Waaaaaay too often, I hear things like, “Kids today don’t have any kind of work ethic.”  Or, “You can’t find good people to hire.” People are people, and old folks have been complaining about kids since Adam and Eve and Cain and Able.  I believe that people are inherently good.  To grow your company, you need a few people who are basically willing and capable…and believe in YOU.  Paint the picture of your vision, then commit to training your team.

Generally speaking, the better your training program, the less skilled your prospective employees need to be. In other words, the more training you do, the more choices you have when it comes to building your team…and getting things done.

Consider the U.S. Marine Corps. Its slogan: We’re looking for a few good men (and women!)  Notice that the Marines don’t require candidates to have weapons-handling experience, foreign language skills or be in excellent physical condition. They are looking for good people, and they train those people to the USMC standards to do all kinds of specialized tasks.

If you don’t have a formal training program, then you must depend on finding employees who already know how to do the job you are offering. That really reduces your hiring choices. Also, you can be put into the uncomfortable position of being held hostage by your employees.

NOTE:  The word training rubs some the wrong way.  You can substitute education or career development for the word training.

These are the Bare-Bones basic steps of the Training Process. Business UN-Complicated!

  • “I’ll do it.” As the trainer, explain and demonstrate the Procedure. Use easy- to-understand words. You can do the Procedure yourself, draw a diagram to illustrate it or show a movie of the Procedure. Try more than one approach. Refer to the written Procedure as you go.
  • “Now you do it.” Ask your trainee to demonstrate the behaviors and duplicate the Procedure. Take as much time as you need to make sure that he or she can perform the Procedure and explain the reasons for doing it.
  • Role play. Now act it out together. Take turns playing the customer. This will help you both see how the Procedure serves the customer and helps you deliver your USP. Role play is a dress rehearsal before the actual performance.
  • Real world. Send your trainee out into the world. Observe the required behaviors in real time…at the shop, on the sales floor or in the field.
  • Sign off. “Sign off ” on the Procedure when you and your trainee are both comfortable with his or her understanding of the Procedure and the ability to perform it. Both of you will initial and date the Procedure. File a copy in his or her employee file.

Use the “sign off” to mark the end of the Training Process. As people learn new skills, make sure they are acknowledged…with a handshake, with a diploma or with a standing ovation at your next company meeting. Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, understood that people are hungry for praise. Her company has grown to multibillion- dollar sales by praising the representatives for every accomplishment along the way. From personal notes to diamond rings to pink Cadillacs, Mary Kay showers her team with rewards for good performance.

In the attached video, I share some basic training with @joemurano and #KOLR10  Enjoy!

Here’s to peace, prosperity and FREEDOM!

xo$ Ellen