Training is Critical for Surviving Hypergrowth

Why do some companies buckle under the intense pressures of hyper-growth while others thrive? The answer is that successful Enterprise Velocity companies have an engine, a deep corporate DNA that threads throughout the entire organization. That culture is created and sustained through a commitment to constant training.

What would happen if professional athletes failed to train regularly? Would they succeed? Would they feel a sense of accomplishment? Or would they experience humiliation in front of fellow athletes? Training is just as important to your corporate team. If you have not already determined a plan to hone the instincts of your employees so that they are more effective and efficient, then begin drafting your training plan today.

The benefits to training are numerous. A well-designed training program will:

• Build a more effective and cohesive team
• Create a professional network
• Generate new ideas
• Renew commitment to the company’s Velocity Ideals (mission, values, goals, Impossible Dream)
• Build better communications skills
• Develop hidden talent
• Ensure consistent quality
• Provide greater focus
• Clarify the concepts of the Enterprise Velocity model
• Increase sales and marketing efficiencies
• Help uncover new competitive advantages

The excuses for not implementing a training program are just as numerous. Some employees are reluctant to be trained. They like doing things the same way they have always done them. Perhaps they found school difficult and do not want those experiences to color their managers’ opinions of them. They do not realize that a well-designed training program can be effective, objective and fun all at the same time.

Another common excuse is that there is not enough money budgeted to pay for training; however, the fees of a well designed training program should be based on return, not just bodies in a room.

In the beginning, a firm should use professionals to train and develop training programs, at least for the first cycle. Then, ongoing, there are specialties such as sales, marketing, leadership training as well as multi-media development that are best left to the experts rather than try an develop competencies inside of your organization that do not contribute directly to your core mission. Training that is essential to your mission should be directly in the middle of everyday life for your employees. That requires commitment to constant training from the top down.

Photo credit: Classroom with Three Figures, by Carl Clifford