Category: learn

Your Managers Are Not the Problem. Your System Is.

~ jordan ~ Leave a comment

You hired smart people.

People who were good at their jobs. Reliable. Hardworking. The kind of employees you trust. So when you promoted them into management roles, it made sense.

And yet—something started to break.

Decisions slowed down. Problems kept getting escalated. Meetings became longer but less useful. And somehow, despite having more “leaders,” you ended up doing more of the thinking yourself.

Sound familiar?

Most companies assume this is a people problem.
“It’s a training issue.”
“They need more experience.”
“They’re just not ready.”

That’s the easy answer.

But it’s usually the wrong one.

Because what you’re seeing is not a leadership problem. It’s a system problem.

And until you fix the system, no amount of training will save you.

Let’s be honest.

Most managers are not trained to think.
They are trained to report.

From the start of their careers, employees are rewarded for accuracy, compliance, and execution. Do the task. Follow the process. Escalate issues.

So when they become managers, they don’t magically shift into decision-makers.

They carry the same behavior into a bigger role.

They report better.
They escalate faster.
They avoid risk more carefully.

And then leadership wonders why nothing moves unless they step in.

It’s not that your managers don’t want to lead.

They just don’t know how to operate differently.

Here’s where it gets uncomfortable.

If every decision still goes through you…

You are not just the leader.

You are the system.

And the system is telling your managers one clear message:

“Don’t decide. Just ask.”

So they do.

Every time they escalate, they are not being lazy.

They are being consistent with how the organization works.

This is why most leadership training fails.

You send your managers to a workshop.
They learn about delegation, communication, decision-making.

For a moment, everything looks promising.

Then they go back to work.

And nothing changes.

Because the environment they return to does not require them to apply what they learned.

No structure.
No reinforcement.
No expectation of changed behavior.

Just more slides. More notes. More “good insights.”

Training without application is just entertainment.

And companies spend thousands on it every year.

Now imagine a different approach.

Instead of focusing on what managers know, you focus on what managers do every day.

Small actions. Repeated daily.

Not a full-day training. Not a once-a-month seminar.

Short, focused leadership moments.

Clear expectations.

Immediate application.

Because leadership is not learned in theory.

It is built through repetition.

Think about it this way.

If you wanted someone to get physically stronger, would you send them to a one-day fitness seminar?

Of course not.

You’d have them exercise regularly.

Same principle.

Leadership is a muscle.

And most companies are trying to build it through lectures instead of practice.

This is where micro-learning changes the game.

Not because it’s trendy.

But because it matches how behavior actually changes.

Instead of overwhelming your managers with information, you give them small, focused lessons.

Every day.

Something they can apply immediately.

Something tied to real work.

For example:

Instead of teaching “decision-making frameworks” in theory…

You give them one simple rule for the day:

“If a problem comes to you, propose a solution before escalating.”

Now they have to think.

Now they have to engage.

Now they start building the habit.

Over time, these small shifts compound.

Managers begin to:

• Make decisions faster
• Take ownership of problems
• Communicate more clearly
• Reduce dependency on leadership

Not because they attended a seminar.

But because the system required them to behave differently.

And here’s the part most leaders miss.

You don’t need more training.

You need more application.

Because knowledge is not your bottleneck.

Behavior is.

If your managers are not stepping up, don’t ask:

“What else should we teach them?”

Ask instead:

“What in our system is preventing them from acting like leaders?”

That’s where the real work is.

Let’s make this practical.

If you want to start shifting your organization, begin with three simple changes:

1. Stop accepting problem-only escalations

If someone brings you an issue, ask:

“What do you recommend?”

This forces thinking.

At first, they’ll struggle. That’s normal.

Keep asking.

Consistency builds behavior.

2. Define what “good leadership” looks like daily

Not in theory. Not in values posters.

But in actions.

What should a manager do today that proves they are leading?

Make it clear. Make it visible.

3. Build repetition into the system

One lesson. One action. Every day.

Not optional.

Not “if they have time.”

Because if it’s optional, it won’t happen.

