why do we need training?

The need for training is often identified when something goes wrong.

• Bad parts are getting to the customer
• A customer is angry, or too many customers are angry
• It takes too long for the team to solve problems
• Validation testing yields 40% first time failures
• Program targets aren’t being met in a timely manner

These are just a few examples of common business problems. These issues have root causes that are not always correctable through Training. Let’s take the first example of “Bad parts are getting to the customer”. A few of the root causes could be:

• Lack of manufacturing poke-yokes
• Lack of design poke-yokes
• Bad parts feeding manu- facturing from a supplier
• Operator instructions not correct or difficult
• Machine not operating as designed

Each of these root causes identify a different person as responsible for the failure, which in turn identifies specific training – or does it?

In addition to understanding what, where, and when, it is important to identify who is responsible and who will impact future outcomes. ‘Who’ is commonly defined in a process explaining the performance required. It should be noted that job performance is simply tied to job expectations, work experience, job knowledge, and workload. Everyone goes to work wanting to do a good job.

Any employee should be able to say:

1. I know what’s expected of me
2. I have experience that helps me do my job better
3. I know how to do my job, and
4. I have enough time to accomplish all that is assigned to me.

Training is needed when an employee can’t do #3 well. Setting employees up for success can only make the company more successful.

The good ol' days

I thought I’d go a little off topic this week.

Our lives are filled.

Filled with work, family, commit- ments of one sort or another.

Everyone carries stress though we each bear varying loads. The recession has hit everyone in the world though I’m sure you could make of list of all the things you were equally stressed about ten years ago.

I’ve reached an age now where I easily tell stories about moments occurring 20 years or more ago. What I like most about distant memories is how much more humorous those times were than when I was in the thick of it. Thinking back, if I knew how funny those times were to become, perhaps I would have enjoyed them even more and worried even less.

Grandparents talk about the good old days. Their whole life is but a great memory of precious and adventurous moments. Our lives we are living today are equally precious and will be reflected on as ‘good’. Today, this week, this month, and this year will be regarded as special.. eventually.

Is today a good day for you?

If you were to live more for this moment and to be with your friends and family in this moment, to be there for your coworkers in this moment without worry about tomorrow, how would it change your behavior?

I’ve been thinking about this tonight in preparation of writing this post. It was 9:30pm and I was catching up on some work when my partner asked if I wanted to join him to get a milkshake.

Here was my list for reasons not to go that ran through my head:

• I’d get some personal time alone if he went alone

• It was late and I wanted to finish my work

• I didn’t want a milkshake

Reasons for going:

• Car trips no matter their duration always offer great conversation

• It’s always an adventure when we go anywhere

• I should be listening to my own reflection and enjoying the here and now

I went.

Sure enough, I heard some good stories in the car I may never have heard, I ended up getting a tasty banana milkshake, and the trip also turned into an errand to get more brine water to keep the shrimp bait alive and happy from the park where we often put in our boat for fishing.

Quiet, dark, and deserted with a partial bright moon shining through clouds illuminating the empty boats moored there; we walked through the manicured park to the water’s edge where the water lapped quietly on the shore.

Carly Simon sings a song considering living for the future or in the moment. It’s one of my favorites still. Listen here.