Training your way out of the downturn

We have been getting a lot of press this week about our comments on training your way out of the downturn… at the same time, I happened upon this quote from Charles Darwin: “it is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change”. The two have come into alignment for me this week and got me reflecting on what responsible CEOs should be doing. Let’s face it, the rules of changed, the game has changed, and if we don’t change our approach to business, we will be on the endangered list. Put simply, we can’t do what we’ve always done. It is not easy being a boss in the downturn, as the natural reaction is look at the bottom line. However, if you look a little higher you will see that there are plenty of opportunities still out there, if we choose to find them. Look for the blue sky, not just the clouds! In the downturn, competition is less fierce and organisations go into survival mode. However, consumers are looking for brands to trust and organisations that will still be with them when times are good again. Now is the time for smart organisations to step up! The first thing to do is to lock in your staff and equip them for the ride ahead. Investing in your staff in the downturn makes them confident about your business, secure in their jobs and empowered to do more with less. So, when the pendulum swings back to more prosperous economic times, you will have skilled staff who are loyal, confident and motivated to perform at a high level. At MRWED we focus on improving the quality of the trainer and training manager through our Trainer Training Programs. We firmly believe that if you improve the quality of the trainer, you in turn improve the quality of the training and this has a direct economic benefit to every organisation. Now the challenge is to have the courage to trust your blue sky, when the chicken littles everywhere are telling you the sky is falling.