Training can be an overwhelming challenge for most companies. It is especially hard for a company with no history of training. Many companies put off training just because it is such a huge challenge. They don’t know where to start.

Company training programs, even when they do get started, often fall by the wayside as soon as the season gets busy. The frustration builds and there’s no easy solution.

The good news is that it is not hopeless. The key lies in keeping the program simple and targeted.

Companies try to build all-inclusive training programs. The problems become overwhelming because they try to do too much. They do not have the time so nothing gets done. It’s better to start taking small bites out of the problem. Start with these tips:

1 Identify a person in your company to “own” training. The person must have a passion for training and preferably have worked their way up through the field. Make this person accountable for keeping your training plan on track.

2 Identify the positions where an investment in training will result in the most traction. Where does a lack of training show up—sub-standard quality, low customer service or lost production? Which positions in your company will benefit most from targeted training? Put your effort here first.

3 Block out time to train. More and more companies are making time for safety training. This is probably more a result of insurance costs and regulatory requirements than anything else. The same type of training can be set up for other things. You just need to decide that you will do it and block out the time. Then, of course, you have to do it.

4 Take advantage of training aids. Research materials are available through the Professional Landcare Network, your suppliers and your local trade associations. Developing your own training material is time consuming and often not your core competency. Not having material is the main reason most companies can never get started.

5 Evaluate your training against the problems that you identified in No. 2. Accountability in training is critical. You must identify what outcome you expect from each training session if you want to get the most out of it.

Following the accountability theme, some companies complain that they have trained on a particular thing and still the crews do not do what they were trained to do. This is probably not a symptom of poor training, but rather it’s a symptom of a lack of accountability in your organization.

Set the expectation that once you develop a specific practice and train people to follow it, that you now expect it will become standard operating procedure. No exceptions. This is how companies build their best practices and get results from their training investment.