Professional training vs the school of hard knocks

In today’s economy, many look at the bottom line more than usual and don’t do anything unless it’s mission critical. When we cut costs, we also decrease expenses, but to what end? Training seems to be one of the first things companies eliminate without thinking about the outcome. But why is training and development so important? Why can’t people learn the way that many of us did - by the school of hard knocks?

Wikipedia defines the ‘school of hard knocks’ as: “A phrase that is most typically used by a person to claim a level of wisdom imparted by life experience, which they consider at least equal in merit to academic knowledge.”

We often learn because life teaches us lessons that we would rather not repeat. A punch in the stomach, falling off a ladder, getting sued and losing a job are examples of lessons that the real world teaches us. In the school of hard knocks, students learn from failure, not from success.

Avoid the dangerous mindset

You may say: “But I had a great instructor who taught me everything I know.” Almost all of you have taught someone at some point in your career. Be honest, did you teach them everything you knew or what you thought they should know? Unless your company has a program for your employees, and unless you are a teacher or instructor, then you probably taught them what you thought they should know. If that person then teaches another person in the same way, that person then teaches another person, and so on. Five generations later, much of the knowledge is lost. But then again, the school of hard knocks will bring them to your level eventually. The question is: How much does ‘eventually’ cost you and your business?

You may understand the consequences, but still think that you cannot afford to train someone. Plus, you might believe that they will leave once they are certified. This is the number-one reason I have heard for not training someone. It’s not that the classes are too expensive, or that they require travel and time out of the office - the typical mindset is that if you train someone, they will become so good and worth more than what you can afford to pay them. This is a self-fulfilling prophesy and a dangerous one.

Having the very best employees is what you should strive for - that is the difference between what your customers want and what they are getting. A person who is trained is less likely to make the same mistakes as someone who is not trained. The worst salesperson in the world cannot do as much harm as the worst technician on your customer site or re-works and a blown budget stemming from a poor design. It only takes one mistake or lack of professionalism to destroy years of good relations.

Keep trained employees

Most companies know that by providing employee training and development early on, they can create the difference between a long-termed, effective and loyal employee and an ineffective one. The employment market is currently soft, so you may not be thinking about employee training and development right now. However, you can bet that when the economy improves, companies will lift their hiring freeze and new employees will be looking for guidance. Moreover, companies will try to recover and seek businesses and individuals that can help them achieve their goals quickly, efficiently and within budget.

How do you keep the employees that you train? Training should be a reward for your employees - a give-and-take process. They provide their time and skill to achieve; you provide your money to improve them. It is this investment that will take your company to a higher level. The manager who does not hire their replacement cannot be successful. If you are afraid that your employees will leave if you train them, it is probably that fear that will make them leave anyway.

Most employees want to believe that they are part of the growth of the organisation. The feeling of security and being part of the team may make a difference in keeping them from leaving even when offered higher pay. Despite working for the best organisation, some employees will still look for greener grass. However, those who do move on will likely be hit with the realisation that the grass is not always greener on the other side - it is often better to work things out with the boss that you know rather than the one that you don’t know.

It’s important to make sure that each party is willing to put something into the training. If the employee is not willing to invest his or her time, then the employee is wasting money. Look for the employee who wants to advance themselves - it will be the one who asks for more responsibilities, gives you a copy of this article, or shows you that they are ready.

When you do decide to invest in training, make sure that the students are prepared for the class. Many students come to BICSI’s training not prepared for the hours of reading and studying that are required in most classes. If a book is available or required for the class, be sure the student has it in time to read and study. This will not only enhance their classroom experience, it will also increase their probability of passing the exam.

Your attitude will also make a big difference. If you are sending them for training because you have to and are irritated that you are being forced to, think of the message you are sending. Talk about pressure! I have heard employees say: “My manager says that if I fail, I might as well not come back.” If this is what you tell your employee before they leave for training, that employee may not be back even if they do pass. Encouragement and commitment in helping an employee succeed will be the difference in what that employee does after the training.

Make an investment worth making

Any financial expert worth his salt will advise you to not stop investing, regardless of what the economy is doing. Training and education should be considered an investment. Whether you are investing in your business or your career, the dividends returned will be invaluable.

Whatever training you decide on is not as important as the decision to train. Professional training can be quite costly, but the largest cost of training is not the travel expense, hotel expense, or even the loss of revenue. The largest cost is the jobs you lose because you are not certified or not differentiating yourself from your competitors. If both you and your competitors offer the same service without much difference in value, your customer will make their selection based on price. When this happens, you have created a commodity product. As with all commodities, it is the customer who ultimately loses. Remember, if your customer loses, then you lose your customer.

So invest in training and take control of your own future and make sure you are prepared for tomorrow, today. Benjamin Franklin once said: “Tell me and I forget; teach me and I remember; involve me and I learn.”