Doug's Revolutionary Training Approach

Doug Cartland on Training:

I’ve asked this question of many leaders over the years who have brought in seminar speakers to their places of business: “Months later, well after the seminar was presented, did you see real, lasting change in the attendees and/or the culture of your business?” The answer is inevitably “no.” So the next question becomes: “Then why rely so heavily on seminars if real, lasting change is what you want?”

Good question I think:

A seminar is a stand alone event, with a presenter presenting and an audience participating. When it’s over, it’s over; and whatever value it had, it had. Seminars have their place certainly. They can spark new ideas and from time to time, actually improve behavior to some degree in a few of those participating. Too often, though, they are great days that are remembered for how great they were, but little else. Most often within six months 97% of what was learned is forgotten. They seldom, if ever, drive sweeping and lasting change. Unfortunately, many organizations ease their consciences by running a seminar or two or even three and call them training. They’re not—they’re seminars.

Training, on the other hand, takes time, patience, investment, follow through, follow up, reminding, coaching, accountability and produces real incremental change. Training is a combination of presenting new behaviors and skills, coaching people individually and specifically on how to acquire them and holding them accountable to see that the new behaviors and enhanced skills take root. Training is conducted often enough that these changing skills and behaviors remain top of mind. As one set of skills or behaviors show reasonable progress, we go on to the next set. The goal of training is to work on these new skills and behaviors until they become habit.

A culture is determined by the behaviors and skills of the people (especially the leaders) in that culture. Behavior change and skill enhancement are the only elements that can change that culture. Training is the only tool that can change behavior and enhance skills. Thus training is the only tool that can ensure real, lasting and sweeping change to a culture.

When I train, I study and research the culture first. And then I utilize my group presentation skills, my one on one coaching skills and built-in accountability at a consistent pace at sensible intervals over an appropriate amount of time until new habits are formed.

Investment is what you make in the hopes of getting a higher return. My training pays a company back much more then the original investment. It pays you back in better customer relations (more business, more money), less turnover and absenteeism (you’ll keep your good people and save real money), higher morale (more efficiency and productivity, greater energy and uses of time), great communication (for the free flow of and the utilizing of the very best ideas that make your company money) and top-notch leadership skills (decision making and people skills makes or breaks organizations).

Talk to Doug today to see how his training approach can revolutionize the culture of your business!