Training – An Aspect That Is Overlooked

Training – An Aspect That Is Overlooked By both The Public And Private Sectors In Liberia

Many a time we hear from our leaders that if Liberia is to be developed it must concentrate on building her human resource. But are our leaders that serious? Do they really care about the development of the work force in this country? Do they have a program in place or do they have a proper monitoring and evaluation team set up to know that many of the work forces in this country are not train? This is one area I have decided to write about.

A recent survey that was conducted shows that both public and private sectors do not see the training of their work force as a priority. Friend, with the attitude one would notice that their main focus is the financial objective and not the advancement of their workforce.

Effective leaders who are genuinely concerned with team members’ efficiency, productivity, and happiness, realize that training and personal development are absolute necessities. Our government, business owners and corporations need to know this. Some leaders, of course, work to avoid training their work force because they fear that eventually a team member will replace them at the helm of the organization. Friend, you should choose to look on this possibility as an incredible benefit. If you have no one prepared to take your place, you are destined to stay just where you are!

As you visit these public or private work places you would be carried away by the set-up but take a keen look at their workers you will find that work ethics, professionalism, and job knowledge is missing and this is something our government needs to take a serious look at and making sure that Liberians who have the opportunity of working within the public and/or private sectors in this country are trained. It is common in almost every part of Liberia to see companies and/or businesses make huge profits but care less about their workforce. This is indeed true. It is also true that most leaders and managers avoid training because they believe trainees will advance past them.

Personal growth is not reserved for some sort of leadership elite. Leaders or managers who involved their team members in a planned process of personal growth actually hasten the process of achieving organizational goals. With this team members quickly discover that the easiest path to achieving their own personal goals lies in helping the organization reach its goals. Friend, the team member who is growing personally finds renewed excitement in the work – and the excitement is contagious! You will find that a continuing program of training and personal development is a key to securing the confidence and trust of your team members and to ensuring the overall success of the organization. All training has but one goal: to develop a more productive and more versatile work force.

Personal development, on the other hand, inspires team members to take greater pride in themselves and in their potential for achievement. While personal development often express in intangible ways it creates valuable benefits when couple with training. The result of training and personal development is a combine reduction in costs and an increase in quality, productivity, and overall performance. Workers may feel excited about who they are and where they are going in life, but without specific skill-building and job related training, they may become frustrated at their inability to climb the ladder to greater success.

The team members, who are “green and growing“, will develop mental attitude and work habits that are adequate to change. Team members who are “ripe and rotting” resist change and cling to old, unproductive attitudes and habits. The leader choice is simple: empower these individuals with the opportunity to grow and develop in every area of life or allow them to waste their potential for happiness and achievement.

Most work is badly done because of poor or inadequate training. Friend, encourage extra courses and study. Send your team to that seminar. Provide teaching tapes and video. Focus on “continuous improvement” rather than “static perfection”. As a leader you must create the kind of climate in your organization where personal growth is expected, recognized and rewarded. Encourage your team to explore new options instead of settling for the obvious.

When children don’t get positive attention, they sometimes resort to negative behavior to attract the attention they desire. The same is true in an organization – without positive attention, team members can begin to create negative changes to get the attention and recognition they need. Giving team members challenging assignments and adequate rewards will keep them “green and growing” and keep them focused on the organization’s short-range and long-range goals.

Friend, as a leader, you, more than anyone else, determine the environment of your organization and whether your people are investing in others. Begin by institutionalizing investment and making it a part of your organization’s culture. Encourage growth. Set aside time and money for investment in your team. And take on the responsibility for investing in your core leaders. The more leaders you have on the team and the further developed they are, the greater the dividend. Your job is not to perpetuate the status quo; your job as a leader is to teach, coach, and encourage team members to develop their innate potential for achievement. As a leader or a manager know that training yourself and organization is an ongoing responsibility.

(Chealy Brown Dennis is a motivational speaker and offers training in leadership and organizational development; strategic planning, wealth creation and team building and management and offers on-location and train-the-trainer formats. He can be contacted through email at: dennisbc2011@yahoo.com or on phone at: 0886-264-611 or 0776-545-394)