Marcus Straub
Human potential is an expandable resource that becomes static when it doesn’t receive the stimulation it needs to grow and develop. This is where the terms “I’m in a rut” and “I’m stuck” come from. Owners, team members and companies get in ruts, too, and this must be overcome if they are to reach their potential in business.
The way out of this stagnant state is through continual and ongoing learning opportunities that expand the potential of everyone on the team. Reflect on a time when you got out of a rut, and you’ll see this happened as a result of being exposed to something new and learning from it. You took actions that challenged you, expanded your capabilities and stretched your potential.
Trainings are a vital component in consistently providing opportunities for team members to learn, grow and develop. However, trainings — if done at all — are often sporadic, inconsistent and lack vital follow-up and follow-through. For any training program to be effective, it must be conducted regularly and delivered by a competent professional to participants who’re willing to learn.
To clearly illustrate this, consider any sports team. Training and practice are the norm, not the exception. The teams that reach the greatest levels of success have the best coaches and trainers, and the work they do with the team is consistent and high quality. Their pursuit is one of excellence and everything they do is designed and executed with the sole intention of bringing out the very best in each player and the team as a whole. Why would you run your business any other way?
The ultimate success of any team or company depends on this highly effective approach of training and coaching. When you research the greatest companies, you find a solid business model that includes consistent, ongoing and effective training as a key component in their exceptional success.
One of the best ways to assist yourself and your team members is through targeted trainings to overcome gaps in skills, abilities and attitudes. The use of unbiased and statistically accurate assessments is extremely effective in identifying specific gaps in individuals and teams. With this vital information, the trainer can target areas that are obstacles and most in need of development.
Targeted, effective trainings infuse your company with new information, strategies and energy. When talented and motivated individuals are stimulated through trainings and their growth and development are supported along the way, they rise to new heights in efficiency and effectiveness. A sustained internal effort will elevate your company, and the return on your investment will be huge.
Quality trainings also will help you identify team members who aren’t motivated, don’t want to learn and grow and who present obstacles to the success the rest of the team is working to achieve. Once these people are identified, further work can be done with them at a one-on-one level to help them become a powerful asset. If it’s determined this isn’t going to happen, letting these individuals go positions your company to bring on potential superstars who will become valuable additions to the team.
People come alive with excitement, motivation, clarity and direction when working with a dynamic trainer who connects with them. Those who desire to learn and grow stand out: they listen intently, ask questions and reach for even more with open eyes and receptive minds. The reality is that most people have a strong desire to learn. When given the opportunity and their learning is supported in an ongoing and consistent way, they will.
While providing trainings that solely enhance the technical skills of your team is great, it’s the trainings that teach your people how to manage their minds as well that are far more effective and long-lived. If you truly desire to stretch the potential of yourself and your team, the trainings you offer must be engaging, challenging and empowering to the very thought processes of those in attendance.
Remember, people are at the very core of every successful company. It’s the strength of their mindsets that allows them to operate at their highest levels.
When learning and growth become the cultural norm, the company as a whole stretches its potential. This equates to happier team members, improved customer satisfaction, steady growth and increased revenue.
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