Michael Masterson tells us that when you desire to accomplish a goal, it has three phases:
1. Deciding to do it
2. Determining what specific actions are necessary and in what order
3. Executing those actions

So you have decided to accomplish a goal, it could be:
• Learn a new skill
• Reinforcing or sharpening an existing skill
• Help in accomplishing a task, goal or objective
• Gaining understanding (Sexual Harassment Training, Hostile Environment Training, etc.)

You have determined the specific actions that are necessary (conducting the training) and now its time to execute or conduct the training. But there is a great deal of difference in training and effective training.

There are four core principles of effective training:
1) Expectations for the training must be known
2) The training has to be clear and concise
3) The training must totally engage the audience
4) The training must be repetitive, remember to cement in change it takes repetition.

In the next postings we will cover the four principles.
 

Step four – Implement the Training. When implementing the training plan, the following process is recommended. 1) Pick the employees to take each module, if you have a management cadre consult with them for candidates. Unless you have had a training program already in place don’t let the employees pick the training they want to go to. If you do let them pick you find many employees will choose training inappropriate for themselves.

2) Have an all hands meeting to announce the training program, the reasons behind the training, the modules included in the training, and have handouts ready or a poster sized print out posted in a prominent place. Let the employees know that they will be contacted individually. This will cut down on the discussions, arguments, etc. over who is get what training.

3) When having your individual meetings with employees, discuss with the reason for the training, the importance of the training, what your expectations are for them are and so on. Make it crystal clear that training is not play time, but it is a critical part of the company’s success and to take it seriously.

Now roll the plan out.

Step five – Track and follow up on the Training. Once the training plan has been implemented, one of the most vital actions you can take is to track and review the status and success of the training. This should be done as frequently as possible.

You need to track who completed the training, who did not complete the training, review the evaluations from the training. If a particular skill acquisition or improvement was an objective the training how are you going to check the efficacy of the training.

The only way I know to do this is to test the trainees on the subject matter, this should be done both in the training itself and some time period later. As with any training there will be a drop off in retention.
 

Step three - Time and Resource planning for the Training. Continued

Schedule the timing of the training. You need to schedule your training not only as to certain time during the year but also pertaining to the time it will take. First break your training schedule down into subordinate time frames to your overall training schedule. Decide which training module must be done in what order, depending on business requirements. For instance if it’s a year training plan break it down into quarters and then into months.

Second, determine how long each training module will take as this may impact your schedule, especially if the training module takes a long period of time as well as, if it overlaps with other training during the time period. When time period overlap determine if the same employees will be taking more than one training module at the same time – not a good thing.

Also check if the training module(s) will involve too many employees at the same time – do not let training impact operational outcomes.

As with any scheduling issue, once you have all the above figured out, determine the exact day you want the training to be completed (when you want the employees to have the skills) and work the training schedule backwards from that point (backwards scheduling). If you have done the rest of the scheduling correctly this will mean only minor adjusts to your plan.
 

Step three - Time and Resource planning for the Training. Now that you have your training listed by importance, you will need to schedule the internal and external resources required to give the training. You also need to schedule the timing and the attendees for the training.

To schedule the resources required for training, first review all available internal personnel and the skills they possess. Can they do some or all of the training? Are they qualified to do the training? Are they good teachers? After you have listed all the training that can be accomplished with qualified internal resources – and in most companies that would be few – look to outside resources.

There is a plethora of outside resources available to train you and your personnel. You can have the trainers come into your company (more suitable for larger group training), you can have your personnel go outside for the training (more suitable for small group or single participants).

When you qualify the trainers, besides reviewing their credentials and portfolio of sessions. Research the list of companies they have trained, call a few – do not call the ones they suggest, call some on a random basis. Pick your vendor carefully, there are many mediocre trainers out there don’t let them into your program.

We will continue step three in the next posting
 

As with anything else in business, those companies that use best practices in training have a plan for the training they are going to do. How do you generate a training plan? What are the steps to generating and implementing a training plan?

Step One – List all the training that is needed and wanted. Needs and wants are different. Needed training is the training that is required to accomplish current tasks and processes – required training. Wanted training is those skill increasing or new skill acquiring training – “it would be nice” training.

List every conceivable type or kind of training you want have done in your company, think big, be expansive, don’t discount anything. List the type training, who would give the training, who would receive the training, the skill attained or enhanced and the benefit to the business.

Step two – prioritize the training. Prioritize the training by an A, B, C List. That is list all training that is absolutely required and urgent to reach the business objectives this year (or what ever time period you desire), these would go on the A List. Everything that is nice, but not required would go on the C List. All others would go on the B List.
 

Let’s talk a little while about how long it takes to learn a new skill.

Michael Masterson of Early to Rise, a few years back put forth the supposition, which is supported by voluminous research, that it takes time to do anything well, to learn a new skill:
1,000 Hours to become COMPETENT
5,000 Hours to become a MASTER
25,000 TO 35,000 to become a WORLD-CLASS VIRTUOSO

Chet Holmes the author of The Ultimate Sale Machine supports that idea in his own way; he states that it’s not about doing 4,000 things 12 times but doing 12 things 4,000 times to make a truly effective enterprise. I take this to mean that somebody has to do the task or skill 4,000 times before they are truly effective (a MASTER) of it.

Training is a part of those hours and a part of the 4,000 repetitions. How else can someone properly gain the skills that are required if there is not some kind of training involved? Training is an integral part of gaining skills and you had better want both you and your staff to continually gain new skills, other you will stagnate and probably rot from within.
 

