I hear a train a comin'

No, it's not a freight train. I left off part of the word. It should read "I hear some training coming."

Most business recognize the value of training when it comes to new employees. There is a formalized process introducing them to the company, the industry or the culture of the business. Rarely does anyone start a new job and is on the front lines as soon as the ink is dry on the application. It may seem that way because the level of service you receive stinks. Poor service can be attributed to the person having a bad day. But, more likely than not, it's due to a lack of training. And ongoing training at that.

How often do you attend training? Think about your current job. When was the last time you participated in formalized training?

1. I was part of formalized training/orientation during the first week of my employment.
2. We have yearly training retreats to cover changes in our industry.
3. I am at the top of my job and have completed all of the training requirements necessary.
4. It was yesterday, the last time I worked.

The brownie point/gold star answer should be #4, last time you worked.

How about another definition of training? This goes to show you just how powerful training can be. This training cost an estimated $500 million dollars. Officially, it only lasted for 9 days. But the effects are still being felt today.

In meteorological terms, training refers to repeated areas of rain that move over the same region in a relatively short period of time. From September 15-23, 2009, some parts of metro Atlanta received over 21 inches of rain which resulted in some of the worst flooding in over 500 years. The above map shows you just how much rain fell during this time. If you look closely, there is an area of white that is on the west suburbs of Atlanta, just a few short miles from where we live. While our house and our possessions were not damaged, many were not so fortunate. Parts of our old neighborhood were completely submerged, houses included. 4 of the 5 ways I could use to get home were totally blocked. Roads were under 10 feet of water in some places. One school had water almost to the top of the roof.

You might think you have no responsibility when it comes to training. But it's not just a one-time thing. If you want to grow personally or you want your business to grow, you can't afford to ignore training as an important  part of your business plan.

While there are thousands of books, programs, articles and web sites to help you with training, some of the best training on the planet can be found at the Disney Institute. Your training doesn't have to be this formal. Just understand how impactful it can be.

Go back to the beginning - It's never too late to restart

It's a safe bet to say that most of you reading this blog have played the classic Hasbro board games Monopoly or Sorry!. Both games involve starting over for one reason or another. We even have to reset our computers or other electronic devices once in a while.

Sports teams often have to go back to the basics because something is not working right. A new coach comes in and cleans house, frequently building a new foundation from which he builds his team, his way.

As kids, we learn to sit up, then crawl, and then walk. When learning a new language, we learn the basics first; common words and simple phrases. We don't start with advanced conversations.

So, in many aspects of life, it's a good idea to go back to the beginning and review those principals and practices we learned when we started our current position. It can be our job (for pay) or it can be our job in life (husband, wife, father, mother, child). Life can be running so well that we don't think we need to go back and review the ideals and goals we had in the beginning. We can be cruising along and still get hit by a blind spot. That's why they call them by that name. We don't see them coming. We forget. We lose focus.

What about this guy? He was at the top of his game. He still has the talent to remain at the top. But something has thrown him off. Way off. He was seen working with a trainer recently. Hopefully, this is an attempt to restart, to go over the basics and build from there. Go back to the beginning. It's never too late restart.