This is how real leadership development works.

Not through inspiration.

But through structure.

And here’s the truth most companies don’t want to hear:

Your organization is perfectly designed to produce the results you are getting.

If managers keep escalating…

If decisions are slow…

If you are the bottleneck…

That’s not accidental.

That’s the system working exactly as it was designed.

So you have a choice.

You can keep investing in more training, hoping something sticks.

Or you can redesign the system so leadership becomes unavoidable.

Because when the system changes…

Behavior follows.

And when behavior changes…

Results finally move.

So the next time you feel frustrated with your managers, pause for a second.

And ask yourself:

Are they really the problem…
or are they just responding exactly the way your system trained them to?

Related Reading: Systems Over Personalities

  1. Your Company Didn’t Miss Its Targets. It Followed Your Design. This article argues that every organization is perfectly designed to get the results it is currently achieving. When a company misses its targets, the natural reaction is to blame the people involved or look for individual failures. However, the author posits that the failure is usually a logical outcome of the existing workflows, incentives, and structures. To change the output, leaders must be willing to dismantle and redesign the underlying system rather than just pressuring the team. True progress comes from shifting the focus from “who failed” to “what in our design allowed this to happen.”
  2. Your Managers Aren’t Slow. They’re Waiting for Permission. Slow execution is often misdiagnosed as a lack of urgency or competence in middle management. This post explains that “slowness” is actually a rational survival strategy in systems where authority is vague or decisions are constantly second-guessed. When managers feel that taking initiative carries high personal risk but low systemic support, they learn that the safest move is to wait for a green light from the top. The author suggests that “speed” is a design outcome created by explicit authority and clear ownership.
  3. The “Invisible” CEO: Building a Startup Structure That Doesn’t Break When You Step Away Many leaders unintentionally become the ultimate bottleneck by acting as the “hero” who solves every problem. This article outlines the transition from being a problem solver to being a system architect. It emphasizes that solving a single problem only helps once, whereas designing a system to handle that category of problem helps the company forever. By creating accountability maps and clear processes, a leader ensures the organization functions autonomously.
  4. Why Everything Works—Until You’re Not Around If a business pauses or struggles the moment a leader steps away, it indicates a design problem rather than a people problem. This piece explores how work often depends on a leader’s personal memory and availability instead of documented rules and standards. The author challenges leaders to stop asking “Why do they need me?” and start asking “Why does this require me at all?” This mindset shift allows the system to remain resilient and steady even in the leader’s absence.
  5. Why Most Leadership Training Fails (and How Smart Leaders Quietly Fix It) This article critiques the common practice of treating leadership development as a one-off event rather than a systemic ecosystem. Training fails when it tries to change individual behavior without addressing the environment that those individuals operate within daily. Smart leaders focus on building “leadership-inevitable” cultures where the environment itself cultivates consistency and growth. The goal is to design a system where leading well is simply the default path of least resistance.

The Efficiency Trap: Moving from Startup “Hustle” to Scalable Leadership

~ jordan ~ Leave a comment

The lights in the office at Bonifacio Global City were flickering, but Miguel didn’t notice. He was too busy rewriting a client proposal for the third time.

Miguel’s startup was a success by any metric—revenue was up, the team had grown to thirty people, and they were preparing for a regional expansion. But Miguel felt like he was failing. He was working fourteen-hour days, yet his to-do list only grew longer. Every decision, from the choice of a new CRM to the wording of a press release, had to go through him.

He had been searching for how to build a corporate structure for a startup and leadership coaching for founder-CEOs. He thought he needed to be faster, more efficient, and more “on top of things.”

In reality, his efficiency was the problem. Because Miguel was so good at “fixing” things, his team had stopped trying to fix them themselves. He wasn’t a leader; he was a bottleneck owner.

To scale, Miguel had to learn that his value was no longer in his ability to do the work, but in his ability to ensure the work could happen without him. He had to trade his “hustle” for Accountability.

