EDUCAT ION
people are going to find them out and it spoils the enjoyment of the achievement.” Even generally confident, highly educated people can come up against issues that their training hasn’t equipped them to deal with. “Perhaps they get a really difficult manager or a controlling partner or get into a situation where their skills and mindset are not complete enough,” explains Madeleine. Her work focuses on helping them overcome this, resolve career crises and successfully move on, often achieving far more than they’d thought they could. Solutions include harnessing what she describes as the power of curiosity to find a way through a difficult situation. Asking what has driven someone to act the way they do rather than reacting angrily to their behaviour can make a huge difference. “We’re all good at ‘doubt’ questions like, ‘what if it goes wrong’ or ‘am I good enough?’,” she says, “but less good at ‘resource’ questions like, ‘what could I learn?’, ‘what’s my part in this?’ or ‘how could I change?’” The bottom line is that learning something new – whether it’s bringing that long-buried novel into the light or taking a perfectly baked sourdough loaf out of the oven – is just half the story. Whether New Year’s enlightenment comes in the shape of a bottle, some bread or a book, what people really love is that they’re not just learning something new, but doing it with compatible people. And that sense of companionship is really what it’s all about – part of an experience to be treasured. “Increasingly, we’re aware that we live in such a materialistic world that people are more interested in an experience than a thing,” points out Tine Roche at Cambridge Cookery. Learning new skills can, she says, be a life-affirming experience that can give people a new purpose – not just during the new year, but for life. “It gives you something; it grounds you.” “People are more interested in an experience than a thing”
CASE HISTORIES
TWO LOCAL ADULT LEARNERS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES
CREATIVE WRITING They say that everyone has a story in them. The problem, says Isobel, is that while that’s true, knowing where to start can be difficult. Studying with Jo Wroe gave her the belief that she could write a book of her own. “Jo has a wonderful way of unlocking creative talent in each of us,” she says. And it wasn’t just the writing that made the experience such an enriching one. “What I enjoyed as much as writing was the other people. It’s generally a group that you don’t know and haven’t met before, but each week you hear their stories and share your stories with them. It’s a wonderful social event, too, but you all have a common aim.” Creative writing sessions took on an even greater importance when Isobel was diagnosed with breast cancer. “It was absolutely a lifesaver, because I had a focus, something to look forward to every week – and particularly when I was going through chemotherapy. No one on the course knew I was undergoing treatment apart from Jo and it was such a relief – I couldn’t stand to be identified as a sufferer. No matter how drained I felt, I didn’t miss a single session. I found the energy from somewhere and it was an absolute godsend,” she says. “We all have challenges in life, of different kinds, and it can be the darkest, bleakest time in January. Do this and meet a new group of people, do something for yourself that’s going to take you out of whatever doldrums you might be in. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Even if you never write a book, it doesn’t matter. It’s a journey you go on. I’ve kept all my notes and hopefully one day they will make it into print.” CAREER COACHING Jane (name has been changed for privacy), a highly qualified IT professional, came to see Madeleine Morgan at a low point in her career. Despite her expertise, she felt she was being sidelined by sharp-elbowed colleagues and was concerned that her career was stalling, to the point where she was seriously considering leaving her job. As her self-confidence plummeted, it was also affecting her personal life. Career coaching helped her to turn things round, rebuilding her confidence, developing her assertiveness and raising her profile within her company. Within a short time, Jane had been given a bigger bonus than ever before and headhunted for a leadership role in a different department that recognised her exceptional people and technical skills. She loves this new role, is able to play to her strengths – and now has a far better work-life balance into the bargain.
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