Creative Partnerships for Performance and Learning Development

On a recent customer visit with one of our directors, I was struck once again by how each project we undertake is a learning and development experience, not just for our customers but for our team here at Allen. We take away so much knowledge and experience from each customer we work with that contributes to us being that much better on future projects. Though we, like the performance consultants and learning development teams we work with, sometimes experience frustration in the limited timelines and resources the projects receive, it’s amazing to look at what is actually accomplished.

In my 20 years experience in the training industry, having read as many articles and attended as many lectures and discussions on the subject as I could, it’s clear the same challenges exist across every industry and in every country. What’s emerged within our training community is a culture of overcoming these obstacles by developing strong creative partnerships. These strong partnerships are the foundation upon which great accomplishments are built.

At Allen, some of the shared traits that lead to these strong, creative partnerships are:

• Appreciating the insights brought to the table by the client – The strength of our competency and design models are only as good as their customization to the clients performance needs. And no one understands the nuance of those needs like the customer themselves. We know we’ve got a great partnership when the kick-off meeting leads to new and creative ideas on how to reach our training goals.

• Working together to reach project milestones – The ability to hit key project milestones while staying flexible in the roles and responsibilities of each-others teams can uncover creative strengths that lead to an even more successful project. Our Allen project managers are trained to embrace and encourage this flexibility, which often helps find out of the box solutions to hurdles that might otherwise impact timeline and budget.

• A vendor and a client must choose each other – Just like any good relationship, the choice must not be left to one side. Often, early in the process of speaking with potential customers, we can tell if the relationship is a good fit. It seems funny to say, but there’s a certain excitement, on both sides, that usually develops during the vendor selection process that foreshadows a great partnership.

• Creativity flows when trust and appreciation exist – Both teams perform at their best when we open ourselves to the pooling the experience of both customer and vendor. The mantra of “Never letting the customer down” has long been a part of Allen culture.

We accomplish great work in conjunction with great partner. This is never more clear then when sitting down face-to-face with our customers and discussing their success. The 13 awards we won in 2011 is as much a testament to the amazing efforts of our great customers as it is to our own capabilities, and for that we couldn’t be more thankful.

Contact Us today to learn more about our partnerships for performance and training development.