How Often Do You Train Your Team? 

 D.J. Harrington

Have you ever felt that you were unprepared for what happened next because you didn’t stop to become appropriately trained on every aspect of your job? 

“How often do you train your team?” isn’t an I-gotcha question. How you answer my question will usually show how successful your business really is. If you’re training because something happened at your place, then it is too late to help that situation, but being trained today can certainly help your staff going forward, especially if it happens again. As an industry, we really don’t want that to happen because we're all in this business together. The more we train, the better we can do this business. 

Here’s why training is important. Training is essential for enhancing employee productivity, boosting morale, and fostering company loyalty by equipping staff members with the skills needed to perform tasks efficiently.  

Proper training also reduces errors, improves safety, and enables every business organization to adapt to new developments, whether they're new technologies or additional revenue streams. More importantly, training boosts profitability. Better yet, well-trained staff is more productive than untrained staff.  

My Dad was probably glad he had been trained by that day in 1956 because his job depended on him being trained and knowing repair costs. Dad was always good with figures, and he surely knew what repairs needed to be made. Here’s what happened that day in July of 1956.  

The Swedish liner, MS Stockholm, collided with the Italian luxury liner, SS Andrea Doria, due to dense fog off the coast of Nantucket. Unfortunately, 51 people lost their lives that day—46 from the Andrea Doria and 5 on the Stockholm. The severely damaged Andrea Doria sank the following day, and it was my dad’s job at Bethlehem Steel to come as close as possible to the repair costs. 

As a Marine estimator with a mathematics degree, Dad patiently and diligently worked until he arrived at the cost of repairs for Stockholm, as he saw it. I am proud to say that my dad came within $1,000 of the actual repair cost. Dad was always great with numbers and figures, but it was his training that helped him do it correctly. Diligently and patiently, Dad always had a goal of doing a good job for his employer or his employees. He had been to school and was also trained by management at Bethlehem Steel, which gave him a solid working career. After Dad finally retired from Bethlehem Steel, he was able to get another master’s degree. The idea here is that Dad never quit learning and trying other things because he always wanted to better himself. Most assuredly, not everything went his way with damaged ships, but he always kept trying.  

How about you? Have you ever felt that you were unprepared for what happened next because you didn’t stop to become appropriately trained on every aspect of your job? Maybe at some point, you had the wrong equipment or wished you had been trained on what was happening. At some point, it happens to all of us. The good news is we are part of an industry that wants us to invest our time in training so we can be prepared for whatever happens next. Furthermore, it’s usually free training—like what is available at ARAUniversity.org or at industry shows.  

So why not send your people to be trained by industry professionals? Being trained can help your bottom line. 

Do what my dad did, even though you might be very busy these days. Take time out of your schedule to bring your team for training. Be on the lookout for any training within the industry because those who make the money are those who get trained, especially those who get trained on something that’s new. 

Look at what’s coming up and then reserve your spot to train from the best in the industry by attending as many industry trade shows as you can. All it takes is time to get the training you need. Don’t forget to bring your team with you. 

See you on the next podcast.