| I have been in the training business for over 35 years. | | | | believe they are unable to take the curriculum |
| During that time I have had tens of thousands of | | | | approach to employee development, but they still |
| people in my audiences and training programs and I | | | | expect the people to pass their exam - in this case |
| can tell you that one of my biggest frustrations during | | | | keep on closing more business without any |
| my career is 'knowing' that a very small percentage of | | | | reinforcement, inspection or accountability other than |
| people who are exposed to employee development | | | | end of the month sales reports and feedback on the |
| programs apply and integrate what they learn over the | | | | results only and not the material that they learned |
| long term. Companies invest millions of dollars a year | | | | earlier. |
| and what do they have to show for it? Yes, many | | | | The value driven approach - |
| organizations have very sophisticated measurement | | | | The value driven approach takes the curriculum |
| devices, follow-up programs and accountability | | | | approach to the next or highest level. One way to |
| systems, but I believe these are in the minority. | | | | describe this would be by defining the difference |
| There are a number of factors that determine | | | | between; information, knowledge and wisdom. |
| whether an employee will learn, understand, embrace | | | | I believe that the ability to learn and then apply that |
| and apply new knowledge and skills. Some of these | | | | learning to the various experiences, opportunities, |
| can be controlled by the organization, but many are | | | | challenges and situations that we find ourselves in, is |
| the results of an employee's beliefs, expectations, | | | | the one key thing that separates humanity from all |
| mindsets, attitudes and agendas which can't be | | | | other life forms on Earth. |
| controlled by the training entity whether an outside | | | | I know people who are almost proud to say they have |
| outsourced firm or an in-house training department. | | | | read only one book in the past year and I am blessed |
| Effective employee development programs must be | | | | to know many people who can't devour enough |
| more than just putting 100 people in a room for a day | | | | learning regardless of its source. |
| and expecting them to change approaches or modify | | | | I love to learn, to understand and then to try and |
| behaviors after a few hours. | | | | determine how this learning, regardless of its basis |
| Over the years I have developed a training concept | | | | applies to me and my mission to serve others. Some |
| and approach that can be described as curriculum | | | | people might ask, why bother to learn anything when |
| based training rather than short term focused. | | | | all of your knowledge and wisdom will die with you? |
| Essentially it involves four stages or approaches to | | | | Great question. However, what if what you learned |
| employee development strategies and each of these | | | | and used helped you have a happier, more peaceful |
| will be described in further detail in chapter two. | | | | and rewarding life while you are here? |
| They are: | | | | There are many reasons to learn. The simple test is |
| -The awareness level. | | | | this - have you ever had a situation or experience |
| -The understanding level | | | | where, because of your lack of learning, knowledge or |
| -The integration level | | | | wisdom cost you time, money, love, peace or |
| -The mastery level | | | | happiness? If you can answer no then, you are right, |
| If you want your employee investment to return itself | | | | why bother to learn unless some of what you have |
| several times over, the only guaranteed way to | | | | learned might help others who cross your path. |
| accomplish this is by ensuring that any training initiative | | | | The purpose of growth is to develop wisdom. First |
| takes the participants through all four stages. | | | | there is information. Information is nothing more than |
| I can't tell you how many half or full day sales, | | | | ideas, principles, concepts, approaches, techniques etc. |
| management, leadership, motivation and customer | | | | Each of us is bombarded daily with more information |
| service seminars I have spoken at over the years | | | | than we need or could ever assimilate. |
| where the client wanted permanent change in | | | | Information is followed by understanding. When you |
| employee's behaviors or approaches after only a few | | | | understand how certain information applies to you, you |
| hours covering enough material that should have been | | | | are now in a position to take the next step to |
| multi-day course over a period of a year or longer. | | | | knowledge. |
| Needless to say, over time, there were many | | | | Knowledge is nothing but filtered information. You have |
| disappointed clients, not in my material or delivery, but | | | | decided that what you have been exposed to has |
| the long-term integration of the ideas and material their | | | | relevance or importance to you in some area of your |
| people were exposed to during this learning | | | | life. Once you have decided to integrate certain |
| experience. | | | | knowledge into your consciousness you then have the |
| If you want a positive return on your training | | | | choice to take it to the final stage and that is the |
| investment it is vital that you have a programmed | | | | development of wisdom. Wisdom is where you apply |
| learning strategy and approach and not a quick fix | | | | the knowledge you have gained towards the |
| philosophy. | | | | circumstances, events or people in your life. |
| Here's the problem. Due to any number of restraints | | | | So as you can see there is a difference between |
| organizations find it challenging to provide the right | | | | information, knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge also |
| environment, material and approach to learning. There | | | | means having access to information in your mind that |
| are logistical issues where employees are spread | | | | you have been exposed to. Wisdom is knowing what |
| across the country, even around the world. There are | | | | is important that you have learned and knowing when |
| financial constraints where there are many other areas | | | | and how to use this information. Many people today |
| of the business where it would appear that money | | | | are amassing large amounts of knowledge, but seem |
| spent here will yield far better returns. And, there are | | | | to be lacking in their ability to select what is important |
| management mindsets that restrict learning due to their | | | | and use it appropriately for inner peace and happiness. |
