Few coaches are willing to quit mid-way through a season because their team has a winning record. Winning a championship, while exciting, does not signal the end of the team’s practice schedule.
Winning, in a sports context, does not require less training, but more.
Applying Sport to Business
Business leaders love to reference sports moves or analogies as they apply to creating a winning sales team or moving into a new industry.
We should take note of what winning sports teams do when they are winning. They keep training, they push harder, they don’t rest on their current success.
The same standard can be applied to business. Regardless of how successful the business has become, maintaining that edge can only be done through continued goal setting and professional development.
During a 12-year span, Coach John Wooden led his UCLA basketball team to 10 National Championship titles. In doing so, he set the standard for great coaches and went on to establish a
“Pyramid for Success” to help others learn the secrets he used to propel his team to greatness.
We’re Already Winning
Perhaps your company is already a success. You may be experiencing record-breaking sales figures, have teams that work strategically and effectively like a well-oiled machine, and have in place a cultivation program that continually produces leaders from within your organization. If so, congratulations!
You should be commended for the work and effort it has taken to get to that stage of the game. It doesn’t, however, reduce the need for ongoing goal setting and development training. In fact, you may find that as your team becomes more successful, they need additional, higher-level training to maintain the edge they’ve established.
Will Training Benefit High Performing Teams?
In other words, by focusing on what the team already does successfully, an organization can experience even greater growth than if they merely focused on weak areas. For the business leader at the helm of a successful team, this should be an encouragement to offer even more training.
Equally as compelling, individual employees that work with their strengths every day are less likely to seek employment elsewhere and are 6% more engaged at work. Imagine the impact on your revenue with a sales team that had an increase of 12% productivity!
When success is achieved, it is not a time to cut back on training, it is a time to lean into the idea that your team can reach even greater heights with continued training.
Why Continue to Train?
Even winning sports teams continue to train in an effort to minimize mistakes, and capitalize on the dynamic relationship that each team member has with the others.
Repetition breeds consistency. The more practice one receives on processes or procedures, the more it becomes ‘second nature’ and becomes part of the routine of how things are done.
Training reveals ways to improve. As a team becomes proficient in their processes, new methods or systems can be identified that may streamline workflow or reduce lag time, further improving the process.
Training increases support for one another. The success of a team can depend on the level of support it gets from others within the organization. Training presents another opportunity for team members to support one another and provides an avenue for employees to see (and understand) what goes on in other areas of the business. This can lead to reduced friction, improved communication, and increased revenues.
Michele Bailey is president and CEO of
Blazing THE Agency and
My Big Idea™. These two lines of business work congruently to support her clients’ success.
In-House Corporate Training
Corporate leaders are more aware than ever of the necessity of providing professional training for their staff. In recent years, many companies have even gone as far as hiring an in-house trainer to handle the recurrent needs of staff development.
While it can be convenient with a full-time staff trainer available to prioritize the specific training needs of the company, there are distinct advantages to bringing in a third party to lead specific and specialized workshops.
What Makes an Outsider So Effective?
The in-house trainer must be an expert in the subject matter being taught, as well as an expert in training methodologies. For most companies, their in-house trainer is tasked with other responsibilities while they are not actively training. Further, this person or this in-house team can’t help but be influenced by the political landscape of your company which may lead to a biased training session.
A specialized training program has no such constraints. The trainers are experts in the specialized program they are hired to deliver. They will deliver the material in an engaging, effective manner and have a follow-up program in place to ensure the attendees are able to take what they’ve learned back to their jobs and put it into practice the next day, week, quarter.
The Benefit of Corporate Training Disruption
Training programs can, and should, disrupt the regular flow of business. When you use an in-house trainer, familiarity can overshadow the process. Trainings that are conducted by a staff member, in an environment that is known, can be easily dismissed as just another meeting to endure.
Bringing in an outside company focused on a specialized area can be more effective simply due to the novelty of who is presenting the material. An outside trainer offers a new voice, a fresh perspective and an opportunity to reach your team with a different style of teaching.
