What handouts are needed, including surveys and any necessary resources? Does the course include food? Does the training include video teleconference with other teams? If there is a video link, care must be taken that the location without the facilitator has all materials and resources to match the location with the trainer. And that they are not blocked out of questions by the primary location monopolizing the interaction. There should be a member (or members) of the learning design team present in the satellite location(s) to provide any needed onsite assistance. Extra time should be planned into the presentation for those locations to stay in step with the primary. The fastest way to lose a satellite location is for them to feel disconnected from the proceedings. All attendees need to feel an integral part of the training.
When the training has been completed, a post-mortem to assess the effectiveness with reports from the auditors, review of the surveys, as well as the facilitator’s perspective, are used to revise the course design and content. In the few weeks and months that follow, as information is gathered on the effectiveness from a behavior, performance, execution or client satisfaction perspective, you add another layer of review for revising the materials further.
The best way to design a learning course, is to first decide on the learning model you believe the most effective, or have had the most success with. Consider in that model if it is appropriate to the content, and how you will measure the effectiveness of the training. You may adjust that as you understand the needs (or the limitations) of your target students. Then settle on your Training Program Objectives. Your specific goals and expectations for the training. Then your Training Skills Needs Assessment. What skills are necessary to add or update in the target student population. Then define your Learning Objectives. Establishing what the students are meant to learn in each covered topic. In addition, define how the in-course comprehension, and post-course actionable use of the content, will be measured. Whatever choices are used will be part of the materials (exercises, scenarios, case studies), the course (auditors, survey), the post-course (audit notes, survey notes, facilitator notes) or the follow-up (manager feedback/observations, client feedback). After these decisions the course content itself can be designed. Visuals, materials, handouts. Facilities and whatever other resources necessary.
The focus of any of my courses or workshops besides the required content for the subject under study, is what does the student need to learn to understand the subject? How can I keep them engaged and interested? How do I know when they’re not engaged? or When they’re lost? Or struggling to keep up? And what can I do to adjust the content or the delivery? Real-time adjustments are only smooth or even possible because I’ve planned out and simulated the design beforehand. Making adjustments means you’ve put yourself in a position to know what those adjustments are (or could be), have the tools to make them, and know (with practice) when and how to make them. And that each course you design improves with the knowledge you gained from the previous course.
Plans are nothing; planning is everything. - Dwight D. Eisenhower
The best way to design a learning course is to first decide on the learning model you believe the most effective, or have had the most success with. Then settle on your Training Program Objectives, your Skills Needs Assessment and your Learning Objectives.
Leadership Is........
Leadership is the single most essential element of project (or any other) management. It's also in many ways the most misunderstood. There is a tendency to approach leadership as image. As a visual embodiment of a concept. Emphasizing the idea that leaders look and behave a certain way. Leadership is much more than that. A good leader is a good planner, motivator, executor, and problem solver. A well-formed and complete plan can only be executed by engaged, motivated and actioned people. The best plan improperly resourced or staffed will not be successful. No matter how well conceived.
In a practical sense, leadership extends beyond a job or a task into everyday life. It isn't a mask or a uniform that goes on in the morning and off in the evening. Leadership is an action as well as a title. There are plenty of people in charge of something who are "leading" it, without true leadership. They may be along for the ride or actively driving it into a wall.
When speaking of leadership we're speaking of GOOD (or effective) leadership. A study done some years ago found that 98% of people under good leadership were motivated to succeed, while only 11% under bad leadership were similarly motivated. Good Leadership alone has such a marked effect on team effectiveness. Within good leadership we refer to communication, authenticity, engagement, assessment, and execution.
Communication in Leadership covers all aspects of clarity in intent, equity in tone and complete coverage in content. It is founded on the ability to create a shared vision in those who are executing the vision so that they fully understand its goal and their roles in achieving that goal. Communication has two main components - articulating our message and actively listening to whomever is communicating with us. In being fully present in conversation to enhance our own understanding. To ask purposeful questions and tailor the message so that it is better received and understood.
Authenticity in Leadership is another term over-utilized but not particularly well understood. It has more to do with self-awareness and bringing our best self forward. In maintaining a consistency in passion and energy for the activity we are leading. In bringing mindfulness or awareness to action in line with how we can best support the stated initiatives within our own strengths and skills. Authentic spirits are adaptable and available to diversity of thought while having a confidence in our own competence. A confidence without crippling ego which would limit our receptivity to voices outside those that simply mirror our own. We have a willingness to listen to ideas outside of our own knowledge. Maybe even outside our own comfort zone. And a balance which allows us to move through extremes without being overwhelmed by them. Authenticity drives perseverance and resilience. We stay true to the best elements of whom we are and we constantly move ourselves and others forward
The ability to effectively assess our current situation is an essential tool for success in any climate. In Leadership to be able to keep perspective in viewing our circumstances, identify risks and how best to manage them, and place our situation in its proper context creates a solid foundation from which to lead. Strong problem solving and differentiation skills support the planning activity for devising a suitable solution to the problem we are tasked with. Considering variables and impact in potential strategies allows us to sustain our leadership into uncertain waters and into circumstances we couldn't anticipate.
