Time for Training--A Good Traning Strategy Makes for a Loyal Staff and Happy Clients

摘要

My firm recently conducted in-depth interviews with the CEOs of 22 design firms--ranging in size from a four-person landscape architecture studio to a 5,500-person multinational engineering firm--for the new book "PSMJ's Circle of Excellence: How the Best-Run A/E Firms Manage Clients, Staff, and Projects." Nearly every firm we spoke with includes a training plan as part of its overall strategy. These companies all see training as an investment in their future success, not simply as overhead. What's more, these firms ensure their staff gets training in the so-called "soft skills," including managing client expectations, networking and relationship building, as well as learning about the client's business. Additionally, staff members participate in ongoing technical training. The end results are more work from existing clients, more project opportunities from prospective clients, more competition for new job openings and less staff turnover than their peers. There are four key issues you need to understand when starting a training program: 1. Determine what you want your training to accomplish. You'll need to benchmark your company's performance over the past three years and decide where you need help. You also need to look at your company's strategic plan. What markets do you expect to be in over the next five years? What new design capabilities are you planning to add to your service offerings? Your training plan needs to map to these long-range goals.