The Critical Role of Training

Written by Carol Verret


There is always an excuse for not providing employees with training opportunities. Very few people articulate these excuses to either their customers or their staff, butrepparttar net effect is stillrepparttar 106561 same.

Whenrepparttar 106562 economy was good and employees few,repparttar 106563 excuse was, "Why worry about customer service training? Demand is so high that if we tick-off a few customers, so what - there are more lined up atrepparttar 106564 door. Average employee tenure is so brief, why should we train them so they can go work somewhere else?"

Now thatrepparttar 106565 economy is poor and training is one ofrepparttar 106566 first areas most companies cut,repparttar 106567 excuse is, "We are laying off employees - we can't justifyrepparttar 106568 expense of training."

Both indicate an arrogant disregard for bothrepparttar 106569 employees andrepparttar 106570 customers. I have addressedrepparttar 106571 shortcomings ofrepparttar 106572 first excuse in previous articles and newsletters. Permit me to briefly addressrepparttar 106573 second.

At a time when every customer has suddenly become precious and you are expecting more ofrepparttar 106574 remaining employees following a downturn, how can you not justify training?

During midlife career change, do you jump or hold on?

Written by Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.


Overrepparttar years, I have identified two kinds of midlife career changers: Jumpers and Clingers. Jumpers thrive on energy, enthusiasm and improbable luck. The last three times they leaped, a net appeared. They see no reason whyrepparttar 106560 next jump should be any different. Clingers thrive on careers that offer security, money and identity. When they outgrow their careers, or find themselves forced out, they feel lost. They can't rememberrepparttar 106561 last time they found themselves in this position. Jumpers call a coach when they are ready to find a new mountain. Suggest a destination and they ask, "Where is it?" Often they've made another leap beforerepparttar 106562 coach realizes what is going on. Clingers call a coach when they find themselves lost inrepparttar 106563 jungle. They ask, "How do I know if I've maderepparttar 106564 right decision?" and, "How can I find security?" They hold out a one-way ticket, asking, "How do I change to a round trip?" Jumpers have learned to accept that sinking-feeling-in-the-gut as they leap offrepparttar 106565 mountain. Climbers are not used to feeling edgy. They don't want a roadmap; they want a hotel reservation, preferably chosen from a listing inrepparttar 106566 auto club book. Both Jumpers and Clingers face a new reality. Evenrepparttar 106567 bravest Jumper can run out of luck. Chooserepparttar 106568 wrong mountain andrepparttar 106569 net never appears. And inrepparttar 106570 twenty-first century, Clingers must create their own security. Jumpers must stop atrepparttar 106571 edge ofrepparttar 106572 mountain, beforerepparttar 106573 point of no return. "Does this feel right?" they have to ask. "Should I look first this time, to see ifrepparttar 106574 net really exists? Or maybe instead of leaping it's time to climb down more carefully, one ledge at a time."

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