Learning the Learners’ Way

Sometime early in 2008, Chamber Membership Director Tim Brewer sent me an e-mail mentioning Mike Lantz and LQ Performance Strategies as a good potential story topic or interview source for our BizVoice magazine.

Tim and his membership team colleagues make these recommendations often — and it is much appreciated. (I and others throughout the Chamber try to reciprocate with companies we come across that could benefit from the products and services the Chamber offers.) But enough of that internal team spirit.

Tim, as usual, was on target. Months passed by before I tapped into Mike’s expertise to author a column on methods of tackling workplace training — only one of the most critical topics facing our state and the nation. We can put all the possible training programs in place, but they will do little if they are not designed to give the employee the opportunity to retain and apply what is being taught.

We previewed Mike’s excellent offering in our January-February print edition and offer the full story online today. He concludes:

"The purpose of training is to ignite behavior modification and change. Change is not a typically comfortable place. This is the same for training — learning is not meant to be a place of comfort. Training needs to stretch the participants to think a new way and to do things in a new way. Improved results come when something new is tried."

Take a look at the column and keep Mike’s key points in mind as your company looks to further develop its people and its prospects.