A False Economy I NO LONGER Practice… Do You?
Copyright 2010 by Willie Crawford
Many of us go out and buy some of the best software
and hardware tools available. We read about some
tool that could easily DOUBLE our business, or
TRIPLE our productivity, so we wisely purchase it.
Many of us realize that we lack certain skills in
critical areas of our businesses, so we register for
online classes.
Many of us realize that we don’t really know how to
use those whiz-bang pieces of hardware or software
mentioned above, so we track down and register for
in-depth tutorials.
Then we do the DUMBEST thing… we never go through
the training. We never learn to use those tools that
could easily make our lives easier, and our businesses
much more profitable.
We rationalize that “we don’t have the time!”
This is one of two areas that has contributed the
most to the growth of my productivity… and to my
bottom line recently. I’ve started actually “making
the time” to go through those tutorials and really
learn to use the software or hardware tools that I
have. I’ve actually made the time to go through
several tutorials on how to develop critical skills
that I need.
As an aside, I’ve also “made time” for more fitness,
which is also essential to my long-term productivity.
How does a busy businessperson do this?
You simply put it right on your schedule… and then
you do it. You allocate blocks of time for it, and
then you don’t “find” something more important.
I spent 20 years and 10 months in the U.S. Air Force.
During that time I spent many, many WEEKS sitting
at a desk or computer, actually learning how to
use a piece of equipment, or learning to do some
process. I often wondered if that was the best use
of my time, but I wasn’t given a choice! So, I
cheerfully completed the training.
I not only learned to use my equipment, but I had to
then take “practical exams” to prove that I knew how
to do it.
Major corporations, governmental agencies, universities,
etc, ALL put their personnel through extensive
training to make sure that they actually know how
to use the equipment and do the processes that are
a part of their jobs.
This training is often VERY expensive.
Many of these corporations consult with major
think tanks, and expensive consultants, in looking
for ways to improve productivity… and their
bottom lines. It’s rare that they are advised to
cut training.
Many of us online entrepreneurs have never run
our own businesses before, and for some reason don’t
fully appreciate the value of properly training our
employees (or ourselves). So, we flounder for days,
weeks, then months! We operate at a fraction of our
potential productivity because we never really learn
to use the tools at our disposal.
Consider… if setting aside an hour a day for a week,
to actually learn to use the tools that you already
use every day more efficiently, would increase your
productivity by 20 percent, would it be worth it?
To me, the answer is a resounding yes. Over the
next year the return-on-investment would be huge.
When you consider the amount of time many of us
spend on time-wasters (we all know what they are),
we have to acknowledge that we really can fit
proper training into our schedules. That’s just a
matter of discipline.
There IS a reason big businesses and governmental
agencies set aside training days, or even training
weeks! Perhaps we should take our cues from them.
Just food for thought!
Oh - earlier, I said that going through the training
was one of two ways that I’ve experienced the most
growth in productivity. The other one was that I
learned to outsource and delegate more. I learned to
focus on those chores that are the highest and best
use of my time, and to get someone else to do the
rest. Like many, I’m still working on that one, but
that’s the topic of another article anyway.
Commit to actually learning to use your equipment
today.
————-
Willie Crawford operates his own online businesses,
brokers joint ventures, teaches online and offline
entrepreneurs, and consults with numerous commercial
and non-profit corporations. One of Willie’s
favorite tools, used for project collaboration is
called BaseCamp. It’s at http://timic.org/BaseCamp
