Training Industry Blog

Xe (pronounced like the letter Z) is one of the largest training outsourcing firms in the world, and it's a good chance you have never heard of them. That's because Xe is the rebranded name of Blackwater USA, the military services company which has been embattled with the Iraqi government, then denied in January of 2009 a license to continue operating there.

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Training companies are not created equal, nor do they provide the same quality of products or service. Understanding a training company’s capabilities is critically important when choosing the right supplier for the right engagement. To assist buyers of training products and services with how to identify and select training suppliers, Training Industry, Inc. created The Training Supplier Stratification Model (TSSM).

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The third vector of THE LEADERSHIP COMPASS is ‘Processes.’ In the previous three blogs we identified the Total Business Success™ model that comprises this compass and the two of the four vectors—culture and people. The two vectors that involve the most immediate performance improvement opportunities for a business are its people and processes. And, based on work in organizations over two decades at Life Associates both in the USA and internationally we concluded that these two vectors are two sides of the same “coin.” For example, when an organization has underperforming individuals involved in a work process, then that process (and the technology used to enable it) are also sub-optimized. For example, employees with higher capabilities for executing a software-based process more often do as expected than those with less know-how in this area. Similarly, employees who are capable but not motivated to do a process as expected are more likely to cut corners or execute at a lower standard with performance again compromised.

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With the Final Four for Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball this weekend, you may notice that one of the figures that gets a lot of attention, besides the coaches and players, is the team mascot. The role of being a team mascot for a college or pro sports team has become very important in how the organization’s brand is represented in front of thousands of viewers in person and on television.

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In the previous blog, we introduced the four dimensions required for sustained business success—culture, people, processes, and strategy. Of these, the true magnetic north of the Leadership Compass is an organization’s culture. This is IF, and only IF, effectively executed. However, most organizations leave too much on the table in this respect based on the personalities in power, rather than a sustained focus and commitment on what is required to prevail in today’s increasingly turbulent environment. So, you are probably thinking “HOW do you build and sustain a Winning Culture?”

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