For most companies, training is a necessity. Developing, managing, and delivering that training, however, is a distraction from the focus of the company.
Companies that specialize in delivering specific training programs have thousands of hours invested in becoming experts at their topic. By trusting your corporate training to the outside experts, your business can focus on what you do best: grow, succeed and profit.
Michele Bailey is president and CEO of
Blazing THE Agency and
My Big Idea™. These two lines of business work congruently to support her clients’ success.
Employees want dynamic training and development to reach their full potential yet many company leaders often resist the idea of change.
Companies seem content to return, year after year, to an existing training program.
For some, their reasoning is economic: they may have paid a lot of money for the program and want to ensure the company gets its money’s worth.
For others, their reasoning could be out of complacency the training program worked when originally implemented, so there isn’t a reason to change.
Some leaders remain unconvinced of the validity of training programs in general and therefore see little reason to change the established system.
Training Before Training?
Before you dismiss the idea of upgrading your training program, take a few moments to evaluate your existing process. Is there evidence that your training programs are effective? Are there signs that it may be time to update your corporate training?
Signs Your Existing Training Program Isn’t Working
1. Team members are lacking fundamental skills/knowledge.
One of the most obvious signs that your training program is ineffective is a lack of knowledge and skill by employees. While the initial ‘new hire’ training program may have been adequate to get an employee started, there is a need to routinely reinforce company philosophies, provide new product/services training and periodic refreshers on procedures and information. If you are hearing “I don’t know” or “When did we start doing things this way?” from your team members, it is time to invest in and implement a new training program.
2. Your training materials require outdated technology or reference statistics from more than two years ago.
Did your training manual come with overhead transparencies? Are you quoting data from 2010? Have the goals and trajectory of the company changed since you implemented your current training program? Have you recently changed the direction the company is heading? If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, your training program is in need of an update.
Over time, corporate ideology and branding may change. Evaluate the purposes of your training program and ensure that they align with your corporate goals. Make sure that your training program is using today’s best practices to present new material in an engaging, relevant manner. Using current methodologies can help reach today’s tech-savvy workforce, and helps to implement new technology-driven systems that yesterday’s training programs simply couldn’t manage. In an information-heavy culture, outdated statistics can cause listeners to immediately dismiss the information you’re presenting, regardless of how relevant the other material may be.
3. There is no measurable change in performance or results after employees participate in a training session.
Training programs are a huge investment but can be a waste of resources (time, money, and effort) if there are no improvements in employee proficiency. Maximize your investment by using training programs with measurable results and ones that provide weekly or monthly encouragement to further implement what was learned in the training session.
In addition, companies save money in new employee recruitment by establishing a systematic process of employee training.
It has been said that a ‘rut’ is simply a grave with both ends kicked out. People (and companies) that fall into a rut are often trapped in a cycle of ‘the way it’s always been done’ and fail to see the benefits that growth and change can bring.
Escape the training program rut and find out how My Big Idea™ can help you maximize your training opportunities before your team goes for your company’s official product training.
Let us help you get your team’s mindset right, get energized about learning and get focused on being the best version of themselves.
Contact us today for more information.
Michele Bailey is president and CEO of
Blazing THE Agency and
My Big Idea™. These two lines of business work congruently to support her clients’ success.
The marzipan layer refers to the level of corporate executives just below the top echelon – the “icing,” typically the C-Suite or partners.
Although important to bakers, as it prevents icing sugars from leaching into a cake, an organization’s marzipan layer may act as a barrier that prevents advancement.
For aspiring professionals, breaking through this layer can be extremely challenging. As part of the process, a candid self-appraisal is imperative but what often triggers a breakthrough, is a straight-shooting mentor who delivers tough-to-hear, yet pivotal information. Sometimes, a wake-up call is an accidentally overheard put down or criticism.
