They say Christmas is the magic time of the calendar when people are giving and generous and happy. But isn’t January really the magic time when people try to convince themselves that this will be the year when it all happens? Isn’t this the time to reflect on new changes, new starts, new ideas, new development? Isn’t that exciting?!!! Well it would be if it weren’t so freaking cold and dark and slippery and, well, so freaking January.

Really we’re talking about two different kinds of magic here. December magic is the fairy dust, whimsical, lovey-dovey let’s be kind to strangers and feel the love type of magic. January magic is the magic of short-cuts and denial. For example, maybe you spent the better part of December fine-tuning your diet into three major food groups: alcohol, sugar cookies and gravy. Perhaps this hasn’t helped your ab-sculpting efforts and your clothes have shifted from cotton blend to airtight Saran-wrap. You try to convince yourself that you haven’t really been neglecting your body but a quick tally tells you that if you had been counting calories over the holidays, one abacus might not get the job done.

So what to do? I know, I’ll go for a nice brisk walk, drink some water (with lemon!), I’ll replace the chips for veggies in today’s dip, do 25 crunches in front of the TV and the past 4 weeks of abuse will just melt away from my Bonhomme-ish body*.

Yup, that’ll work.

This is the January magic by the way: the wishful, fingers-crossed, fix it quickly, please bring out your wand and make-it-better-today-ideal. The question I have for you to consider this month: are you hoping for some of this magic with your early year employee development and communication?

‘Tis the season for leadership and sales launch conferences, and many organizations are really hoping that they can jam about 10 days worth of information about the upcoming year into two days at a hotel with an open bar and three huge meals a day.

Many companies will try to include ‘skills development’ on the agenda, usually on the last leg of the race when their people are checking flight times, their watches and googling detoxes and cleanses. But is this really achieving your goals for employee development?

Interpersonal skills development in your employees is just like any other sustainable change in an individual.  It requires planning, discipline, hard work, and doesn’t happen in an afternoon.

The people tasked with organizing the agendas for these meetings are left with an impossible task. They are instructed to develop their people providing useful, applicable skills that will help them achieve their goals. Oh, and make sure whoever you select is fun and energizing and motivating to the group because it will be the last day of three days of meetings and everyone will be tired, grumpy, overwhelmed, possibly a smidgen hung over, and wanting to go home. These are in my opinion somewhat mutually exclusive objectives.

Interpersonal skills development in your employees is just like any other sustainable change in an individual. It requires planning, discipline, hard work, and doesn’t happen in an afternoon.

I’ve attended these meetings many times and totally get the need to re-energizeyour people before they leave. The last thing anyone wants their meeting to be remembered for is the sales trainer on the last day who made you wish for three hours of your life back and a new set of ears because you have been talked into oblivion.

My ask is that you set realistic expectations, because that speaker, no matter how invigorating and motivating they may be, is not impacting their performance beyond their plane ride home. Just like 25 crunches one afternoon is not changing a month of living like a Roman.