The client whisperer

A tree must be judged by its fruit. An Apple does not fall far from the tree. These two sayings or proverbs resonate well as I seek words to empower leaders and educators on building a legacy as they deliver the most honorable responsibility/calling of service in the knowledge industry. Of late, we have a burst of mentors and coaches who have joined the bandwagon of educators in the quest for financial stability through freelancing as well as many other factors such as the vast usage of AI to generate content.

My question is; how sustainable is this endeavor? Today I speak to all educators to introspect on the intention by asking what kind of fruit they are bearing. This is in the personification of the leader with a tree with branches and possibly fruits.

By reading content in its various forms, attending webinars, watching videos, and masterclasses as well as engaging in one-on-one sessions, we sow seeds that we then nurture and hope will bear fruits that will last and impact this generation and possibly generations to come. A good tree bears good fruit while a bad tree may or may not bear good fruit, or worst still, the quality of the fruit will not be good.

Do we have M&E systems in place that will keep track of our clients? Or do we forget about them as soon as we get our numbers in check or perhaps payment?

Here are some considerations in the form of; values, virtues, or nuggets to keep in mind when nurturing our clients:

Patience, selflessness, authenticity through storytelling – do we use old-school wisdom sayings including puns, similes, and metaphors, proverbs from our varied cultural backgrounds to enhance this? Let me know your thoughts on how you go about it.

Speaking of lifelong learning - do you acknowledge research done by others who’ve written such topics before you? how about empathy? Marshall B. Rosenberg states that “Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing.” By using authority wisely and showing the desire to transform/help clients unlearn bad habits while holding them accountable you can transform your client too. Listening skills are a must-have – do we listen actively? how about keeping up with industry trends? and lastly, I would lay emphasis on collecting feedback.

So regardless of where you are planted, be it in a school, corporate space, or leading in any capacity, even just at home as a parent. We must be intentional in our nurturing sequence. Just as the quality of a tree is determined by the fruit, any leader, teacher, or coach can be evaluated by the positive outcomes they facilitate in keeping with the skills & values highlighted in this post.

The use of technology in facilitating monitoring and evaluation cannot be understated. In reference to Collins's (2023) article on Emerging Technology Trends in Monitoring and Evaluation, Data visualization has become a trend in monitoring and evaluation allowing for greater interaction with the data.

Here are some of the ways we can incorporate M&E while providing our services to enhance our output and ultimately have fruitful outcomes.

1. Using data visualization and analytic tools to present complex information in a way that is easy to decipher the meaning. This can be more beneficial, especially in processing large volumes of data, and is made possible by machine learning and artificial intelligence.
2. Mobile data collection tools such as apps for real-time monitoring and evaluation to enhance data collection processes result in easy and seamless data collection, improved accuracy of data, and enable speedy analysis
3. Utilizing remote sensing technologies to gather data without physical presence as well as the use of virtual collaborative platforms to foster collaboration among teams responsible for monitoring and evaluation
4. Careful and intelligent Integration of AI technologies to support monitoring and evaluation processes. It is worth mentioning that currently, more products in the market have AI integrated into them and therefore we can be on the lookout when sourcing for such.

Overall, by putting a structure in place keeping the end in mind, which is impacting the lives of persons who interact/consume our products or services by; clearly defining objectives, planning, embracing the variety of tools and methods, giving clear and concise instructions as well as incorporating assessment and feedback which fosters continuous update and improvement we shall all be in proper ‘health’ as a tree and capable of bearing fruit which will last!