| What is the one thing you can do for your people that | | | | 1. Better performance. A person who is well-trained will |
| will yield benefits over and over? Pay them more | | | | perform better than someone who isn't. If we simply |
| money? Give them gas cards? Throw pizza parties | | | | accept the level of performance we're getting when |
| on Friday afternoons? Those things are nice, and | | | | we hire someone, the business will stay exactly as it |
| appreciated, but the one investment you can make in | | | | is...no growth, no change...and pretty soon that person |
| your teams that will pay dividends for all is to provide | | | | will want to move on to someplace where they will |
| them with training. | | | | grow. |
| Chuck Coovert was the head of marketing for Grass | | | | 2. Better quality. With training comes quality. As |
| Valley Group, a company that creates components | | | | performance grows, so does the quality. If all of your |
| for high-end video and television production equipment. | | | | people are trained, the overall quality of the company |
| At one point he managed a world-wide sales force, | | | | is multiplied over and over. |
| and throughout his career has managed thousands of | | | | 3. More loyalty. We are creatures of habit. We like |
| people. During his career he achieved phenomenal | | | | comfort. If you are investing in me, I will be grateful and |
| results by doing two things: he continually sought to | | | | want to perform better as a means of returning the |
| improve was his own performance, and he invested in | | | | investment. My loyalty expands...and you gain a much |
| the development of his people. | | | | more productive asset in me. |
| Not long ago he was delivering a training to the | | | | 4. More personal happiness. Why did Chuck say that |
| managers of an organization on the "S" Curve, and | | | | you should offer training, even if it's basket-weaving (or |
| how that applied to this growing organization. Of the | | | | something else that doesn't relate to the business)? |
| many things he said, the one thing that stood out was | | | | Because you're not just investing in a piece of |
| that "training is free". | | | | machinery, but in a human being. If you support |
| Many companies spend hundreds of thousands, if not | | | | someone's personal growth, it will translate into |
| millions, on training every year. Chuck says that he | | | | professional growth...which creates more happiness |
| never saw this as a cost, but a deep investment in the | | | | and satisfaction in life. You're better-off investing in the |
| company, and in the individual. | | | | whole person, not just in fine-tuning specific skills. And, if |
| "Every dollar you spend you'll get back five-fold," he | | | | you do this, the specific skills will be sharpened, as well. |
| said. "Even if your employee wants to take | | | | 5. Training costs less than turnover. Replacing |
| basket-weaving at the local community college." | | | | someone is costly. Depending on the position, costs will |
| A well-trained person is a happy person. Human beings | | | | run 2 to 5 times the amount of that person's annual |
| consistently want to be challenged. They want to learn | | | | salary. Training is a means of securing that person. Will |
| and to grow. Training helps build the corporate brand, | | | | someone eventually leave even with the training? Yes, |
| and the personal brand. One fear managers have, | | | | that'll happen...but less so. Any way you can hold onto |
| though, is that because of the transitory nature of | | | | your productive people - especially in an age where |
| today's workforce, they may receive some short-term | | | | there is less and less available talent - is a good thing. |
| benefit by offering training, but their person will | | | | 6. Training stimulates creativity and innovation. If your |
| eventually leave and go to work for someone else. | | | | aim is to promote growth, training stimulates one to |
| They feel like all they've done is train people for other | | | | think differently about his or her job. When we think |
| companies, including competitors. Chuck says this idea | | | | differently, that's when our God-given creative |
| is false. | | | | imagination kicks in. We'll look at problems with new |
| "Yes, that could happen and sometimes does happen. | | | | eyes, and follow-through with more energy. We are |
| But more often the trained employee appreciates the | | | | creative creatures, and applied creativity can only |
| training he receives and sticks around." | | | | make your business better. |
| An axiom that managers can live by is that most | | | | Training is available everywhere. All you need to do is |
| people believe "if I'm not growing, I need to be going." | | | | identify what you want and a means of delivering it. If |
| This is true for most people. The more investment | | | | you're at a loss in finding good training, assign a team |
| made into another, the more loyal that person | | | | of your employees to look into the possibilities. They'll |
| becomes. They will want to do a good job for you...and | | | | appreciate the assignment, especially because they will |
| they realize you're making an investment in them. | | | | be the direct beneficiaries of their findings. |
| There are many benefits to training. Here are 6 ways | | | | So, invest in training. After all, it's free. |
| training pays you back: | | | | |