WINTER 2016

14 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK
Laurence Claus
Laurence Claus is the President of NNi Training and Consulting, Inc. He has 25 years of
experience with a medium sized automotive fastener manufacturer, holding positions
including Vice President of Engineering, General Manager, Director of Quality, Director
of New Business Development and Applications Engineer. In 2012 he formed NNi
offering technical and business training courses as well as technical consulting, expert
witness and consultation work. He can be reached at 847-867-7363 or
Lclaus@NNiTraining.com. You can learn more about NNi at www.NNiTraining.com.
FASTENER DISTRIBUTORS - ASSESS YOUR TRAINING
I just completed three full days of training in central
Mexico. I was extremely proud of the twelve young men that
attended this session. Although English was clearly not their
first language, they remained more attentive and engaged for
three long days than many of the classes I conduct to U.S.
audiences. It was obvious that they wanted to be there and
to learn. As I consider this experience I am reminded of other
recent training experiences and how different companies
demonstrate their attitudes
toward training. In some cases
the training is well received
and clearly appreciated while
other companies seem to be
just going through the motions.
Training is too important to
take for granted and the
following six items are
presented for consideration to
gage your company’s attitudes
and training practices against.
Culture
Is training an important and valued part of your
company culture or is it just another activity that feels like
someone’s prerequisite? One of the more interesting
elements of being a trainer and consultant is the
opportunity to interact with many organizations and people.
Every new engagement is a little like the excitement and
wonder of a child’s first sleep over at a new friend’s house.
In the same way that something new and intimate is learned
about a friend, so every new engagement is an opportunity
to learn about what the company values and how they
CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE
approach business.
It is readily apparent that companies who value learning
and training make it an important part of their DNA. Learning
is a critical part of the human experience and comes from a
complex combination of instruction, training, and first-hand
experience. In fact, training is simply a pathway to learning.
It is not and should not be the only method a company
embraces to develop its people and encourage learning. It is,
however, an important one and
a company’s approach and
dedication to training will
speak volumes about their
commitment to developing
their people.
So what features in a
company demonstrate this
commitment? It boils down to
two primary indicators. First, is
there a companywide attitude
that there is always something
new to be learned regardless of tenure, age, or position in
the company? It is important for a company to recognize that
their new hires and young people require training and
education. However, this should extend to all employees and
if these are the only candidates considered worthy of
training, the company does not value training in its culture.
Secondly, do top leaders embrace and participate in
training? If the men and women at the “top” are too busy or
“knowledgeable” to participate in and endorse opportunities
for learning, the example they are setting will clearly be
adopted by others lower in the organization and the entire
culture will reflect this.
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