When Jerry Canada took over Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance in
2002, he found the company’s training program in disarray.
“We certainly had training, and we had trainers, but they were all
disbursed throughout each department and throughout the company,” says Canada, Indiana Farm Bureau’s CEO. “We didn’t have
a focal point to go to when we needed training.
“Some people had their own agendas. There were times when
we may be training in one area, but we were missing a big part of
what needed to be done for another division. … It was hard from
one department to another just to grasp the importance of communicating with everybody in other areas.”
Canada saw the dysfunctional training program as a hurdle to
growth for the 1,200-employee company, the state’s largest
provider of farm insurance. He needed a plan that would prepare
his employees to deal with the technological advances of the 21st
century while maintaining the neighborly culture that the company is known for.
So he gathered his executive team together to lay out the parameters for a reconstituted training department and the type of leadership it would need. The parameters they came up with were
strong leadership of the program, strong trainers and making the
training exciting for everyone.
The benefits of the revamped training infrastructure at
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance have already been recognized.
Revenue has grown from $646.7 million in 2002 to $741.4 million in 2006 and Canada says there is a much clearer sense of
what needs to be done to keep the company growing.
“We feel like we’ve been able to take it to another level with
the training we’ve offered people,” Canada says.
Here’s how Canada conquered some of the challenges of
installing a training program that would help his company grow.
Leadership is key
When Canada first became a manager, there were times when
he should have sought out more information before acting but
didn’t.
“Early in my career, I made the mistake of taking everything
that people were telling me at the first word they gave me and
not really probing much to understand what they were telling
me,” he says. “There was often a lack of communication. I just
didn’t understand enough to continue to move forward.”
Establishing an effective training program meant he needed
someone who was willing to push back against other managers
and even the CEO to make sure the right programs were being
put in place and would, in turn, teach all his employees to get
all the facts before making a decision.
“It’s easy, particularly in organizations that have had training
programs for quite a while, for the training area to fall into the
habit of filling orders,” Canada says. “For example, someone
comes to the area and asks for two hours on customer service.
A strong leader pushes back and knows not just to fill orders,
but to determine the needs.”
Canada needed someone who would respond to a questionable request for training by analyzing it to get at the heart of
what was really needed. Strong leaders take a holistic approach to their job and focus on getting others in the company involved in the decision.
“That can sometimes be perceived as stepping on others’
toes, but a strong leader does it anyway,” Canada says.
“Training has a key role in talent management. A strong leader
also knows the importance of being a business partner and of
getting involved in projects early that ultimately will require
the training of somebody.”
Establishing an effective training program doesn’t stop with
the hiring of a good manager to run it. Canada says the CEO
needs to know what every employee is learning, when they
learn it and what they still need to be taught. A company that
holds a bunch of training courses but does not track the results
of the classes will accomplish very little.
These results need to be shared with employees on a regular
basis so that each individual is aware of where he or she
stands.
“It should be lined out in a performance appraisal what they
need to do that year or what they have done,” Canada says.
“Have employee appraisals that are meaningful to the employee where they can sit down and talk about their future and do
their own self-appraisals and get feedback from their manager.
“That’s extremely important. The performance appraisal is
really the opportunity for the manager and the employee to sit
down face to face on a busy workday and talk about their goals
and how they are doing with those and whether they are on
track or not.”
Employees are asked for feedback on recent training sessions in both the performance appraisals and in surveys to
make sure the training is providing the skills they need to meet
their goals.
Find solid trainers
Canada remembers a moment from years ago when he was
trying to decide whether to become a manager or a sales agent,
and he received a piece of advice that sticks with him today.
“If you like selling and you like the recognition you receive
being a salesperson, then stay where you are,” Canada says.
“But if you enjoy watching other people succeed and watching
them grow in their business and their careers or bringing people
into the business that will succeed, then you need to be a manager. I always used that throughout the years to help determine
whether somebody should be in managing or training.”
