I talk a lot about the importance of training your staff. But who’s training you?

Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m honored that you’re here reading this post. That’s a fabulous start. What else are you reading? Other blogs? Books?

Are you attending any conferences? Sitting in on any workshops? Listening to any podcasts or webinars?

Are you visiting other stores and seeing how they do things?

Here is one of my favorite ways to learn… Teach!

You can’t teach what you don’t know, so agree to teach something. Then you’ll be forced to learn it. That’s what I did to write my free eBook Reading Your Financial Statements. I took a topic that was tough for me and forced myself to learn it. Talked to accountants. Talked to other retailers. Read articles. Got professional opinions. Wrote a rough draft. Took the criticism like a man. Re-wrote it. And learned.

How do you get the chance to teach something? Simple. Ask.

Ask your local chamber if they are looking for an presenters for upcoming workshops or academies. Offer to speak to philanthropy groups like Lions Club or Rotary. Talk to your shop local group about doing a training.

Don’t worry if you don’t think you know enough. First, you know a lot more than you think. Second, once you book it, you’ll do what you need to do to learn the rest, and you’ll be all the smarter for it.

Your staff will model what you do. If you keep learning, so will they.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS If you would like a suggestion or two for good books to read, send me an email. Tell me the subject and what you hope to learn. Chances are there is a book I’ve read or one on my to-read list that will fit the bill.

PPS For our last staff meeting I put a dozen or so of my favorite business books on a table, gave a quick synopsis of each book and offered the staff 3 bonus hours if they do an oral presentation on the book at the next staff meeting. You would have been amazed how many grabbed a book.