Category Archives: Inspiration

Inspiration for life – How to articles, influencer profiles and more

The Importance of Training

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Training Used with permission by Microsoft
Used with permission by Microsoft

I was reading an article today entitled “How Facebook and Twitter built the best employee training programs in Silicon Valley” by Max Nisen, and one sentence from Ben Horowitz really stuck out at me:

you’ve got to tell managers what you want. Then, you’ve got to enforce it. Performance management without training isn’t worth anything. If you’re not training people, what benchmark are they performing against?

It is such a fundamental concept, and one so completely lacking in modern American business that when simply put, it’s absence is mind-boggling.  How can most people perform not just adequately, but superbly, if expectations are not properly set, and they haven’t been provided with the resources and tools (such as training) to do their jobs?

When employees (managers, front-liners, executives all alike) do not have a clear understanding of their company’s mission, the purpose of their department, and how they are specifically supposed to function within that purpose, they are lacking the fundamentals needed to not only do their jobs, but to do their jobs well.  Some of the key behaviors that lead to success are proactiveness, problem-solving, out-of-the-box thinking, initiative and enthusiasm.  All of those behaviors fly out the window when companies fail to set their employees up for success.

What Inspires You Today?

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One of my all time favorite quotes is from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Nothing great was ever achieved workout enthusiasm.

When I set out on a new project, new job or new adventure in life, I try to take this quote to heart. Being enthusiastic generates an energy that is addictive – it’s a feeling I get, a literal buzz, and it can be very addictive. And it’s a necessary addiction because great things usually don’t come easy. Great things are complicated, difficult and time consuming. They require hardwork and perseverance, and it is enthusiasm that will sustain you.

Enthusiasm is also infectious. If you are working with a team, being enthusiastic can be inspiring to those around you. If you are the team lead, it will encourage others to follow you. Great leaders are always enthusiastic about the work they do. It signals that they care about the effort and that others should care too.

Think about the people who are considered great leaders, who have achieved great things, and you start to get the picture of what Emerson really meant with this quote.

The full quote reads:

Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.