The Story of the Founder Who Stopped Solving Problems

Miguel’s turning point came during a board meeting. One of his investors asked a simple question: “If you were hit by a bus tomorrow, who would decide our pricing strategy for next year?”

The room went silent. Miguel realized that the answer was “no one.”

He decided to run an experiment. For one week, he would not solve any problems brought to him. Instead, he would only ask: “What system are we missing that would allow you to solve this yourself?”

At first, the team was frustrated. They were used to Miguel giving them the answer in thirty seconds. Now, they had to think. But by Wednesday, something shifted. The operations manager didn’t come to him to complain about a late supplier; she came to him with a draft of a new Vendor Accountability Contract.

Miguel hadn’t just delegated a task; he had delegated the Clarity of Direction.

Lesson 1: The “Why” is Your Only True Task

As a founder, you are the keeper of the vision. When you spend your time deciding which social media platform to use, you are neglecting your actual job: defining the “Why.”

When the “Why” is clear, the “How” becomes obvious to your team.

  • The Centralized Way: “Post three times a day on Instagram.” (The team waits for your content ideas).
  • The Scalable Way: “Our goal is to become the most trusted authority for fintech in the Philippines. Every piece of content we produce must solve a specific pain point for a small business owner.” (The team creates content without you).

If you find yourself micro-managing, it’s usually because you haven’t provided enough clarity at the top.

Lesson 2: Build the Machine, Don’t Be the Gear

In the early days of a startup, the founder is the biggest gear in the machine. You turn, and everything else turns. But as the machine grows, that gear becomes a point of friction.

To move toward a professional management structure, you must step outside the machine and become the engineer.

This means focusing on Systems. A system is a repeatable process that produces a predictable result without your intervention.

  • A hiring system ensures you get great talent even if you don’t conduct the first interview.
  • A sales system ensures leads are followed up on even if you aren’t cc’d on the emails.
  • A feedback system ensures quality stays high even if you don’t personally proofread the work.

If a task has to be done more than three times, it needs a system. If it has a system, it no longer needs you.

Lesson 3: The Gift of Accountability

Most founders think delegation is about giving people things to do. It’s actually about giving people things to own.

When you “help” a team member by fixing their mistake, you are actually stealing their accountability. You are telling them, “I don’t trust you to get this right, so I will do it for you.” Over time, your best people will leave because they want to grow, and your weakest people will stay because they like having a safety net.

To stop being a bottleneck, you must give the gift of accountability. This means:

  1. Defining Success: “This project is successful if we reach X revenue by Y date.”
  2. Providing Resources: “You have X budget and Y team members to help you.”
  3. Stepping Back: “I am here for guidance, but you are the decision-maker. I will see you at the Friday review.”

Lesson 4: The CEO’s True “Hustle”

Scaling a startup isn’t about working harder; it’s about shifting where you put your energy.

  • The Founder’s Hustle: Working in the business. Solving fires, closing deals, writing code.
  • The CEO’s Hustle: Working on the business. Hiring leaders, setting the culture, and building the systems of accountability.

If your calendar is 90% “doing” and 10% “designing,” you are still a bottleneck. Your goal should be to flip those numbers. The most successful startups are the ones where the founder spends their time looking two years into the future, while the team handles today.

Summary: From Centralized to Scalable

Moving from a centralized, owner-led startup to a structured organization is a journey of trust. It requires you to believe that your team is capable of excellence if they are given the right direction and the right tools.

When you stop being the bottleneck, you stop being the limit. You allow your company to become something bigger than yourself. You move from being the person who is the business to the person who owns the business.

If you were unable to work for the next month, which specific part of your company would stop functioning first—and what system can you build today to prevent that?

Relevant Articles from JordanImutan.com

Embracing Lifelong Learning: The Benefits of Continuous Education

~ jordan ~ Leave a comment

It’s no secret that the world is always changing. In fact, the only thing that’s guaranteed in life is that everything is always in a state of flux. The only way to stay ahead of the curve is to constantly be learning.

For many of us, this means embracing lifelong learning. What is lifelong learning, you ask? Simply put, it’s a continuous and never-ending desire to learn. It’s the ability to keep our minds open and constantly expanding our knowledge base.

