Just to warn you – I’m about to grumble, and it may not be pretty.
I like to think I’m pretty organised. I also like to think that I do what I can to make things clear and obvious and therefore as easy as possible for people to understand. So I feel a bit disappointed today.
I’ve spent the last few months organising some Team Teach training for targeted members of our transport staff. I arranged the venue, the trainers, the refreshments, the resources, I contacted managers and asked for names of attendees, I sent out information packs to not just the attendees but their managers too so everyone was aware it was occurring and, crucially, I even remembered to pack myself a lunch.
This morning heralded the big day – day one of the two day course. 24 attendees, 2 trainers – what could go wrong?
I arrived at the venue – nothing was set up. Cue hulking around tables and chairs. three of my colleagues (the only in house staff on the training) arrived. The trainers arrived. Good, all good. Two more trainees turned up. Fab. No refreshments. Crap. 8.30am turned and all was quiet from reception. I went and got the refreshments myself – everyone needs a cup of tea at that time of the morning. 8.45am and the tumbleweed whistled through reception. By 9am it was time to call it quits and get on with the session.
6 people were there. 6. Just us for the whole day. Only 2 were external. The whole point of the exercise was to provide training for external staff. I’m yet to speak to the managers who failed to chivvy their staff along to the session, but I feel livid that the Council spends time and resources on trying to make a difference and it gets ignored by those it intends to help. I feel angry that I’ve seemingly wasted my effort on something that was meant to encourage a positive relationship between us and the taxi operators. I feel gutted that a session that was deemed good value in terms of attendance versus costings has become more akin to losing a wallet in the River Ouse.
And what kicks me is that the training was so useful. To have the knowledge of how to de-escalate situations and get oneself out of a tight spot would have been invaluable to certain invisible attendees.
So I feel a bit disappointed today.