Leadership is the most essential component of management because people are the most essential element. The ability to lead people effectively becomes a lynchpin in success. So Engagement as being able to read and reach people, and evaluating talent and intent, are critical skills in that endeavor. Understanding strengths, weaknesses, perspectives and what drives people allows you to get the best out of them. This includes motivating and encouraging people to perform as desired. Being able to lead collaboratively, embracing differences and building a team concept creates a receptive atmosphere for performance. This is also where the challenging areas of conflict management come into play. Recognizing and not shrinking away from any issues which may develop. But more importantly resolving and presenting solutions. Leadership is rooted in a foundation of emotional intelligence - having respect, appreciation and consideration for the "human capital" on any project. Empowering and advancing that capital by actively recognizing and acknowledging value when demonstrated. And while leadership isn't solely about image, there is an element in that people don't follow someone they don't trust. Or someone who doesn't appear in control or comfortable with their own ideas and skills. This means we have to work on any debilitating esteem issues that may be limiting us. We first develop ourselves and then believe in our ability to be successful.
And finally, in any endeavor is the implementation. Whatever else Leaders must do, they must be competent and complete the task assigned. They must do their job as constituted. Executing the derived plan and directing personnel to a successful conclusion. In the implementation is where we hold people accountable for their commitments. Where we manage and facilitate the specifics for the team members so they have any resources including time and budget they need to be successful. In execution we build in sustainability, process improvement, and value add for our stakeholders.
A true Leader encompasses and promotes all of these factors. Leadership is a layered and in some ways subtle exploration of moving a team, organization or area forward into and beyond their goals and aspirations. It takes time, effort and commitment to develop the necessary skills and temperament to lead well over time.
KWANZAA REVISITED
As I looked to write some content for Kwanzaa 2016, I found what I wrote and posted daily on Facebook in 2014. It was better than I remembered! So I post it here in total.
UMOJA: Unity of purpose does not mean thinking alike. It doesn't mean to always agree . It doesn't even mean having the same solution to the chosen problem. It doesn't mean supporting idiocy either. It means awareness and understanding of issues larger than ourselves. And how something which may not directly affect us could affect our group. Our Clan. Our Tribe. Our Nation. It means to want what advances supported and what denigrates removed. “We are each other's harvest; we are each other's business; we are each other's magnitude and bond.” ― Gwendolyn Brooks
KUJICHAGULIA: There is an African proverb which says: "it's not what you call me, it's what I answer to." This goes for those who would "reclaim" names with no positive meaning or history and say that changes the name. It doesn't. A rose may be a rose no matter what you call it, but you can't call a rose a Weed hoping to reclaim the word Weed. It has been properly said that the power of naming is we become what we name. More than the right to self-name, take care what name you choose. "If a cat has kittens in an oven, does that make them biscuits?" Malcolm X
UJIMA: Trekkers know the Vulcan maxim that "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few (or the one)". But collective work is a journey. A marathon of endurance and stamina. The more deadwood you carry, the more fatigued the rest of the collective become. The more divas and dictators you enable, the more seeds ofdivision and disappointment you sow. Over time the strong and committed will wear away to the opportunistic and the pretentious. Our collective work are with those whose compassion and understanding mirror are own and advance our cause. “The ends you serve that are selfish will take you no further than yourself but the ends you serve that are for all, in common, will take you into eternity.” ― Marcus Garvey
UJAMAA: Money can be an Idol. Or a Barrier. Or a Trap. It can also be a Conduit. Collectively gathering and using resources in a group whose economics and experiences span the widest spectrum possible can be a challenge. What is the most pressing need? What are the more fortunate expected togive? Simply being a member of a Community doesn't mean they are entitled to blind support for dubious or ill-conceived projects. Accountability is required on all sides . Ask Bernie Madoff's Tribe how they felt about the expectations and misuse of trust. “When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.” ― Thomas Sowell
NIA: A collective purpose which ignores or attempts to subvert the individual stagnates the collective. Advancing the individual by extension advances the collective. Conscious intention drives purpose. If you choose and act without intention, without purpose, you create un-intended consequences. But those too serve a purpose. Likely a problematic one. Too many people make choices without considering the consequences and then feel absolved by the lack of intention. Choose well. Choose consciously. Consider all. "Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