Why is this so important? There are countless reasons, but here are just a few: Continuous education makes you more marketable. Lifelong learners are seen as more valuable employees because they’re constantly upgrading their skills. They’re also seen as more adaptable and resourceful—both valuable qualities in today’s ever-changing economy.

Continuous education keeps your mind active and young. It’s been shown that people who engage in lifelong learning activities have a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia later in life.

There are many benefits to continuous learning, both personally and professionally. Here are a few of the most noteworthy:

1. Improves mental sharpness and brain health.

2. Helps us adapt to change.

3. Increases our earning potential.

4. Makes us more well-rounded individuals.

5. Facilitates social and professional networking.

6. Boosts self-confidence and self-esteem.

7. Keeps us mentally and emotionally young.

8. Helps prevent boredom and stagnation.

9. Stimulates our creativity.

10. Connects us to our community.

Continuous learning is a lifelong process that comes with many benefits. It helps us stay sharp, adapt to change, and earn more money. It also makes us more well-rounded individuals, boosts our confidence, and connects us to our community.

So what are you waiting for? Start embracing lifelong learning today!

What Is Continuous Learning?

Continuous learning, or lifelong learning, is the ongoing process of acquiring knowledge and skills. It’s a mindset that prioritizes learning over the acquisition of possessions or status.

For many of us, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day responsibilities and forget to invest in ourselves. But by embracing continuous learning, we open up a lifetime of possibilities. We learn new things, meet new people, and expand our horizons.

The benefits of continuous learning are vast and varied. It can help us get ahead in our careers, improve our relationships, and make us more well-rounded individuals. It also helps us stay current with the latest trends and developments in our industry.

So how can you start embracing continuous learning? The first step is to identify your interests and passions. From there, you can find resources that will help you pursue those interests. There are many online courses, workshops, and seminars available today, so there’s no excuse not to get started.

Advantages of Continuing Education

Continuing your education past high school or college is one of the smartest decisions you will ever make. There are so many advantages to doing so, and we want to highlight a few of them for you.

First and foremost, continuing your education keeps your mind active and engaged. It prevents you from becoming complacent and allows you to learn new things and explore different topics. This makes you a more well-rounded individual, and it can also help you in your career.

Second, pursuing additional education demonstrates your dedication to lifelong learning. This is an important quality for any employer, as it shows that you are willing to continue learning and growing in your field. It also signifies that you are ambitious and committed to your career goals.

Finally, pursuing additional education is a great way to network with other professionals. Meeting others in your field and networking with them can help you learn new things, find job opportunities, and expand your professional network.

Strategies for Continuing Education

So, you’re done with school and you’re ready to take your career to the next level. But now what?

There are a number of strategies for continuing your education, and it’s important to find the option that works best for you. options include online courses, certification programs, conferences and workshops, and self-study.

No matter which option you choose, make sure that the learning is relevant to your career goals. And don’t forget to budget for continuing education—it can be a costly but important investment in your future.

Here are a few more things to keep in mind as you continue your education:

– Take advantage of free resources. There are a number of free online courses and resources that can help you learn new skills.

– Stay up to date with technology. Technology is always changing, and it’s important to stay ahead of the curve.

– Network with other professionals. Attend industry events and meet other professionals in your field.

– Get a mentor. Find someone who can help guide you in your career and offer advice and support.

– Of course, you also have trainings and workshops you can attend.

Continuous learning is an essential part of any career. By embracing it, you’ll be able to stay ahead of the curve and maintain your competitive edge.

The Benefits of Adult Education

Now that you know what continuous learning is, let’s talk about why it’s so important. By engaging in adult education, you’re fostering a lifelong habit of learning and growing. You’re challenging yourself to become a better version of yourself and stay ahead of the curve.

Continuous learning has been linked to enhanced cognitive and problem-solving skills, improved memory, enhanced communication and collaboration skills, as well as increased creativity and innovation. All of these are invaluable skills that can benefit you in your personal life as well as in your professional life.

