an expert Witness BY JAMES E. LEWIS ///
Are You Allergic to Training?
I
t’s time to be honest with yourself. Are you or your lead drivers allergic to training? Are you afraid you’ll learn something or attend a course, class, or school where someone knows more than you on a given subject? I’m not trying to call you out or call you a “chicken” or a “coward.” I’m trying to get you to see past a common feeling in our industry in order to protect yourself, your business, and your employees. I’ve trained thousands of people in my career, starting with being a section leader in high school band to several types of instructor duty in the military to passing on what I’ve learned in 33 years in towing and trucking. This isn’t about me, though. This is about you. Please allow me to tell you there are three main types of people when it comes to formal or informal training:
The second is the person who reluctantly attends training courses, even if the boss is footing the bill, covering travel, meals, and hotel. The person gets to meet with others in the industry and have a mini-vacation away from the ringing phone and 24-hour call. They may be reluctant, but they attend, learn and retain, and it makes them better at their jobs.
The last one is one I’ve seen in many owners, managers, and especially
The first type is eager to learn Tow Professional | Volume 9 • Issue 2
THE RELUCTANT LEARNER
THE UNTEACHABLE
THE EAGER LEARNER
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something new, challenges themselves to learn something new every day, and jumps on any opportunity they get to attend a course or class. They’re like a sponge and soak up everything that’s thrown at them and take that info back to work with them, passing it on to coworkers and using it in their daily work.
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those with huge egos and insecurity issues. You can’t teach them anything because they already know everything, and anything presented to them that challenges their ignorance is just “stupid” and “unnecessary.” The truth is that their knowledge is limited to what they learned early in their careers, which may be a pretty small bit of information, and their ego and insecurities won’t allow them to admit they may not know something. So, training is “stupid” and a “waste of time.” And you know, with an attitude like that, they’re absolutely right. In fact, as a trainer, I’d rather slide down a mile-long, rusty, razor blade and then into a pool of alcohol than deal with one of these “know-it-alls.” The problem is that training IS necessary for initial certifications, for each time you learn something new and want to pass it on, for recurring training requirements, and for promoting someone into a new role.