Continuing from my last post on SMART goals…

A is for Achievable. "Goals should be just out of reach, but not out of site." You want to stretch yourself, not strain after impossible dreams. If you haven’t run in years, don’t set a goal to run a marathon! Your brain won’t "buy it"! Set a goal to run around the block, and then set a new goal to run for 20 minutes. Then, go farther. Nothing succeeds like success! Set goals you can and will ACHIEVE, then aim higher!

R is for Rational. To reach your goal, you will need a plan, a path, and a vehicle for getting there. Your goals should make sense when you explain them to family and friends. You can become a millionaire by methodically saving 10% of your income; you probably won’t get rich playing the lottery. Play the odds, have a plan, and work your plan!

T is for Tangible! Choose goals that you can see, hear, smell or touch. Go for things your senses will enjoy and that you can clearly visualize. The brain has a hard time going for "financial security", but it can visualize a bank statement with large numbers on it! Even things like "peace of mind" are more powerful if you re-word them in terms of a meditation room in your house, or an hour a day, just for you.

Remember to keep your Goals & Objectives concise and measurable – those items which can be measured will improve. Measure them often – at least quarterly, more likely monthly. I measure my marketing goals weekly, though that may be too much for you.
 

When working on goal setting and achieving with clients, as their business adviser I instruct them that when setting goals and objectives for their self or their business, the goals and objectives need to have certain attributes to be effective. I show them the acronym SMART to remember the attributes.

SMART stands for (I will cover the first two letters today and follow up in my next post with the last three):

S is for Simple. Your goals should be clear and easy to describe. You want to weigh 175 pounds, or save $10,000 this year. Your goal is to run a marathon or to purchase a computer by the end of the year. If it takes more than 25 words to describe your goal, simplify it!

S also stands for Significant. Don’t waste time chasing trivial goals! If you are merely thinking about a goal, forget it! Goals must have significance for you. Choose things that are important, that get you excited, things that will make a difference in your life.

M is for Measurable. A goal without a specific result is just a pipe-dream. You can’t achieve a pound of "happiness", or a foot of "self-esteem", but you CAN get a new job. You CAN run a mile in under 7 minutes or do 100 sit-ups. You CAN spend Saturdays as a family, or increase your sales by 10% this month. Someone has wisely said, "What gets measured gets done!"

I would like to discuss training for a bit.

Do you do training in your business? Even if you’re an army of one you should be doing some kind of training! In my opinion if you stop learning – or training yourself – you will stop advancing. Some of you will think that is no more to learn or train on, I disagree. Business is changing so fast, new methods and concepts are being produced at a dizzying rate that to fail to train is training to fail.

Why do we train? What’s the point? What kinds of training are there? I believe there are four general categories of training:
• Training to learn a new skill
• Training to reinforce or sharpen an existing skill
• Training to help accomplish a task, goal or objective
• Training to gain understanding (Sexual Harassment Training, Hostile Environment Training, etc.)

Now the above types of training can be commingled – you could train to learn a skill, which will help you accomplish a task and so on.

Can anyone give me a valid business reason for not doing training? I can’t think of one myself. If any of you think you do have a reason, please let me know. But bear in mind that “I don’t have time”, “It’s too expensive” and “It’s a low priority” are not valid business reason, they are justifications or excuses.

There are is a side benefit or byproduct of training; if you are training your staff then you will learn the subject matter better. If one of your staff people are doing the training then the will learn the subject matter better.

Training must have a specific point. There must be a clear and well defined reason or point (or benefit to the business) for the training. Your training should support your efforts to accomplish a Strategic Objective. If it does not, why is the training being done? Training for training sake is intellectually dishonest.

Training, whether it is to train yourself or to empower and increase your subordinate’s skills, is the essence of leadership.

In the future postings we review how long takes to learn a new skill and training plans.
 

This is as much a rant as anything else. Doctors – ya can’t live with and ya can’t live without em!! Doctors are the most arrogant people in the USA, what other profession insists on having a title and being called by their title.

Next time you see you doctor call them by their given first name and see what the reaction. I do this all the time and I have actually had two doctors ask me why I don’t call them doctor, my reply to this unmitigated gall is “do you call me CPA Sinderholm or your kids teachers, Instructor Smith or your legal adviser, Attorney Jones. Of course you don’t, so why is it important that you be addressed with a title?”

There, my rant is over, but it does lead into my subject of today’s blog. Where do you find the worst Customer Service in the world? It is my supposition that it is doctor’s offices, well maybe airline are worse.

Where else do you have to be there 15 minutes early for an appointment only to be left in the waiting room, cooling your heals. Invariably you are brought back to the exam room 15-60 minutes after your appointed time, with no explanation. If you dare ask, you’re told that the doctor is a busy man or woman – what I’m not. If I showed up 15 to 60 minutes late most times I wouldn’t be seen.

Where else you would put up with the number cancellations, improper billing, bad attitudes from the staff and late running appointments?
Why is their Customer Service so bad, it’s because you’re now viewed as a valued client, with large lifetime value of revenue, but as an inconvenient source of irritation.

How do we get doctors and their staff’s to act like the rest of the Business World? It is such a pain to change doctors (and they know it) that we seldom vote with our feet and leave their practice!

I don’t have the answer, but I feel much better now (until the next time I go to the doctor).