By Daniel Marcos
One of the main characteristics of fast-growing organizations is that they have a culture of learning that works as an engine of growth, innovation, and profitability. These companies stand out for creating their own corporate universities, in which they integrate training programs that depart from the traditional educational model.Some of the results that we can obtain by building solid training programs for our employees are: increased productivity, reduced turnover, understanding of the market, increased motivation, and strengthening of the organizational culture. However, until 2019 only 11 percent of companies invested resources in training their teams, according to a survey by OCC Mundial.Therefore, as entrepreneurs it is important that we prioritize the development of our teams if we want to accelerate the growth of our businesses. Here is a list of three recommendations that will help you build your own corporate university and develop a culture of learning:
Identify the Village of Experts Your Company Needs
An important challenge that entrepreneurs face when looking for training for our teams is exposure to a great offer with programs that are not always adapted to our growth needs. To counteract this overwhelming feeling, the most effective thing is to be clear about those aspects that are crucial to the success of your company, or even the areas where your business is stagnant and you want to improve.Look for the best authors and experts whose track record and proven methodologies give you the certainty you need to implement them in your company. In my case, some authors who have been key to scaling my business are: Verne Harnish, Salim Ismail, Victoria Medvec, John Mullins, Liz Wiseman, and Patrick Lencioni, among others. Each of them has helped me improve strategy in different aspects of my business such as sales, negotiations, finances, hiring, and more.
Lean Toward a Hybrid Model of Education
Don’t make the mistake of assuming that your team learns in the same way as you. If you fall for this idea you will end up sending your team to the wrong places and you will only give them books that will become a giant and dusty pile on their desk of pending. In a conversation with Arnie Malham, author of the book “Worth Doing Wrong,” we discussed that creating a culture of learning requires integrating resources and content that respond to the different ways people learn.Therefore, an effective training program must go beyond conventional methods. In this case, I recommend the hybrid education model, a holistic learning method that integrates four elements: quality content, practical tools, expert guidance, and community support. This model guarantees the acquisition of new knowledge and a clear process to implement it.
Build a Supportive Community
I remember being 26 years old and after founding my first company, I felt deeply alone and overwhelmed by the experience of becoming CEO, as no one shared the same responsibilities or concerns as me. Soon after, I decided to enroll in the prestigious Birthing of Giants program, where in addition to accessing a great deal of business knowledge, I also met CEOs and leaders from various countries and from all types of industries. Meeting them made me realize that I was not alone and I was able to learn from their success stories and also from their mistakes and failures.It was from that moment that I recognized the importance of communities and the great differentiator that this gives to any educational program. When generating community in your corporate university, do not limit yourself to allowing your employees to interact with each other, if you do not look for a way that they have access to more people in similar roles from whom they can learn and with whom they can expand their networks and business opportunities both for them and for your company.Fostering a culture of learning is crucial to the success of your business, as it guarantees the innovation you need to differentiate yourself from your competitors, position yourself within your industry, and develop the talent of your team.