Because a training program is only going to be as good as the
people doing the training, Canada says you need to find trainers who take a personal interest and satisfaction in helping
others to progress and advance in their careers.
“That’s where some managers fail,” Canada says. “They’re not
in it for the purpose of making someone a better employee.
The key to managing is having someone that really wants to do
that. Some people like to have the title of manager, but it’s
because they want the title and not necessarily the work of the
job that’s related to that.”
Finding people to fill training roles can be as simple as tapping into talent you already have on the payroll.
“Some people have had that training in school and college, and that’s picked up on a resume,” Canada says.
“Some of it’s just through observing your employees and
seeing how they interact with other employees to see if
they have the personality set to want to be in front of a
group talking.”
Keep the sessions lively
One of the toughest parts of getting up in front of a
group and teaching a skill is often finding a way to
keep the group’s attention.
“You’ve got several different types that go to training,”
Canada says. “Some really want to be there, and others
don’t so much. You have to be able to communicate with
them and have them talk back to you. You have to be
able to get their input. A lot of them have the answers,
but they don’t necessarily know they do. You have to be
able to show them what’s in it for them and how it
relates to the job they are doing now.”
Making the sessions fun through a game or a quiz
show related to the topic at hand can help generate
interest and get everyone engaged in the discussion.
This is particularly useful at training sessions conducted to get new employees acclimated to the company.
“Our trainers there work hard to bring them all together
because they don’t know each other,” Canada says. “They
managed to put those people around tables where they are
split up into different divisions. They give them some facts
about the company and later on, they have them spit those
facts back to them in trivia questions.”
A trainer also benefits by being able to draw on real-life experiences in his or her teaching and not just relying on what’s written in a textbook.
“I try to go into some of the training sessions to welcome people into the training session and maybe draw
on an experience that I have had through the years that
has helped me grow in my professionalism,” Canada
says. “Try to offer that to them just to show them the
importance of it and where the training fits into their
everyday work.”
Canada says it’s easy to dismiss the importance of training
when an urgent matter presents itself on the day of a session, but you can’t let that happen if you want training to be
taken seriously by everyone.
“At times, I’ve had to go into training sessions and I’m
thinking, ‘This is the last thing I need today. I’ve got other
things to do,’” Canada says. “In the end, I think you are
always appreciative of it and realize that it was important.
That’s the key. It’s important the trainer make it interesting
and make it worthwhile of your time.”
Sometimes, timing itself can make a big difference in
determining the effectiveness of the training session.
Canada says he has found that the best time to conduct
training in the office is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“Generally, it’s best to have it in one day, and it’s best
to have it from mid-morning to mid-afternoon,” Canada
says. “They can come in and get their work done, whatever they need to get done that morning before the
class starts, and then they feel like they’ve got time to
go back to their desks and maybe catch up on a few
items before the end of the day.”
Canada says it is also better if employees do not return
to their desks during the lunch break.
“When they get a 10-minute break, we don’t want them
running back and checking their e-mails and making phone
calls because invariably, that’s going to lead to a half an
hour, and then you’ve got people in and out of your meetings.”
One of the best cures for workplace distractions is
moving the training session away from the office.
“It’s a little more expensive that way, but we feel it’s
better for our people, and it gets their minds away from
work for a little bit,” Canada says.
Wherever the session is held, an agenda is always helpful in bringing focus to the meeting, especially when it is
made available before the session takes place.
“They have an idea on the time frame that you’ll be following and, of course, what we’ll be discussing,”
Canada says.
This requires the trainers to do their homework in
advance and coordinate with the leadership of the training department to ensure that everyone is on the same
page with what is being taught.
“They don’t just take for granted that they’ll know what to
talk about,” Canada says.
An environment of learning has a way of generating
the same kind of excitement that employees typically
have when they first start a new job.
“New employees are always excited,” Canada says. “They
are ready to go to work, and they’re not necessarily thinking about what’s going to happen to them in a year or two.
The key for the company is for those people to keep that
excitement.”
HOW TO REACH: Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, (317) 692-7200 or www.infarmbureau.com