Saving costs?

1. Start with a story

People love stories. We grow up with them, live with them and naturally learn from them. Don't believe? Take, for example, a well-known fact, such as the laws of gravity. If you ask someone who knows nothing about them to understand them, it will hardly help you to show them the resulting mathematical equation. Such a person will feel confused and probably not grow a theme to his heart. But what if you explain how Issace Newton discovered the action of gravity, show a few experiments, context and context? Then you arouse interest and understanding that lasts. The proverbial apple of knowledge will not fall far from your educational tree.

This does not mean, of course, that after your lecture everyone will become a top physicist, but the individual will understand what is being said and why this is the case. No one wants to get their asses off the slead. But when you add an interesting story, reason and genesis to them, a more complex sense begins to emerge from the mere reality. And that's what this is all about. ‍

🔮 What would that look like?

Create a clear and strong message about why education is important to your company and the people in it. Formulate the path to the decision to educate and communicate your intentions and goals. Explain that you're not in the position of a drab who wants meaningless courses from his people, but you really want everyone to become an expert on theirs and everyone benefits from being educated.

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2. Quantify, plan and define together 

Look for numbers, units, and build constraints. What benefits should education have? What are your people supposed to learn? Is he really going to apply that in practice? When is the right time? What types of training? The answers to these seemingly simple questions will provide you with a clear foothold for the next steps and ensure that your educational processes are not chaotic. However, your company's needs are specific, so add interviews with the education participants themselves to the planning process.

🔮 What would that look like?

Include everyone involved in the planning process. Give space for open communication and wording of wishes, fears, needs and listen carefully. Based on this, you will be able to create a plan and choose the type of education that fits perfectly into your corporate culture and work pace.

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3. Create a focused space

In the previous point, we appealed to the need for joint planning and this is no different here. Your people simply have to have undisturbed time for education. So don't be afraid to adjust your work schedule so that you don't overwhelm your people or put your valuable knowledge and skills on the back line. This investment will be returned to you several times in the long run.

🔮 What would that look like?

Give people time and space for education without interruption. Set up rule processes to ensure that people do not have to make up for lengthy and meaningless post-work training optionally, but enjoy a regular dose of knowledge and skills that they enjoy.

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4. Remove weaknesses from the plan

Just as someone was not born with the proportions of a basketball player, another is absolutely not suitable for some tasks. No matter what you do, you don't move a person's weaknesses as hard as you can draw on the strong ones. Constant reminder of weaknesses is frustrating and unfavouthful to a person's development. People learn better from positive rewards in industries that bring them joy. Of course, this does not mean that you should forget about weaknesses. Count on them as you build teams and groups to create a balanced environment.

🔮 What would that look like?

Get to know your teams and individuals in them correctly. Recognize natural talents and support them with the right training and tasks. Reward for presenting strengths, but avoid exaggerating your ego or ''cuddly syndrome''. Play as a team.

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5. Cultivate a culture of error

Not all clichés go out of style. Mistakes really teach you. Therefore, open up your culture so that it is ok to admit and solve mistakes constructively. For example, we don't have to go far. Imagine if your bathtub overshot at home and you flooded your neighbors. How do you think the whole situation will turn if you keep the faucet on, avoid the neighbors and go to the cottage? Don't get yourself in more trouble and teach yourself and your people to responsibly accept mistakes by removing unpleasant stigma and shame from mistakes.

🔮 What would that look like?

This point requires a lot of courage. Leadership must set an example. When someone makes a mistake, they should admit it and learn from it. Therefore, create an environment where the bug is not publicly denounced, but taken as a natural part of development. Show that everyone makes mistakes and no one has a patent for reason. This will pave the way for natural cooperation and innovation among your workers.

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6. Keep asking questions

Use all possibilities to improve the whole education process and regularly check that you are achieving your defined goals and needs. Look in detail to see if your actions really work on people and are reflected in the company's results.

🔮 What would that look like?

Often find out if the knowledge and skills provided are applied in practice and how people feel sincerely about the outcome of education. Think openly about how to improve and get the most out of education. You can start with instant feedback after training to find out its real benefit and then assign regular probes as it translates into practice.

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7. Don't forget the strategy

The company is a marathon and will last for those who know where and how it runs. Each company has a specific business and marketing strategy. But the educational one is rarely thought of. Yet it is a powerful tool used by the best on the market to keep up with the relentlessly fast and dynamic knowledge of the 21st century.

🔮 What would that look like?

This part requires a little more time and attention, which is why we're going to be doing it in the next episode of this series. We will show you how important it is to start especially with a change of mindset, how to work with the management of the company and why you should definitely not forget about a strong and shared vision.