You may recall from a previous Resolution Reflection blog that I resolved not to have any soda in 2017. I also resolved to read 6 business books this year. I can happily report I’m on track for both resolutions!
This Resolution blog will focus on Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. I must admit it couldn’t be more different from the first book I read. These men are entrepreneurs – but don’t call them that, they prefer the term “starters” – and they are sharing their secrets of success in founding and running the software company 37signals. Fried and Hansson systematically bust a lot of business myths in the process, such as:
- Is failure really a necessary part of success?
- Do you need to know what your competition is up to?
- Is growing your business always a good thing?
- Does putting in a lot of hours make you a good employee?
I enjoyed this quick, fun read and learned a lot. Every reader, depending on his or her experiences, will find different chapters meaningful. The section I related to the most was entitled “Go.”
At Paradigm Learning in 1994, our founders knew that a “brilliant idea is just that, an idea” and started creating. And they created a world-class, cutting edge, innovative, award-winning acumen board game training solution. Our founders took a strong stand that discovery learning is THE way to learn. And according to Rework, “a strong stand is how you attract superfans.”
How much has learning changed since then? ATD’s 2016 State of the Industry reports:
Instructor-led live face-to-face is the delivery method for almost half of all training
Of learning expenditure, over a quarter goes to external vendor/partners
These trends lead me to believe: A. Our method of delivery works and is in high-demand, and B. Companies continue to need help to deliver training.
Paradigm’s numbers back this belief. We now have over two million alumni of our multiple programs. Our Net Promoter Scores (NPS) are off the charts. Every time our “superfans” change roles or jobs or industries, they bring us in to train a new group of learners.
Thanks to Fried and Hansson for taking me to back to our roots and reminding me to stay true to our approach. I encourage you to do the same. We need to learn to strike a balance between being open to change and believing in the methods that got us to where we are.
