In a recent McKinsey & Company interview, Tom Peters worries about how businesses are missing the vital message about their growth and sustainability. With all of the attention over the last 30-40 years on automation and the desire to replace humans with machines, the reality is that the need for humans is now greater than ever. While there are many things that can be automated, what we know to be true is that relationships are essential to business success. Relationships with your customers are paramount to sustained revenue, relationships with vendors and partners contribute to bottom-line profitability and relationships with your employees ensure not just a good working environment but their loyalty and commitment to the business’ success. Relationship building is a 21st Century skill that must be taught to every employee and especially to sales people and leaders.
It’s not just relationship skills that will make the difference. It’s a commitment to constantly improving and developing your people. Mary Anne has said this for years, but Tom Peters supports this and says “you are only as good as your talent.” He says in this interview that CEO’s and business owners just don’t get it. If you ask CEO’s of large and small organizations what their key priorities are, rarely do they say “develop our people.” Training and development is not always a priority, and we know from experience that it is hurting your bottom line.
What makes our clients unique is that they are in the top 5% who are committed to training and developing their people. During the last few downturns in the market, they continued to invest in developing and growing their people. They continued to work on increasing efficiencies and automation, but they also focused on making their people the best in their market. This has put them head and shoulders above their competition, attracting the best talent and building companies that have long-term sustainability.
Do you believe that your employees are your competitive advantage? If you say “yes,” then look at the training and development dollars you invest in them. Would your employees say “my company puts their money where their mouth is and invests in making sure I am the best in what I do”?If you aren’t sure about the answer to this question, look again at your commitment to employee growth and development. Of course, this commitment begins with yourself. What do you invest in your growth and development?
As Tom Peters says, “Develop your people or die.” We say, “Develop your people or watch them leave and go to your competitors who do!”
