Celebrating small wins associated with learning and development is essential. Not only does it validate the work and effort, it sustains motivation and boosts morale, in addition to numerous other benefits for individuals, teams and coaches. Yes, coaches benefit from small wins too!

Last week, I had a serious case of goosebumps when someone I’m working with explained to me how when reviewing some client plans and docs, “it just clicked.” She saw with clarity what was missing, and proactively took action to more effectively and strategically guide the work moving forward. 

She opened that unmarked door for strategic thinking, and I had major goosebumps while she shared this (not-so-small) win with me. Did it require an investment? Of course. A better question is: what’s the cost if she never opens that door? This agency believes that investment will pay off with smart, strategic client leaders who can and will function as drivers of growth.

Critical to my work was the observation that we were roughly five weeks into our work together.  We meet (along with her teammates) every week for an hour or two in a training capacity. And, when needed, we talk and collaborate between sessions about actual client work or new business. It’s my job to show up with consistency and to provide them all with access to in-the-moment coaching.

The consistency is like spaced repetition. Think habit formation, one best practice at a time, over a period of time that will vary by person. But with the immediate feedback of in-the-moment access, we can accelerate learning and understanding. We can build confidence and a sense of self-efficacy that further reinforces motivation. 

In our research, we have seen a few agency leaders suggest that their biggest challenge with Account Management is finding and retaining great talent. But most are clear that training, learning and development is the bigger issue, or rather, the bigger opportunity at hand. There are a lot of young account people, with great heads on their shoulders, who haven’t been given the tools and the time it takes for real learning and development to take hold. 

As with everything, there is no right or wrong way to go about it. In this case, it came about through an agency’s commitment to a continuous process, with consistency and access to in-the-moment coaching.

Cue the balloons!