Earlier this week, I attended some clinic presentations at Harvey Mudd (student projects with companies / partners), and the value of innovation hit home! For example, there are students working on innovations to improve on the success rate of breast cancer surgeries – talk about relevant! There are many tangible and impactful projects the students work on throughout the year in a wide variety of industries. Marrying up practical experience with book knowledge can go far in preparing students to be successful in careers after college. Do you provide well-rounded education and experiences?
One tip to implement this week:
What type of education and experiences do you provide for your employees and team members? I see a distinctive difference between training and education whereas education is a much broader concept so that your employees will be able to interpret and carry forward. Do you explain the whys? Do you provide practical examples? Do you allow your team members to try new things? Even if they fail?
Although education can be quite valuable, it might not be enough. Do you find a way to provide an experience? A kaizen might do the trick …or at least get the process started. Or, have you put together a cross-training program? Shouldn’t a planner or logistics resource understand the trials and tribulations of talking with customers on a daily basis? Dealing with an angry customer can do wonders for opening your eyes. And how about vice-versa? Are your customer service resources committing to whatever the customer requests regardless of whether you can deliver it? Why not give a more comprehensive experience approach a go?
February 12, 2018