The Workforce Development Picture

There is a common theme when defining the word “develop” and that is “process.” Use the development of film as an analogy. You may be thinking, “who still develops film the “old” way?” And that’s a valid thought; however, let this article develop in your mind and create a useful “picture.” “Picture” refers to your goal, vision, or growth you’d like to see as a professional.

Film development has three general processes. Developing your “Picture”

- Exposure Process

- Chemical Process

- Refinement Process

1) The Exposure Process is done after you’ve taken the “picture.” This stage is about how you want to develop as a professional.

a) Remove the film holder from the camera. This could be the notes, general research, or initial ideas concerning the goal you have.

b) Exposure. Before unraveling the film from the holder, you need to have the right amount of light to expose the film too. Comparably this could be choosing when to bring your ideas forward to the decision makers. Give the film too much light and you’ll lose the image. Give too much information at once, or choosing the wrong time to present your vision may prevent the image you have in mind from being seen.

*Lesson: Within the Exposure and Chemical process complete darkness is needed. There may be times when you don’t know or can’t see the picture in your life. Trust the process and realize that coming into the light of your growth is the next phase.

2) The Chemical Process occurs after you’ve presented your initial goal and now the company would like to see the image. This process has three baths that the film will go into.

Bath #1- Developer Bath. The Developer Bath is a mixture of compounds that agitate the film. This could be collecting more information on why, how, and what is required to develop and achieve your goal. Pause: This does not mean you have to have all the data at once. Most likely you won’t, and there will be aspects of the mixture you didn’t realize you needed to develop.

Bath #2- Stop Bath. It’s in the title, it stops the developer bath process. This could be the time to re-assess your process, your training, or your developing goal. Maybe there was a person peeing in a pool in the background of your wedding photo. So, you need to take another picture, because there were things in the background you weren’t anticipating. Maybe it’s taking the picture longer to develop, so you need to be more patient. Maybe everything is moving forward and you’re ready to go to the next phase.

Bath #3- Fixer Bath. This is where you can fix, remove, or change what is needed to continue moving forward in your development.

3) The Refinement Process is where the picture comes back into the light.

a) Washing- Water is used to wash away the fixed chemicals. You’re almost done with the development of your goal. This could take the form of taking a test to get a completion, certification, degree, etc. This could also be that the information is still fresh in your mind and you’re taking the useful from the process and starting to apply it.

b) Drying- In this phase the picture is permanent and resistant. This is where the goal is achieved, the vision is seen, and the knowledge is now wisdom.

Workforce development focuses on more than how to do your job and includes relationship skill building which allows for growth and resilience. The Employers’ Association offers classes for all stages of development. Some of our most popular topics in this area are:

• Effective Communication - sharing the skills of active listening, becoming familiar with body language, and improving a leader’s ability to communicate professionally and productively.

• Problem Solving and Critical Thinking – providing the tools for leaders to work through situational and systemic problems that arise in the workplace.

• Providing Constructive Feedback – demonstrating the importance of regular, constructive feedback, and best practices for delivering a critique that leads to better outcomes in the future.

• Building and Maintaining Trust – providing leadership tools for leaders to encourage collaboration in a safe environment.

• Coaching Employers to Higher Performance –demonstrating the tools to empower different employees and the value of encouraging employees to realize their full potential.

• Creating an Inclusive Workplace – understanding that employee’s perceptions and actions are strongly influenced by the environment created by the leaders of the organization and tools to create a welcoming environment for everyone.

So, while Workplace Development can mean different things and be applied in many ways, the training and development of your current and potential future team members is an integral part of increasing morale and productivity. If you trust the process, if you’re willing to be flexible and adapt, if you’re willing to give it time to develop, then you’ll be ready to hang the picture on the refrigerator.