Acclaimed economist and author Sylvia Ann Hewlett is profoundly open about her own transformative experience. Daughter of a “working class Welsh bloke,” today, she’s an internationally recognized for her innovative thinking. Dr. Hewlett is the author of 12 critically acclaimed books including, Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success, and the founding president and CEO of the Center for Talent Innovation.
Growing up in the 1960’s, in the industrial, impoverished coal-mining valleys of Wales where unemployment reached 38 percent, Dr. Hewlett was an excellent student. She applied and was accepted at Cambridge University. Although she excelled at passing exams, “every time I opened my mouth, I let myself down.”
She sounded rough and raw; she mispronounced words and her grammar was shoddy. Like My Fair Lady’s Eliza Doolittle, she dropped the letter H, so Henry Higgins became ‘enry ‘iggins. At the age of eighteen, she wasn’t well read, had never been to the theater, and had spent family holidays at trailer park rentals. Conversation with her well-educated fellow-students was beyond her. She was awkward and ignored.
Dr. Hewlett overheard her tutor saying to a colleague that she “sounded uncouth.” Tough to take. She realized that to get anywhere, she would need to up her game. Unable to afford elocution lessons, BBC broadcasters became her voice coaches. She listened to the radio, read newspapers and bought cheap theater tickets. Her journey had begun.
Dr. Hewlett understood that she had to revise the signals she sent. Although today, it’s nice to think that a tutor would provide feedback to help a struggling student on her way, the point is that criticism not meant for her ears propelled Dr. Hewlett forward. Her genuine, heartfelt story and journey of self-discovery marked the beginning of her drive to excel. This has culminated in her passionate research about the very issues that got her started – the signals people send.
What is so important to understand is that performance and goal achievement alone, are insufficient to break through the marzipan layer. The cornerstones of Executive Presence – the first impression you make, how you behave, communicate and look – often underrated by detractors, actually send the specific signals mandatory for breaking through the marzipan layer.
The skills to communicate that you really know your stuff, that you can present your ideas and that you look like a member of the top level are fundamental to the ultimate selection process of who gets to move ahead and move through the marzipan layer.
This is a guest post from
Corporate Class, a My Big Idea™ strategic partner and originally was published in the autumn of 2017
This post is courtesy of an attendee to a My Big Idea™ workshop
By most accounts, I’m successful. I’m a woman in a high-profile position, and lead a company with employees and annual revenues at the seven-figure mark.
I shattered the glass ceiling on my way to the top, and have no regrets about the path I’ve taken to get here. Recently, however, I realized that while I’ve conquered many of the roadblocks that stood in my way, my own misgivings and fears were preventing me from growing my company.
One doesn’t get to the position I’m in by chance. To remain relevant and successful, however, one must confront our weaknesses. I’m not perfect, and can point out my own shortcomings, but until recently was unaware of how much of an impact my own fears were holding my company back.
During a recent My Big Idea™ professional workshop, the topic of wealth and finance was covered as one of the pillars of a successful company and successful leader.
While diving deep into this topic thanks to the professional facilitation during the workshop, I realized I was holding my company back.
Opportunities for growth have come along, and while we’ve taken some of them, many seemed out of reach because they were too risky. I never wanted to risk losing my company, so I passed up on opportunities that would use more of our company’s savings than I felt comfortable with.
I didn’t seek out financing, I didn’t entertain what it would look like or take to borrow money. I was too afraid.
From an outside perspective, my desire for financial security seems reasonable. As I confronted my own fear, however, I realized that my fears may be unfounded. Risk is necessary for growth, and calculated risk can take my company farther than ever before. If I want my company to grow, I need to take some chances.
While in attendance at the My Big Idea™ workshop, I was reminded of the importance of seeking outside counsel. We’ve all heard the stories about companies that denied reality until it was too late, and the company went bankrupt.
One of the most famous examples,
Kodak, led the photography marketfor years, while ignoring the changing technology. As a result, they had a stunning fall that cost them nearly 99% of their value in a matter of years. No one wants to follow their lead, but as their example shows, we’re often blind to our weaknesses.
