WINTER 2014

172 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

172 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK WHY FASTENER DISTRIBUTORS SHOULD EMBRACE TRAINING continued from page 14 Could more training and experience have prevented this accident Naturally, it is impossible to say with certainty, but, likely, if this accident is determined to be partially or fully caused by pilot error, then it is equally likely that it was fully preventable had there been more training and opportunity for the pilots to gain experience. Training and employee development, therefore, can have far reaching advantages for both the organization and the individual. Unfortunately, many organizations ignore these advantages and simply do not invest sufficient time and effort into training and development. These activities are simply not part of their “culture”. This article shall look at several considerations related to training and attempt to paint a picture for why every organization should embrace training and employee development not as simply a “good idea” but rather as an essential key to their survival. It Is Strategic: Perhaps the most compelling reason is that employee development is truly strategic in nature. Understanding what activities make an organization unique and discern it from others plays a big role in strategy development. Once these activities are identified, training is one of the best ways of instilling these activities into the very cultural fiber of the company. Take for example the Ritz Carlton chain of hotels. Their strategy is to provide mystique in an unsurpassed and unforgettable customer experience. They accomplish this by weaving together a set of customer centric activities and empowering their associates to fulfill them. Anyone that has ever had the opportunity to spend a night in one of these hotels can probably attest to how very different the experience is from other hotel stays they may have experienced. Much of what the Ritz Carlton does, when viewed in pieces is not particularly unique. When woven together and relentlessly reinforced with training and activities that encourage empowerment and team building, a unique and very difficult model to copy is achieved. As a result they have a competitive (or strategic) advantage and a staff that is completely aligned with the goals of the organization. In this way, training proves to be very We often introduce individuals into our businesses with nothing more than a rudimentary initiation into their new job. strategic to the Ritz Carlton organization and, in a similar fashion, can be to any organization. It Prevents Problems There is a scene in the movie Apollo 13 where the character of Jack Swigert, played by Kevin Bacon, tapes a note over a switch in the crippled Command Module urging no one to touch it. Jim Lovell’s character, played by Tom Hanks, asks about this and is told this is the switch that jettisons the Lunar Module, where all the astronauts have been holed up during the final days of the aborted mission. Kevin Bacon explains that he was operating at less than 100% and did not, even by accident, want to separate the two modules until all three astronauts were safely ensconced back into the Command Module ready for reentry. It is in our nature to have similar fears about pressing that one button or computer key that will spell immediate disaster. Although it is not always bad to be cautious, proper training and education can help dispel some of those fears and eliminate potential problems. Take for example the illustration at the outset of this article about the two boys changing the oil in their car. If they had been trained in two simple areas, either one would have saved their engine. If they had been informed about the different filling spots on an engine they clearly would not have mistaken the radiator fill pipe for the crankcase fill pipe. Likewise, if they had been taught about the presence and use of the oil dipstick, they would have realized that the crankcase had no oil in it and been able to make corrections before driving away. In the same way, simple fastener education can pay significant dividends to the fastener distributor and manufacturer alike. All too often one of the complaints waged by customers against a company’s service individuals is that they only know part numbers. Although this can be extremely helpful, it is also a liability if they are unable to answer simple product related questions or recognize a potential problem order. Frequently orders are fulfilled that do not satisfy a customer’s needs because the customer was too ignorant to know what to ask for and the supplier was too ill informed to truly help. please turn to page 174

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