Moreover, embracing lifelong learning can help open up new career paths for you by enhancing your knowledge base and expanding your skill sets. This can give you the edge when it comes to job opportunities or promotions at work. Plus, studies have shown that continuous learning can even boost self-confidence, contributing to your overall well-being.

Resources to Help With Continuing Learning

We are lucky to have a plethora of resources available to help us learn whatever we like, whenever we desire. For starters, there’s the internet—an immense buffet of free knowledge, ready for us to consume at any time.

In addition, we have access to online courses and lecture series that can help us with specific topics—whether it be programming or playing the guitar. If books appeal more to you, then why not pick up an e-book? Or if you like having physical copies of books, you can opt for audiobooks.

We can also attend workshops and benefit from talking with people in our industries who may have valuable insight that’s hard to come by anywhere else. And don’t forget about podcasts; while this is a great way to stay up-to-date with news and industry trends, podcasts also provide a great way for us to learn in shorter chunks of time when we don’t have a lot of free time available.

Tips for Making Continuous Learning Work for You

Making lifelong learning work for you is all about having the right approach and setting yourself up with the right tools and resources. Here are a few tips to help get you started:

– Plan it out: Making lifelong learning part of your routine is key to success. Set aside time for learning each week, even if it’s only an hour or two. This will help it become part of your regular routine.

– Get organized: Make sure you have a place to store all the knowledge you’re going to gain! Whether you’re taking notes on paper or using an app, having everything in one place makes it easy to refer back to when needed.

– Never stop learning: Never underestimate yourself, and don’t be afraid of trying something new. Whether it’s a language, technical skill, craft or hobby—continuously pushing yourself out of your comfort zone will allow you to learn as much as possible and gain new insights!

In short, there are plenty of good reasons to keep learning throughout your life. Whether you want to improve your career prospects, boost your mental health, or make new friends, adult education can help you achieve your goals. And with so many different types of courses available, there’s sure to be something out there that interests you. So what are you waiting for? Start learning today!

What about you? Are you teachable?

With us, learning begins after the last day of Training. Education is about using and retaining knowledge.

Learning beyond Training at pocph.com

#learning #lifelonglearning #beyondtraining #training #leadershipdevelopment #leadership #leaders #jordan #pocph #learningbeyondtraining

“Voicemail” question “Is launching a new brand from the same company more preferable than franchising?”

~ jordan ~ Leave a comment

We have a voice in question from an anonymous listener “Is launching a new brand from the same company more preferable than franchising?”

These are two distinct topics, and I am not quite sure how they relate. Unfortunately, it was an anonymous sender. The listener who sent the ‘voice’ question did not leave a name or email address.

Let’s see. Let me tackle this as two questions. The first one is “Launching a new brand from the same company.” If the new brand is not targetting a different customer, then that should be no problem. I assume the new brand is still on-brand with the company’s overall branding.

However, if the new brand being launched is targetting a different set of customers, it’s best to launch the new brand as another company.

For example, when the Toyota Motors directors decided to go after the luxury class of automobiles, they knew they could not launch the new brand of cars under the ‘Toyota’ banner.

The Toyota brand stood for quality and affordability. The target market is the middle class and lower middle class. Coming out with a luxury brand of cars would confuse buyers. The target market of the new vehicles is the upper class of buyers. These target customers will not likely buy ‘Toyota’ cars for personal use. They are after prestige and luxury.

So as not to confuse their existing ‘Toyota’ market and their target luxury market, the car manufacturer decided to create a separate branding and company for it. So they came out with the Lexus brand of cars. Lexus was made to go after the market of Mercedez Benz and BMW. They offered the same luxury level of automobiles with reliability and high quality at more affordable pricing that Japanese manufacturers are known for. So one conglomerate is coming up with two brands of cars.

Now, let us discuss the second topic – franchising. I don’t have enough context to reply correctly. Hopefully, the listener that sent the question will be able to read this and send a follow-up question. Please provide a little bit more context so I can properly reply.

In the meantime, have a good day, everyone, and be safe.