One of my favourite ideas about business growth is to surround myself by employees who know more than I do. Giving them the resources necessary to do their job allows them to succeed, and in turn, benefits our company.
It has served me well over the course of my career, and I have realized that I need to use my own advice and seek financial counsel on how to lead my company into the next phase of success.
I cannot say that I know what the future holds, but I can be confident that I now have the clarity to do everything possible to successfully lead my company.
How can I expect my employees to take risks and develop new processes when I am unwilling to take my own risks? What example am I setting by playing it safe?
Ships were not made to stay safe in the harbour, they were designed to go across the sea. I need to take my ship out of the harbour. Who knows what new discoveries and opportunities await, just outside my comfort zone?
If you ever get the chance to participate in such an effective corporate workshop, jump at the chance. The success of your team and your company are worth it.
Next Steps:
Need to get out of your own way to lead your company and team to greatness? Contact the team at
My Big Idea™ to learn how our professional workshops can help.
This was a guest post from a My Big Idea™ – BMO One Big Idea participant from the November 2017 workshop held in Toronto, Canada.
Women business owners face a challenge. Be too nice, and you’re a pushover. Be too harsh, and you’re aggressive or the dragon lady.
Many times, women struggle with finding the best way to be effective and end up coming across as too ‘nice’ or too ‘bossy’.
Nowhere is this truer than when it comes to dealing with human resources issues.
Historically, women have been considered more empathetic than men, and are generally considered ‘nicer’.
Like it or hate it, this gives rise to the idea (and consistent issue I see) that women are nicer during the hiring process, and are less likely to fire an employee that doesn’t fit well without falling over themselves to try, try, try to help that team member fit in and succeed.
Contrary to popular belief, women are no more likely to make bad hiring decisions than their male counterparts. If women were less equipped for hiring, one would expect to see a decline in the number of women-run businesses, and a lack of growth in firms where women were responsible for HR. The numbers don’t support that idea, however.
Not convinced? Consider a few facts. Women-owned businesses are on the rise – and they show no signs of slowing down. 15.7% of small/medium companies in Canada are majority female owned. About 50% of all businesses started in Canada are started by women.
A Gallup poll found that women are better at creating productive teams, which generates more productive employees and cultivates a more engaging workplace.
In addition, women are more likely to focus on sustainability which can generate more effective business plans.
We have it in us. So what can women business owners who struggle with HR issues do?
1. Stand by your standards
Set the tone for being fair by making your standards clear, and then keeping them. Wishy-washy bosses (both male and female) lose respect by failing to enforce their standards. Apply your standard equally to all employees (and yourself) and you’ll generate the respect of those you work with.
2. Accept that this is hard
Any business owner I’ve talked with will tell me without a doubt that having to fire or let go someone on their team is a really hard decision. Even though these decisions have to be made, doesn’t make it any easier.
Do not beat up on yourself if you find HR challenges hard. They are hard. Accept this and then reach out for advice, help, expertise to aid you in making the best decision for your company. We all go through this. You are not alone. Be sure to have built your professional network with people who can support you.
3. Communicate clearly.
Often, women try to soften their message by using platitudes and nice sayings. As a result, people misinterpret what is being said, and the leader may get the reputation of being ‘too nice’. Stop apologizing for every decision.
Being the leader means that you’ll make decisions some people won’t like. It’s not wrong – it’s necessary. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. Be respectful, but don’t water down your message.
The reality is that women and men make bad HR decisions equally. Leaders who achieve greatness are adept at finding the help to aid them with tough decisions and seek out guidance from those who have been where you are and have triumphed.
Make a promise to yourself that a bad hire will not slow down your business, and get after solving the problem.
Next Steps:
Need the clarity to understand if your team is in the same boat, rowing the same way? Contact us at My Big Idea™ to learn how the Professional Workshop is your next best step to a strong and aligned team regardless of what you’ve tried in the past.
