Yes I am afraid you have no choice except to spend the resources in training your staff. In life there are so many ways of learning formal and informal ways. The amount you take in and the result you get will very much depend on your mindset and the different ways you used in taking the subject matter. As you may remember at university or college or school you were with a number of students being taught in a class by the same teachers but the final results were never the same. Success went to those who listened, understood, practiced and remembered. You succeeded because the teacher applied different ways to make you listen, understand and remember the subject matter. You chose to use those ways which you found were appropriate to your circumstances. Training therefore enhances your capacity to listen, to understand and to remember different ways of overcoming challenges when you are faced with challenges.
The staff is the most important asset you have
When you are processing information or overcoming challenges, three elements namely people, process and technology come into play. The people element is the only active element of the three. Therefore the two elements of process and technology cannot get the desired results unless the people element initiates. It is the people who initiate the mission and plan to achieve the mission. It is people who design the process and the technology to run the process. Most challenges in organization happen because of unmanaged exposures in the people element hence the need for training of people.
Practice makes different
I remember when we were in primary we had to recite, sing, dance and practice the mathematical table from 1 to 12. In fact I did it on my own up to 25. I remember reciting the mathematical table when running to school. I remember I could not walk to school because the school was too far away from home, 8 km. We also had to practice spelling and speaking English. You had to carry a funny badge for some time when you were caught by fellow students speaking vernacular. The only way you would get ride of the badge was through transferring the badge to someone else caught in the act of speaking vernacular. You had to get read of the badge within a given time to avoid attracting more punishments. In the end I didn’t find much problem in mathematics and English because I had practiced. As the saying goes, ‘practice makes perfect’.
Training of speed enhances the speed of execution
As talked about above training includes practice and practice makes perfect. The practice angle of training is very important as it impacts on the way and speed we carry out our work. Customers demand cannot wait for us forever as tastes change on a daily basis. We have therefore to act fast in order to meet the current demand. If we do not act fast enough either someone else will meet the current demand or the current demand will change to some other product or service. For example Christmas gifts sale only during Christmas season and I am sure demand goes to almost zero when the Christmas season is over. Therefore if you are a dealer in Christmas gift items you have to sell as much as you can during Christmas in order to meet the demand. You have to invest a lot in training your staff including practicing the art of selling in order to succeed in making a lot of sales.In order for you to produce both quantity and quality of work, you have to prepare your staff physically, mentally, spiritually and give them the capacity in building relationships.
Everything around is continuously changing
We are faced with ever changing products, tastes, technology and process. You have to change when your environment changes . The only way you can keep your staff up-to-date with the changing world is through training. Through training we can enhance people’s innovativeness and creativity so that they can overcome their daily life challenges.
Author
John Muhaise Bikalemesa
Director: Big Drum Advisory Services Limited
john.muhaise@bigdrumassociates.com