If you have a question in mind, please send your question via the link below.

https://bit.ly/Askjordan

Six tell-tale signs that our leadership superpowers may be dipping

~ jordan ~ Leave a comment

photography of a person pointing on something
Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com

When business is booming and the economy is raising our revenues, it’s easy to perform our role as a leader.

The key behaviors are easily manifested and evident to all employees. “Walking the talk” is easy. Leaders even preach the attributes of a good leader to their direct reports. They also enjoy dropping quotes from great leaders of the past.

However, challenging times tend to test our leadership resolve. Difficult times can test the values we preach. Such hard times can test our leadership competencies. It is in these moments that we need to hold on stronger to ideal leadership competencies and behaviors. This is the time where our people look up to us for guidance and to set an example for them to follow.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2-3

It is in these moments that we need to understand and observe ourselves. We need to pay close attention to our leadership style. We need to be critical of how we behave towards our current situation and towards our people.

From experience consulting for different company leaders in good times and in bad, here are a few signs to watch out for. If you start seeing any of these manifests in your leadership style then it’s time to take a pause and assess why you are behaving the way you are behaving. Assess how your leadership behavior is helping or hindering your current situation.

  1. We start to de-priorities the development of our people.

In times of blessings and times of lack, people should always be our most important asset. We cannot have people as our most important asset in good times and in bad times bring them down the pecking order. It will be our good people sticking with us that will help us through difficult times. We may need to reduce our manpower in downtimes, however, let’s make sure we keep the good ones. Great companies invest more in the development of their people instead of cutting down the training budget. Management guru Peter Drucker said, “If you think training is expensive, try ignorance.”

  1. We start blaming first and ask questions after

Democracy reigns in good times. Everyone has an equal voice in good times. In bad times, we sometimes shift to finger-pointing. Instead of asking the question “what happened, what’s the root cause, how can we correct it, how can we prevent recurrence”, we default to “who is to blame for this?”

Such a work environment causes people to be afraid to try anything for fear of reprisal. Nobody also wants bad news to trickle up for fear that the messenger of bad news gets the ax. By the time senior management gets wind of an issue, it has already ballooned into a big problematic snowball.

  1. We fight industry trends

What got you there, won’t get you to the next level. Too many times, I have seen the reason for a company’s success turning into the reason for its failure. Company founders hold on to their original success formula. Software companies using the same antiquated programming approach even though it has been made obsolete by the industry. Retail businesses refusing to create a hybrid digital/brick-and-mortar model. People standing on street corners marketing their products and services using old-fashioned flyers.

Do we really think we can beat industry trends? Blockbuster thought that they can keep the lead by ignoring Netflix. They filed for chapter 11. Kodak refused to move to Digital cameras since their massive growth was fueled by film-based technology. They filed for chapter 11. Did Barnes & Noble think that building more stores would win the hearts of customers that are moving into digital books? They filed for chapter 11.

  1. We start losing high-potential people and retain the bad apples.

When signs of bad leadership start to manifest itself in the workplace, it’s the good employees that jump ship. These high performers know their market value. It’s the none-performers that tend to stay. Why? They have no place to go. Now take a balcony moment and check your business. Your company is currently under a lot of stress and the people you have are mostly non-performers. The good ones went out of the front door.

  1. We don’t openly bring faith in the workplace

Deuteronomy 8:18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth; that He may confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

When we succeed, we often think it was purely on our own accord and effort. We think that the growth of our business stems from our intelligence and tenacity. What we forget is that our talents, opportunities, blessings, wealth, valuable employees, valuable clients, favorable market trends, education, parents, family name and so on came from our creator. None of our success is purely ours to solely claim. Why is it that we do not openly acknowledge or practice our faith? Are we ashamed to be seen as an obedient follower? Are we ashamed to show that we rely on a higher power for our business?

Captains of industries with an openly strong faith in God have grown their business to billions of dollars in annual revenues. You have Dan Cathy (Chik-fil-A) grew his business to 2,363 stores with annual revenues of $10.5 Billion. You have Dave Thomas, CEO of Wendys with their 800 stores. James Cash Penny with 2,000 JC Penny store locations.

