Corporate Seal Training

Have you ever seen a performing seal at a circus show? It jumps through a hoop, claps its flippers, toots a horn with its nose.

All for the reward of a piece of fish after the trick is done.

That's how many companies set up their corporate training programs, like training circus animals. "If you perform this function, I'll reward you." That's great, if you want an employee whose job is to jump through hoops and clap on command, but I believe that one inspired staff member is worth a hundred trained seals.

Take customer service, for example. Most companies make the mistake of giving their customer service staff a week-long training session which includes nothing more than a "how-to" for answering questions by rote. This type of training misses an enormous opportunity for creating inspired, invested company representatives armed with the power to create customers for life.

So how do you break the corporate seal training habit?

- Inspire before you instruct: Motivate your employees through your words and actions. Constantly share the knowledge about corporate culture and values so that they can understand their departmental and company-wide goals. The mission statement is not something that should only be dusted off for the annual report, but should be the heartbeat of the company and a theme running through every decision and communication.

- Empower decision-making: Give your staff the ability to problem-solve and come up with creative answers. Reward them for initiative, even if that initiative costs you, on occasion. You'll have something that every business wants: an employee who believes in and lives the company's values.

- Reflect what you want to create: Treat your employees as you would have them treat your clients. If you want to have loyal customers, then create an environment that inspires loyalty in your staff. Give them knowledge and empowerment so they can share the infectious enthusiasm that they have for your business with the world.

So, take a good look at your staff training program. And ask yourself, are you training seals or empowering employees?