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RAB Research Archive

I Don’t Like Training…



Sort of a bold title for the person responsible for training and professional development at the RAB isn’t it? What I don’t like is the WORD “training,” not the process of professional development and getting better.

Author Simon Sinek is best known for his groundbreaking book and his TedTalk® entitled, Start with Why. The concept is simple and intuitive, but the process of developing your “why” statement to a single sentence is difficult. You start with the question: Why are you doing this, besides the money? Simon has another book called, Finding Your Why to help with the process, as well as an online course.

The reason I don’t like the word training is that you train pets, you don’t train people. Often people will thank the RAB for making them better sellers or managers. I’m quick to point out that we can take no credit because they did the work. Getting better, improving your skillset and reaching new levels of success is something only you can do. We can’t do that for you, nor can we force you to do it.

I’m not objective on this, but the RAB offers an amazing array of tools, resources and opportunities for you to improve your performance. BUT you have to do the work, you have to implement the tools and resources and when you do – you get better. When you get better, the credit is all yours.

As we head into the weekend, I’d like to challenge you to figure out your “why.” Why do you do this, besides the money? What really drives you, what gives you the passion and enthusiasm to get up and go to work every day? There’s a purpose inside you that you may never have thought about. Identifying that purpose and then articulating it can be an epiphany moment and one that is worth sharing with the people you work with, colleagues and clients.

After years of thinking, writing and re-writing, I think I finally have mine. I’ll share it with you, in the hopes of helping you start down the path.

To inspire, engage, educate, equip and empower people to believe in themselves, have confidence in their abilities and achieve even greater levels of success – however they define success.

Do you know why you do this job, besides the money? We’d love it if you would share your why statements as they may help us inspire others to unlock some powerful, currently hidden, potential.

Happy Friday.

Source: Jeff Schmidt, RAB