I recently bought a new rug. It came with instructions for training the rug if the corners fold up. It showed me how to “train” the rug so they would fold down.
It struck me how most things in life need training. A puppy, toddlers learning to go to the bathroom, roses climbing up a trellis, bikes with training wheels and even baseball players (who do it in the Spring).
We forget that employees need training also. We can train people how to treat us, each other and customers by sharing expectations, setting boundaries and showing what behaviors we will and will not accept.
“Training” others can make life easier for everyone. It sets the parameters for how the relationship will function. Often we forget to do this and become disappointed when others are not performing to our level of expectation and satisfaction. It is up to us to be teachers.
While I realize that training my rug will be easier because it cannot talk back to me, it, like some of us, will have to bend out of its natural state to perform properly and be effective.