Marcus Straub
Human potential expands or becomes static depending upon whether or not it receives the stimulation it needs to grow and develop. The phrases “I’m in a rut” and “I’m stuck” are born of an individual’s languishing potential. Business owners, team members and business themselves get in ruts, too, and this must be overcome if they’re to expand their potential.
The path out of this stagnant state is through continual and ongoing learning opportunities designed to expand the potential of the team — professional development that challenges, stretches and increases the capabilities of your team members over time. Trainings are a vital component in consistently providing opportunities for team members to learn, grow and develop.
Unfortunately, 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, delivered by a competent professional to participants willing to learn and reinforced consistently in day-to-day operations.
To clearly illustrate this, consider any successful sports team. Training and practice are the norm, not the exception. Teams that reach the greatest levels of success have the best coaches and trainers, and the work they do with teams is consistent, ongoing and high quality. In their pursuit of excellence, 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. Wouldn’t it make sense to run your business the same way?
The ultimate success of any team depends on this highly effective approach of training, coaching and targeted professional development. 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, behaviors, motivation, business acumen and attitudes. The use of unbiased and statistically accurate assessments is extremely effective in identifying specific gaps in individuals and teams. Using this vital information, a professional development expert can target areas that constitute obstacles to top performance as well as areas that are in the most 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 through coaching and professional development, they rise to new heights in efficiency and effectiveness. When this is coupled with a sustained internal effort, the return on your investment is huge.
Quality trainings also help identify team members who remain unmotivated, don’t want to learn and grow and 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 hire potential superstars who’ll become valuable additions to the team.
People come alive with excitement, motivation, clarity and direction when working with a dynamic trainer and coach 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. Most people want to learn. When they’re given the opportunity and their learning is supported in an ongoing and consistent way, they become more knowledgeable and skilled.
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 grow and stretch the potential of yourself and your team, trainings must be engaging, challenging and empowering to the very thought processes of those in attendance.
People are at the very core of every successful company, and it’s the strength of their mindset that allows them to operate at their highest levels on a consistent basis.
As you work to expand your team’s — and therefore your company’s — potential in 2016, ensure a greater return on investment by making high-quality trainings, coaching and professional development part of your corporate culture.
This will equate to more effective team members, improved customer satisfaction, growth and increased revenue.