KUUMBA: There is a Zen saying that all paths lead to the Buddha. There isn't one way to the future. One way to support or one way to engage. There will always be someone more artistic, more organized, more experienced, more balanced, more motivational or more dynamic. We don't have to take someone else's path. There is something we can contribute and a place we can make an impact. We need to find that thing and inhabit that place. Bringing a joy and determination free of judgment of ourselves or others. Do what you can, where you are, with what you have. "Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." - Muhammad Ali
IMANI: Faith is not the absence of Doubt. It is not just the providence of Dogma or Rhetoric. It is a hope and belief in the possible. Our beliefs should evolve as we do. The narrower our beliefs, the less evolved we are. This includes blind spots. Having a wide range and open consciousness except for that one thing we won't give an inch on. We must always have room in what we think we know, for what we've overlooked. You can have faith in someone without fully believing in what they believe in. Your faith is in their integrity, their conscientiousness, their love. We can have faith in our future and still have it sorely tested. Cultivate faith in something to move yourself and your Community forward. Seek out affirming stories and people on the Warrior or Mystic path. Start the New Year, the same as you start each New Day - determined to move ahead, advancing as many with you as you can. Even if you don't succeed, your faith keeps you from a damning Hopelessness. The end of Faith. "The betrayal of a belief is not the same thing as ceasing to believe. If this were not so there would be no moral standards in the world at all. " James Baldwin
Do You Really Need A Plan B?
I started my discussion with a friend of mine behind a quote I heard from Joe Girardi, manager of the New York Yankees, when he was asked what he would do if his best players didn't perform. Girardi said essentially "there's no contingency plan for your best players not performing." My first reaction was, "ok then does that mean you give up at that point?". I understand the concept of designing a strategy based on the skills and competencies of your team, and then what happens if they don't execute/perform as expected? You can't just take it all apart in real-time, of course. And the friend I debated knowing me as a planner, said 'you just think strategy saves everything'. I actually don't think that, but I DO think that it begins everything. I also think that everyone has a plan. Sometimes it's a bad one. Failing to plan IS a plan. The entire point of Risk analysis is to consider what risks you face and develop mitigation and contingency plans for them. Sports teams do this as well as any other industry. If you have older veteran players (for example) who are given to injury or who may not perform, how do you mitigate that possibility (rest days, platoon roles, recovery treatments, etc), and what are your contingencies (strong role players on team, strong candidates in the lower levels, possible available players from other teams that you've vetted, etc). And the key to these elements is they've been considered, investigated, and put in place for follow-up in case it becomes necessary to implement one of them. If you do nothing and when what you counted on doesn't materialize, the ability to try and adjust in real time, put fixes in place and still stay on target is nearly impossible. Which is why some might say there is no contingency plan. There ISN'T one if you haven't MADE one prior to the event. One of the keys to Risk Analysis is if something is a Low risk (like your high performers failing to perform) but a High impact if it happens, you have to plan for it. It doesn't have to be a big plan, just something which addresses the issue and gives you options if it does materialize. Mike Tyson famously said "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face." (Joe Louis originally said, "Everyone has a plan until they've been hit."). What they're both saying is people in those scenarios didn't consider being hit as part of their plan (which in effect meant they didn't have one). Impact, consequence, recovery, adjustment. Both of these quotes highlight failing to consider something you might think a low probability event but which would have a huge impact if it happened. Against a superior opponent maybe the mitigation is developing quickness to help evade and building stamina and toughness in case you get hit anyway. Perhaps your primary contingency is to hang in until you can get treatment on the side (in that scenario). A plan is often just a routinized way of doing things. Preferred order and method. If you like your orange juice before your coffee every morning, that's your routine. It's also your plan. Even if you didn't actually "plan" it. Conscious planning will always serve better than unconscious planning. Like it or not, failing to consider mitigation and contingencies, is in effect, planning to fail.
