14 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK Laurence Claus Laurence Claus is the President of NNi Training and Consulting, Inc. He has 25 years of experience with a medium sized automotive fastener manufacturer, holding positions including Vice President of Engineering, General Manager, Director of Quality, Director of New Business Development and Applications Engineer. In 2012 he formed NNi offering technical and business training courses as well as technical consulting, expert witness and consultation work. He can be reached at 847-867-7363 or Lclaus@NNiTraining.com. You can learn more about NNi at www.NNiTraining.com. FASTENER DISTRIBUTORS - ASSESS YOUR TRAINING I just completed three full days of training in central Mexico. I was extremely proud of the twelve young men that attended this session. Although English was clearly not their first language, they remained more attentive and engaged for three long days than many of the classes I conduct to U.S. audiences. It was obvious that they wanted to be there and to learn. As I consider this experience I am reminded of other recent training experiences and how different companies demonstrate their attitudes toward training. In some cases the training is well received and clearly appreciated while other companies seem to be just going through the motions. Training is too important to take for granted and the following six items are presented for consideration to gage your company’s attitudes and training practices against. Culture Is training an important and valued part of your company culture or is it just another activity that feels like someone’s prerequisite? One of the more interesting elements of being a trainer and consultant is the opportunity to interact with many organizations and people. Every new engagement is a little like the excitement and wonder of a child’s first sleep over at a new friend’s house. In the same way that something new and intimate is learned about a friend, so every new engagement is an opportunity to learn about what the company values and how they CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE approach business. It is readily apparent that companies who value learning and training make it an important part of their DNA. Learning is a critical part of the human experience and comes from a complex combination of instruction, training, and first-hand experience. In fact, training is simply a pathway to learning. It is not and should not be the only method a company embraces to develop its people and encourage learning. It is, however, an important one and a company’s approach and dedication to training will speak volumes about their commitment to developing their people. So what features in a company demonstrate this commitment? It boils down to two primary indicators. First, is there a companywide attitude that there is always something new to be learned regardless of tenure, age, or position in the company? It is important for a company to recognize that their new hires and young people require training and education. However, this should extend to all employees and if these are the only candidates considered worthy of training, the company does not value training in its culture. Secondly, do top leaders embrace and participate in training? If the men and women at the “top” are too busy or “knowledgeable” to participate in and endorse opportunities for learning, the example they are setting will clearly be adopted by others lower in the organization and the entire culture will reflect this. CONTINUED ON PAGE 112
64 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK SPIROL
66 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK Anthony
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 69
The Gilchrist Foundation has awarde
CRESCENT MANUFACTURING 700 George W
76 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK FASTENE
80 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK PACIFIC
NIFMSE POOLSIDE WELCOME RECEPTION T
86 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK NORTH C
88 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK INxSQL/
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 91
94 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK MID-WES
96 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK Buckeye
NIFMSE HALL OF FAME RECEPTION TREAS
100 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK WOMEN
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 103 The Ol
106 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK JOE DY
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 109 Your r
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 111 Intern
114 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK CARMEN
116 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK METROP
118 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK Prospe
120 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK GUY AV
124 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK JIM ST
126 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK JOE GR
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 129 KATO F
WOMEN IN THE FASTENER INDUSTRY EMAI
134 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK BART B
136 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK NETPLU
138 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK COMPUT
140 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK NEW EN
142 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK SPIROL
144 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK FASTEN
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 147 FASTEN
AVK INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 25323 Rye C
NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL FASTENER AND MI
160 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK CARMEN
162 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK Starbo
164 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK GUY AV
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 167 Full L
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 169 SPIROL
172 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK CARMEN
174 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK MFDA M
176 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK CARMEN
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 179 FASTEN
ALL AMERICAN FASTENER SHOW NASHVILL
NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL FASTENER AND MI
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 185
188 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK J.W. W
190 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK Carl P
NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL FASTENER AND MI
ALL AMERICAN FASTENER SHOW NASHVILL
200 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
SHARE A PAGE FROM THIS MAGAZINE OPTION 1: Click on the share tab above, or OPTION 2: Click on the icon (far right of toolbar) and then click on the icon (top right of the page). |
Copyright © Distributor's Link, Inc. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy