Transformation Through Training

Words can be very powerful as everyone knows. They have moved nations to war and encouraged the discouraged. Words can also be transformational and that is the purpose of the words used in a company training program. The words are meant to transform company managers and staff into leaders who can help insure the success of the company.

These are not just buzz words which are meant to be read and forgotten. The transformational words used in a training session lead to the development of additional effective word use throughout the organization. Managers learn to use words to empower staff. Staff use words to create customer loyalty.

The flow of words through the organization can move departments to be cooperative or they can create divisiveness. Words can inspire employees or wound customers. The assembly of words can create a highly effective organisation able to handle change in a productive way.

Business training uses words that inspire individuals to develop their talents, makes strategic planning possible, addresses complex customer issues, and improves overall company productivity. The best words spoken are spoken right in the business too. On-site training only makes sense, because people can learn and implement training concepts in the company where current fortunes lie and future possibilities are developed.

A Corporate Culture of Success

Training employees in their place of business makes it possible to not only develop the skills of managers and staff, but it clearly establishes a corporate culture of success. When a company proves it values the abilities of its organizational members to create a profitable result by encouraging training and education, personnel are motivated to do what it takes to support the corporate mission through personal leadership skills.

On-site training offers many benefits over off-site training. For example, the training is cost effective and makes it possible for a greater number of personnel to participate. Mini-training and self-paced training provide all the opportunities needed to gain the right information. It is much easier to use situational training which teaches managers and staff hands-on decision making techniques. The participants are able to more easily apply learning to their particular working positions.

In Australia, the government is such a big supporter of training that company personnel can get accredited non-traditional training which leads to certificates of success or degrees. The instructors can structure the training session in a way that is the least disruptive to the business and yet the most effective for participants and the organisation itself.

In other words, training personnel will result in personal and business success. Personnel training can lead to new behaviours which enable a company to improve its ability to compete through customer service.

Training Leaders

The ultimate goal of training is to create leaders. This does not mean there will be only “bosses” and no “followers”. It means personnel get the tools they need in the way of training and education to make the right decisions no matter what job they are performing. The right decision is the one that supports the mission of the company.

Today’s workplace is a highly stressful environment. By providing regular training to managers and staff, you can change that environment to one that is ready to meet those stresses in a productive manner leading to improved sales and profitability.

The right words can make all the difference in the customer world.

Personalising the Company Vision

It is possible to identify a company where managers and staff have not been adequately trained and have not developed their leadership qualities. In a company such as the one just described, personnel make individual decisions without regard for how it impacts the ability of the company to fulfil its corporate vision.

For example, the person working in the call centre does not care if a customer is permanently lost as long as he or she collects their pay check. The managers in charge of the customer service departments care only about instituting procedures which decrease departmental workloads without regard to how those procedures affect the sales departments.

In other words, departments and people work independently of the company vision or mission. Through an effective staff training program, you can change these attitudes and develop the leadership abilities people possess while also showing them ways to apply those abilities in the support of the business mission. This difference in approach by managers and staff can lead to:

• More unified organisational personnel structure
• More satisfied personnel able to use their skills
• Increase in customer conversion rates and sales through better customer service
• Increased profits
• Increased customer retention

The first key to long term business success is having a well defined vision that is shared throughout the organisation. The second key is to turn that mission or vision into specific actions that are always supportive of that vision. The only effective way to do this is to teach managers and staff how to personalise the company vision.

Company Coalition

It is interesting to note that a company which provides high quality training programs to managers and staff is in effect creating a company coalition. This coalition focuses on creating a common cause within the organization. With a common cause, all interdepartmental and staff-customer interactions are focused on the good of the company. It is the equivalent of creating a “bargaining unit” which is always bargaining for the success of the company.

A company training program can create a cohesive unit by helping people better understand how their job function is a critical component of the coalition. When you belong to a negotiating group, it is easy to stay focused on the results which are desired for the organisation being represented. That is how your managers and staff should see their roles within the company – as negotiators at every stage who are seeking either consensus or resolution.

• Satisfied customers who are willing to purchase product or services again in the future
• Satisfied existing customers who are happy to recommend the company to potential customers
• Increased inter-departmental functioning leading to greater efficiency
• Personal decision making which benefits the company
• Enhanced management of departments or units

When staff personalise the company vision, they choose to make decisions which benefit the company and may or may not produce personal benefits. For example, a manager may decide to reorganize a customer service department for greater efficiency even though it leads to a heavier workload. Personally, the decision creates greater challenges. As a manager, the decision improves the ability of the company to respond in a competitive market.

Creating a company coalition through training can create a strong company ready to face most challenges. Everyone who works for a company must be able to personalise the company vision.