| shallow beliefs about its value or benefits. | | | | Knowledge is a good thing if it is used. |
| Your employees are your most important asset and | | | | The other thing I have noticed is that knowledge we |
| resource. What good does it do to have the latest | | | | once had - which was true for us at a previous time - |
| technology if your employees are under a great deal | | | | is either no longer true for us now or no longer |
| of stress, de-motivated due to management | | | | valuable. I submit that being able to do division problems |
| approaches or economic factors? Believe me, you | | | | in high school was a valuable skill. Now the ability to |
| can have the latest and greatest toys, software, | | | | use a calculator can save time, reduce calculation |
| products and services, but if your employees lack the | | | | errors and give us time for other activities. |
| creativity, initiative, motivation, skills, attitudes and | | | | I am not advocating a revolution against technology, |
| empowerment I'll guarantee that these resources will | | | | information or the amassing of huge amounts of |
| be under utilized. | | | | knowledge. I am, however, suggesting that if your |
| If you want effective salespeople they need to be | | | | knowledge does not give you wisdom, why bother? |
| trained in the best available techniques and strategies. | | | | The value driven approach ensures that once an |
| If you want productive managers, they need to be | | | | individual has gained new skills, abilities, attitudes or |
| trained in practical, contemporary and effective | | | | mindsets that they use them consistently and |
| management and leadership strategies and | | | | appropriately. The value driven approach requires |
| approaches. If you want dedicated and loyal support | | | | periodic review, inspection, reinforcement, |
| staff they need to feel that they are more important | | | | measurement and accountability benchmarks. Without |
| than the president getting new drapes for his or her | | | | each of these people, will tend, over time, to default |
| office. | | | | back to previous methods, approaches or more |
| There are three ways to educate or train people. | | | | comfortable techniques. Let's take a closer look at the |
| The transactional approach - | | | | four learning strategies; |
| A transaction is a single event, a one time interaction | | | | -The awareness level. |
| or a short-term approach. Let me give you an | | | | At this level of learning employees have an |
| example. Let's say you send your customer service | | | | awareness only of techniques, tactics, skills and |
| representatives to a half day seminar on how to | | | | approaches to be more effective in their roles. |
| improve customer relations and increase repeat | | | | However, they lack the clarity and understanding to |
| business. These people are exposed to appropriate | | | | embrace the learning in a way that will allow them to |
| and valuable material for a few hours with little | | | | put the information into practice in an effective way |
| interaction or participation. They sit there all morning - | | | | and for the long term. At this level, behavior will not |
| and learn. After lunch they are back to work dealing | | | | change and you will have essentially wasted corporate |
| with many of the routine customer issues that the | | | | resources and the employee's time. They will be alert |
| training was designed to help them with. | | | | and attentive during any training session, but will lack |
| Now I ask you, if a person has spent ten, twenty or | | | | the knowledge necessary to know how, where, when |
| even only five years developing mindsets, attitudes, | | | | and why to use this new information. The awareness |
| habits, routines, approaches do you think they are | | | | level can be described as sharing information only. |
| going to permanently change these because of a four | | | | -The understanding level |
| hour seminar? Not likely. | | | | At the understanding level, employees get it. They see |
| The curriculum approach - | | | | the relationship between the information they have |
| A curriculum philosophy is a longer term process | | | | learned and its value, but they still lack the ability to |
| where there are ongoing gradual incremental increases | | | | apply what they have learned to their roles and |
| in the information is covered as well as some form of | | | | responsibilities. |
| inspection or accountability. | | | | -The integration level |
| Let me give you an example. If you took algebra when | | | | Knowledge if it is not used applied or integrated into |
| you were in high school, how did you learn it? Let's say | | | | current mindsets, activities, responsibilities or |
| after your first 45 minute class on the topic of algebra | | | | approaches is essentially useless information. Without |
| the teacher gave you your final exam. Would you | | | | a doubt the biggest challenge in any training initiative is |
| pass? Of course not. How do you learn algebra so | | | | to ensure that the new learning is used and used |
| that after three months of classes, three times a | | | | whenever and wherever appropriate for the long term. |
| week you could pass the final exam? | | | | Applying new knowledge for the short-term only |
| Goes like this. Class, homework, next class two days | | | | generally occurs when the following ten requirements |
| later you discuss the homework, then new material | | | | are followed in any training program |
| followed by homework on the new material. Two | | | | -The mastery level |
| days later the process continues. Three months later, | | | | Mastery is the highest form of knowledge applied. This |
| you pass the exam. Now, let's apply this to a | | | | is where wisdom becomes the standard for learning |
| corporate learning situation. | | | | and skill and attitude development. Mastery occurs |
| Put your salespeople through a one day training | | | | when knowledge becomes wisdom and wisdom is |
| seminar on how to close more sales (the transaction | | | | utilized at every opportunity when the situation or |
| approach) and then send them on their way. They | | | | circumstance warrants. Very few participants in a |
| might improve their ability to close for a few days or | | | | training session for a number of reasons that we have |
| weeks, but I'll guarantee that two months later if you | | | | already discussed achieve this level of knowledge or |
| gave them the final exam on closing more sales most | | | | information application. Generally speaking people who |
| of them would fail it. | | | | achieve mastery in their chosen field or endeavor |
| See the difference? | | | | have made mastery their goal and they have followed |
| As I said earlier, most organizations are unwilling or | | | | through with discipline, persistence and planning. |