The Semantics of Authenticity, Mindfulness, Transformative Action
There are those who suggest Authenticity is an excuse for people to be harsh and rude, or that Mindfulness is fabricated new-age dogma. Some believe transformative behavior can be repetitive actions which lead to transformation regardless of intent. Others embrace the same words as magical portals to enlightenment through sense-training or working with a guru. I think all of these are the result of a semantics exercise. Adjusting concepts to fit the story we want to tell or the approach we want to validate. There are many treatise and discourses on philosophy and self-examination which are dense and difficult to understand. Unfortunately that means there are people who dismiss the writings as not applicable to modern living, or re-package them into a simplistic philosophy of their favorite element. Perhaps the one that best serves their own personal view. Authenticity only means staying true to your core self, within reason and the situations you find yourself in. Within that authenticity is a compassion and sensitivity to yourself and others. Your authenticity is not a "get out of humane-ness" free card. It doesn't mean you get to treat people however you want. It doesn't mean you lock yourself in a box and only behave according to some fixed self-definition. The self evolves. Intentionally for the better. And you need to remain authentic within that evolution. Mindfulness is something our parents have been telling us since we were small children: PAY ATTENTION. We heard it in the original Star Wars (chapter 4): "never is his mind on where he is, on what he is doing." Mindfulness is a conscious awareness of who we are, what we do, where we are, with whom we do it. We all know that so-called "accidents" are the result of not paying attention. So why rebel against a concept of doing exactly that? You are mindful to know yourself so you understand your behaviors to better control and evolve them. So your choices are thoughtful and considered. Acceptance as non-judgement does NOT mean keeping what doesn't serve you. You don't have to judge yourself to make change. Which leads into Transformative action. "Faking it to make it" only creates a weak result. Like building a house on a shifting foundation. Sooner or later it catches up to you. We can all go a long way without any self-awareness or planning or consideration. And if we do, it's because of circumstances and the people around us that allow us to be successful. And plain old luck. Those things run out. Are taken. Or leave. It serves us all to take ownership and responsibility for our place in the collective. When I grow, we grow. When we grow, I grow.
The Myth of Political Correctness
On a day where I read about the CEO of Indian Wells saying during morning media activities that women tennis pros should "get on their knees" (his words) and thank the men for leading the sport, and that those players don't have to do anything or think, and making reference to their physical appearance, I am reminded of this constant excuse people use when they come under scrutiny for their public statements. The individual has already tweeted an apology of making improper and erroneous statements (as if the truth of the statements was the only issue!). He needs to step down from his position. And I can just hear the statements I regularly here from people lamenting that this society is too enamored with political correctness. Decades ago in this country, it was politically correct to lynch my ancestors for entertainment. So that argument is null and void on principle. There are two main issues: A person in a position of authority or power who clearly has biased and limited clarity on a segment of the population that they also have responsibility (or are a gatekeeper) for, that person should not be there. And second, once upon a time it was also politically correct to say the most nasty and heinous things about segments of the population, with no basis in truth or reality, simply reflecting the bias of the time. Not just the descendants of enslaved Africans, but immigrants of the Jewish culture, to early Irish, Italians, and Japanese citizens during the war (who actually were already residents). And prior to the efforts of women's rights, women. Culturally and from a societal point of view, it was inappropriate and even dangerous for members of these groups to speak out (or for any allies to speak out for them). With time and access and some change, it is now within all of us to stand up for the injustices and inappropriate behavior and improper use of position that we see. So that no, you are not allowed to speak to me (or about me) or anyone in that manner, and no you are not allowed to hold a position of authority over people you can't treat fairly once that fact has been established. And it has nothing to do with Political Correctness. It has to do with humanity, fairness and the fact that these things are no longer accepted without reproach. That is the past some want to return to. A past of entitled abuse. And it is the responsibility of all conscious members of society to fight against that. Never Again.
Tendencies and Indicators
While you may not be permanently bound to your choices, they do often suggest a pattern of behavior or decision-making which are indicators of your thought process and tendencies into your character. You can argue about being unfairly pigeon-holed but you're not. Especially when you regularly make similar decisions. People without your tendencies do not make your choices. People of character keep their commitments first, and then their desires. They don't allow one to overwhelm the other. There are those who make the opposite choice and have the kind of life that it works out for them anyway. Usually because someone else has kept THEIR commitment. But having something work out despite your choices is not the same thing as having something work out because of your choices. Yet enabled by the result, some don't change the decisions that got them there. The constancy of these choices and decisions are indicators of where your head is and show the tendencies of behavior of where you're going.
The Problem with Potential
Potential can only be realized by the individual. When that individual demonstrates that they are not actively contributing to its realization, any possible potential will most likely never be brought forth. At least not until that individual decides to make drastic sustained change. Back to Tendencies and Indicators. It may be frustrating or even infuriating for those without the skills that they view as being wasted in others. And with the feeling that you could somehow encourage or direct someone's potential. We can often provide support or positive reinforcement, but we have to recognize when someone isn't ready. "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." Not because a teacher magically arrives at the right moment, but because the individual PERCEIVES the teachers around them that are already there, and becomes able to learn from them......
Leadership
Leadership protects, affirms, elevates, enhances and supports. Backing and working for a winner does not necessarily indicate Leadership. If you have a tough and difficult commander, but you know they will get you where you want to go, you MAY follow them for their skills. Not because they're a good leader.