Clearly, faith in the workplace works.

  1. We start mixing personal and professional views

When times are good, leaders can separate their personal from work views. Even if they do not like people at a personal level they can work with them.

When times are tough, the line between personal and work views starts to blur. The leader’s personal views start to cloud their work judgment. Dealing with good people with opposing views starts to get painted in a bad light.

Once they have a bad view of good people, everything these people say is taken in a negative context. Good people that are marked as (personally) bad eventually leave the company.

There are other tell-tale signs of a leadership 180-degree turn. These are just examples of signs to look out for. With God by our side, we can maintain our positive Leadership behaviors in good times and in bad.

You can listen to the podcast version of this article by clicking here (jordansviews.com)

Living our work Values

~ jordan ~ Leave a comment

adult african american woman business businessmen
Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

For the last few months, we had been encouraging our team members to seek our APEX (be authentic, be purpose driven and be excellent) values being exhibited by our colleagues. Values are useless unless they are lived by people. Values are useless unless it is rooted into a culture.

Every weekly meeting, we encourage sharing stories of colleagues having lived one of the three values in the past week. We entice this behavior, in the beginning, with prizes hoping that one day the values become a norm in the company.

This week, after three of our colleagues sharing their story, it struck on me that I had witnessed a colleague from HR exhibiting all three values. Let me share her story.

Last weekend, our team members went to EK for a day of de-stressing in our local theme park. On the drive home, my colleague from HR shared something interesting. Apparently, she is an avid learner. She enjoys jotting down tips every Monday, during our team meetings. She was so enthused with her learning opportunity at work that she could not contain it to herself. On every opportunity that arises, she would energetically share her learnings with her friends.

She believes deep in her heart that learning is an opportunity that should be visibly celebrated through sharing knowledge with others. It is not enough that we learn something new. The true values come from sharing knowledge with others. She does not need to share. However, she is always compelled by her conviction to share her learnings for the week.

Veng is authentic, she cannot contain her passion to share her learnings with others.

Veng has a clear purpose to help others.

Veng is excellent as she purposefully learns new things in order to get better in life and at work.

Veng has shown us one way of living all three values. Thank you, Veng.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you practice what you learn?

~ jordan ~ Leave a comment

man in black and white polo shirt beside writing board
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Another way of looking at the old saying ‘Practice what you preach’ is ‘Practice what you learn.’ Far too often, we sit down in a classroom type training learning something new. However, we seldom put new-found knowledge into practice. This is such a waste of time, money, resource and opportunity to improve.

After returning to the Philippines five years ago, one glaring practice I noticed about training companies is that they have this ‘training hit & run’ approach. These training companies provide classroom training but fail to consider the sustainability of the lesson in real life. Such training companies do this either in a public workshop or in a more contained corporate training setting. Knowledge retention with such an approach is very low. People usually go back to business as usual and gradually forget what they learned.

AGMC, the company we set-up, has a different approach. After we conduct our ‘classroom training’ the learning process does not end there. Participants have an assignment to use what they learn in their day-to-day work. Three or four weeks after the classroom training, we reconvene and the participants share their experience using their new competencies.

Participants report on the work situation where the skill was used. They are also required to analyze the situation and report on their insights. It is only now, after the discussions, that they receive their certifications.

This is not a new approach to sustainable learning. It has been used abroad for some time now. Locally, when you take up a Lean Six Sigma program, the participant is required to have an actual work project proving the use of the lessons learned. They identify a challenging problem at work and use the tools and lessons they learned to fix the problem. The participant then proceeds and analyzes the financial benefits of the project and present/defend it to a panel. Only when they prove that they effectively used their newly acquired competency will they get their Lean Six Sigma Certification.

To all training companies back here. Let us design our programs as sustainable competency development programs and not as a one-shot deal. When a customer calls us again for a development program, it should be for a new competency. Getting a call to come back and re-train people for a competency that did not stick simply means we failed.