Grappling with the need for staff training is an age-old problem that continues to plague both ancient generals and modern-day managers alike. As Liu BoWen says in his 100 Unorthodox Tactics, “Whenever the army is to be mobilized, the soldiers must first be instructed in combat.” As the war progresses and businesses change, one’s ‘soldiers’ cannot stay in stasis.
Moulding a group of people to a common understanding, values and predictable behaviour can only be accomplished through education. Confusius’s Analects described this best: “It is not in forming a battle array that is difficult, it is reaching the point that men can be ordered into formation that is hard. It is not attaining the ability to order them into formation that is difficult, it is reaching the point of being able to employ them that is hard. It is not knowing what to do that is difficult, it is putting it into effect that is hard.”
But among the smorgasbord of training programmes available, which one should you prioritize? Of course, the primary answer depends on your own business direction. However, if completely clueless, a Qi Men Dun Jia chart can provide you with a clue or two.
As always, the Hour Palace represents your staff (ie, a group of people). In this sample chart, the staff palace is located in the West (indicated by the number 1).
To determine training, we look at the palace that produces the staff palace. In the case of this example, that would be the South West palace (indicated by the number 2).
Finally, the Door and Star in the solution palace (2) provide the indication of the topic or field of study. In this example, we see the Hero Star and the Death Door. In the modern age, the Hero Star could represent Social Media Management, indicating that your staff needs to be trained in this field, while the Death Door indicates coaching, training or counselling skills would also be helpful.
If you are ready to take your business to the next level and you are keen to prepare your staff for the exciting journey ahead, drop me a line here.
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