The Last Step in Every Change
Success isn't something about which we should have to guess.
When we make a change or need a change, we must teach the change.
When training is not provided to everyone, brace yourself for conflict and frustration.
Our team members want to be as successful as they can.
Our responsibility is to give them everything they need to succeed.
"If you want us to do something you have to train us."
You would think that would be obvious to us all.
I was wandering around a factory one morning, around 2:00am, when one of my team members noticed me.
"What are you doing here?", he said coming out from under his welding helmet.
As I explained my predicament, he shook his head and said what shouldn't have been obvious, but seem to be the most profound statement ever.
If you want us to do something you have to train us.
He pulled on his helmet and started throwing sparks again.
It was that easy.
The training program created from that simple phrase has all but eliminated injuries in multiple factories for which I later would take responsibility.
Every process requires skills and knowledge that we shouldn't expect our team members to either already have or to figure out on their own. Organizations are going to have to take on more and more responsibility for developing and training their team members if they are going to simply compete another day.
We need to become much more serious about training and developing everyone.