The New Year ahead

We have ahead of us a year that is going to be challenging to say the least. The focus for 2009 must be on making our businesses and organisations successful, cost effective and sustainable.

Success comes in different forms for different organisations - for some it may be profit, for others it may be service levels or it may be an altruistic outcome.

Cost effectiveness in any organisation - from the independent consultant to the multi-national - is always important. In these days of escalating utilities bills alone, managing costs is crucial to end results.

Making a business or organisation sustainable is a wide ranging challenge - from ensuring you have a succession plan for your skill base to making sure you are in a market that will survive.

Organisations face these challenges on a daily basis. Why am I listing them? Because 'training' is a key ingredient to each aspect.

Success. Train your sales people, train your managers, train your new employees. Reduce mistakes, improve efficiency and productivity!

Cost-effectiveness. Training is a proven motivator and reduces staff turnover. This reduces your cost of hiring and retraining.

Sustainability. By training your people to be better at their jobs, better thinkers and to be more proactive as members of your team they will help you identify sustainability opportunities in a whole host of areas.

When finances are tight training, like marketing, are often shunted down the priority list yet they are both crucial to organisational development during a time of economic pressure.

So make 2009 the year you don't just look at the figures, but look at the outcomes. The challenge for us all is to think beyond the current situation and to see where we will be in 12 months time and even 12 years time.

Will what we offer still be needed? They say that 60% of the children in school today will be performing jobs that don't even exist yet. Can we look ahead too and find out what new businesses and services will be needed as well?

It is hard when the pressure is on financially, but those with courage will survive and prosper. (Oh yes, and those with huge financial resources too!)