Training in a Down Economy

So we have all been watching the pundits and listening to the news bits, and many of our businesses are either forecasting or experiencing reduced activity for the current and coming months.  And in this atmosphere, I hear a lot of folks saying “I suppose training will be the first thing to go.”  In fact, this is the perfect time for training.  Think back to when your business was booming, or your members were frantic with activity.  Here were all the excuses for not getting ‘into the classroom’ (actual or virtual, as the case may be)…

1.)    Time away from work is too precious.  A little extra time on our hands, during this temporary slow down, is a perfect time to retool, train, and sharpen our skills.

2.)    What we’ve been doing has worked just fine. Some industries are quite obviously letting go of ‘the way they were,’ but others need to look at the new environment and consider how it impacts their business, and what changes can be made to get and stay ahead, with customers, employees, members and shareholders.  The right learning program can help you.

And then one for the current environment:

3.)    The investment is too great. There are many cost-effective ways to activate the ‘learning’ in your organization – from action learning teams and mentoring, to formalized external programs. Think like an investor – if time is not currently at a premium, now is the perfect opportunity to invest.

All this to say… now is the time. Business as we know it has not come to an end, things will start up again, even if right now feels like a holding pattern. On the other side of the current crisis, the wisest of us will be retooled, with a well-trained, re-invigorated work force, distribution channel, or volunteer base, ready to take on new challenges.   - SAC