Are You Training For Success?
Few People Train At All — But That Is A Huge Advantage For The Rest Of Us
Five years ago, I asked the question:
Are you training hard enough?
Early this morning, thousands of aspiring professionals climbed out of bed and began a day of rigorous training. Some trained individually, others with coaches and trainers, and many at high-tech centers using advanced analytics. Their techniques were inspired or guided by decades of research, experimentation, and study.
Through this dedication, a small few will one day command million dollar contracts and endorsement, but most aspire to far less. Whether it is first chair, a college scholarship, the honor to serve and protect, or simply to win this year’s tournament — the financial reward will pale to the average salary of a business executive.
Today, thousands of aspiring (and successful) business executives will take their children to train at piano lessons, soccer practice, or ballet school. They will spend an hour at the gym or CrossFit. They will pay professionals to assist them. Not at their profession, but at their hobbies…
Maybe none of us are really driven by the need for financial reward? Maybe all we really want is to compete? But then, isn’t business competition?
Why do so many, train so hard, to run faster, jump higher, and play better? We teach our kids to do the same. We even commit to training just to keep our waist line a little smaller… so why do so few business professionals train to excel in their careers?
It Was The First Step In A Journey…
But the answer was a resounding NO. Not for me, personally. I do train daily. Maybe because I enjoy it? But for most professionals… training just isn’t in the cards.
I am an analyst. In the years that followed, I worked on developing ways for analyst to train. To learn. To grow. To compete and to succeed. But product market fit was elusive. In my field, few seemed to care. Jobs were easy to come by…
Although now the headlines talk about how easily they are lost. Three years ago I wrote a series of articles on that.
And personally, shortly after, I gave up the fight. Analysts weren’t interested in training and companies were equally uninterested in training them. And yet… neither group seemed to grasp how poorly this decision was impacting their careers and businesses.
I went back to succeeding in analytics and I still train daily. I don’t worry about job security, when you train hard — it takes care of itself. I don’t even worry about hiring — I know how to train others. Both are huge competitive advantages that my bank account is more than grateful for. Perhaps I should leave it there…
Take The Right First Step In Yours.
But there is so much room in this field for those who train hard. For those who strive for the proper discipline. For those willing to work to succeed. And personally… I crave the competition! So for those looking for a way forward, let me remind you of the platform I helped create, one my partners continue to improve and innovate.
The opportunity is there for those who want it. Are you willing to train hard enough? And I am not just speaking to analysts now, I am also asking those who seek to hire them. Don’t join the headlines. Embrace the opportunity. Achieve where others chose not to try. Solid training = success. And as always, thanks for reading.
