Those that understand the importance of training absolutely know this to
be a fact. It’s not a belief or an opinion, or a preference. It’s certainly not
an attitude. It’s a cold hard fact: training is important.
But there’s a strange problem here; and you probably know what it is,
either directly or indirectly.
Many people know that training is important – because, at one time or
another, and in one form or another, we’ve all been valuably trained in
something, or trained someone else to do something useful – yet this
basic knowledge is not widely reflected in the world of work. It’s clear
importance is not fully understood, and therefore, not fully exploited to
make life easier and more profitable.
Unraveling the Strange Problem: Changing Perceptions
The core of this problem has to do with that important postmodern word:
perception.
For decades now – centuries, arguably – training has been seen as
something that supports the workforce. This position stems largely from
the perception that training is an extension of education. Since
education has been traditionally viewed as a system of supporting
human growth and development, workforce training has slid
conveniently, some might say logically, into this existing groove of
thinking.
So why is this a problem of perception?
Because in the modern workforce – and that of the foreseeable future –
the idea that workforce training exists as a support system is
dangerously outdated. The notion of support implies that something is
important; but not necessarily vital, and certainly not essential. And it’s
because of this view that in many workplaces, training is viewed as an
enhancer; something valuable, yes, but ultimately optional. Something
to invest in or focus upon if revenues support it, or if time permits it. But
certainly nothing essential.
This perception is utterly out of date!
Training is no longer optional. It’s not an enhancer, a supporter, or a
nice to have thing. In the 21st century, an organization’s capacity to
effectively train its people is part of its ability to survive. And if that
capacity isn’t there – or if it’s defective – then the organization itself will
reveal that flaw in a number of destructive ways, including loss of bottom
line profits.
Why the Skilled Workforce Makes Training Essential
It’s a misnomer to think that so-called skilled workers are those human
beings who emerge from university or college and bring with them some
kind of technical or practical acumen. That may have been true a few
decades ago; but no longer, and never again.
In today’s world, everyone is a skilled worker. From the receptionist with
the high school education to the CFO with an MBA, the entire workforce
has become a skilled landscape; and that means that there is arguably
no position that isn’t in need of continuous training.
Each member of a team, a unit, and a company can no longer be
viewed as individual silos focusing on their singular task within a limited
sphere of activities. Rather, today, each person is a part of a skilled
workforce; and if there are gaps or lacks in any area, the entire
workforce will suffer. And make no mistake: this suffering isn’t merely
emotional or cultural (though that is a part of it). This suffering is
financial.
Training = Profit
When there are gaps in the skilled workforce – gaps caused by lack of
training – then, automatically, work become inefficient and money is lost.
How much money is lost depends on the type of gap and how it
manifests; but without doubt, regardless of whether a company sells
flowers or microchips, a gap in the skilled workforce costs money.
In the past, this gap was typically seen only in terms of sales, such as
whether a lack of training caused a sale to be lost. Now, however, we
know without any economic doubt that the costs of ineffective or non-
existent training gaps go far beyond lost sales. These additional
financial costs include: rework, missed profits (smaller profits due to
inefficiency), and misallocated resources (money spent trying to fix a
gap could be better spent elsewhere). There’s also lost market share,
lost potential word-of-mouth advertising from satisfied (or merely served)
customers, and the list goes on.
Understanding why Training is Important
It bears repeating: training can no longer be viewed as a support
system, like a good benefits program or a leading-edge technical
infrastructure. In the skilled workforce of the 21st century, training is
essential. It is the core engine of a company, because it supports the
entire skilled workforce. And, frankly, there is no other way –
whatsoever – for a company to comply with this paradigm shift than to
understand that training is important. Or rather, that it’s essential.
Not All Training is Created Equally
A typical and rational concern here might be that not all types of workers
require the same training. Actually, this is perfectly true, and not a
concern; it’s just a basic fact of the new world of work.
Absolutely: your sales team will not require the same training as your
customer service people. While there might be elements that apply to
both – negotiation skills and cultural awareness spring to mind – there is
no need to envision a cookie-cutter approach to training. In fact, the old
model of training – the one where static, one-size-fits-all training was
rolled-out through a company from CEO to Intern is tragically (and
again, dangerously) out of date. Successful training – the kind that
retains profit and creates more profit – must reflect the needs of a
particular team or function within a company.
This may sound expensive; and in fact, one of the big reason that old-
fashioned roll-out training has been relied upon is because it’s
seemingly easy to administrate, and even easier to predict costs (as
needlessly high as they may be).
Yet as economists are clearly pointing out – without emotion, without
bias, in the great way that economists point things out – this old-
fashioned training approach is more expensive than the new,
customized skilled workforce training. This is because focused training
can be measured and tracked much more practically than generic
company-wide training. Furthermore, this customization allows training
to be tweaked and adjusted as business needs and market conditions
require.
A Final Word…
Keep in mind that the key argument here isn’t that training is good. This
isn’t pro-training boosterism; and it’s certainly not a lobbying effort on
behalf of financially neglected Training and Development professionals
across the globe. The perception that training is essential is sourced in
the emergence of the most powerful, and possibly most dynamic, labor
market concept in history: the skilled workforce.
And the message that it’s telling us? Clear and simple: training is not an
option.
Adrian Miller provides practical, hand-on, customized skills training and
business development consulting, based on real-world selling situations
and specific client needs. Her training programs have proven to be
highly effective for traditional sales reps as well as “rainmakers” in
professional services firms.
Adrian works with clients that range from Fortune 500 companies to
small entrepreneurial firms. Her clients encompass a vast diversity of
industries, including financial services, publishing, manufacturing
biotechnology, business services, professional services, healthcare and
technology.
Adrian is a nationally recognized lecturer, a sought-after conference
speaker, and an accomplished author. Frequently published in major
business publications, her articles cover a broad range of sales-related
topics. She can be reached at amiller@adrianmiller.com
