Self Esteem Training

Muay Thai is one of the most sought after martial arts styles today. This brutal martial art which originated from Thailand more than a thousand years ago has since captured the attention and interest of martial arts enthusiasts and fitness fanatics all over the world. It might be quite intimidating for some to try because it’s an intense physical sport in every sense of the word. It demands both high physical and mental endurance because of all the punching, clinging, and kicking involved. Nevertheless, it is definitely something worth trying. There are a lot of benefits that you can get from this martial art aside from the obvious self defense application. Let me share to you some of them.

1. A well toned body. Muay Thai training revs up your body metabolism which makes you burn off unwanted fats and gain muscle. With only after a few months of training you can see a much leaner and meaner silhouette of your body. Aside from toning your body, it is also effective in boosting your immune system, making you less susceptible to illnesses.

2. Enhanced flexibility. With regular training, your body will become more flexible and conditioned.

2. Increased strength and agility. Regular training helps build your stamina and put your body in tip top shape. As your body gets exposed to intense physical routines in a regular basis, your body becomes stronger and more resilient over time.

3. Enhanced mind and body coordination. Constant training allows your mind and body to connect instantly and effectively as you react to your sparring mate’s attacks.

4. Increased mental alertness and focus. Muay Thai is all about strategy so your mind will be also trained to think of new tactics to help you attack and defend yourself from your opponent.

5. Value of sportsmanship and self discipline. Muay Thai is a very competitive sport so you’ll really learn how to control yourself and how to respect others even though they are your opponent.

6. You get to meet and make friends with new people. Regular training gives you the opportunity to meet and socialize with different kinds of people. It’s also a great way to boost your self confidence and self esteem as well.

In the last two years corporate executives all over the world have poured over their balance sheets trying to figure what areas they could cut to save money. In most cases, cuts came in the form of training and payroll. Training is very often the first thing corporations chuck during an economic downturn. There are many negative repercussions as a result of a lack of training in the workplace. Employees feel neglected, a general mistrust in management results, and low morale will set up camp in your workforce. Employees that are provided training are generally happier than employees that do not receive training.

Training Results in Fewer Mistakes

You may be asking, what does this have to do with creating a happier environment for my employees? The answer is found in studies that demonstrate when employees are properly and sufficiently trained they are happier employees because they feel more confident in their job performance. The less your employees have to guess on proper procedures or correct processes, the less they are apt to make mistakes or feel inadequate. It is important for managers to know that they must invest money and time into sufficiently training their employees.

Instead of Firing Employees Increase Training

Mistakes made by employees can be costly, and many managers choose to rush and fire the employee. However, before firing consider whether or not the employee was properly trained. If not, whose fault was it that the mistake occurred? Instead of releasing the employee, take the time to go over procedure again, train, and give direction. Thomas J. Watson once gave this quote, “Recently, I was asked if I was going to fire an employee who made a mistake that cost the company $600,000. No, I replied, I just spent $600,000 training him. Why would I want someone else to hire his experience?” If you invest in training your employees up front, even though they may make a mistake, you will reap the benefits in the long run. Don’t let another company benefit from your effort.

Training Results in Employee Longevity

A correlation has also been found that if training does not meet the employee’s expectations their performance suffers. Here’s an example to illustrate what I mean, I have a friend that worked for a medical document company. The terminology the company used was very technical to communicate with their medical contacts. My friend felt he did not receive enough training to understand the complexities of the equipment he was selling or even to use the terminology correctly. Needless to say, his self-esteem in his job suffered, and his confidence level was very low when interacting with customers. Consequently, he left the company within a year. His company lost an employee that initially was very enthusiastic about his new job and wanted to succeed. Give your employees all the tools they need to succeed, and you’ll benefit by having happier employees that remain with your company a long time.

Different Employees Will Require Different Training

It’s important to note here that people have different learning styles. The gap between an employee’s expectations and the training they receive may have something to do with the way they learn. As a manager, it is imperative that you know your employees feel confident when performing their jobs. Therefore, having various training options available will cover the training needs of your variant employees. For example, one of your employees may need to simply have you talk to them in a one-on-one meeting while they listen and take notes. Another employee may need to read detailed instruction manuals on how to perform their job duties. Still another employee may not feel adequately trained unless they can shadow a co-worker. Of course studies have shown that using two or three methods of learning is more effective for retaining information.

Training Increases Performance

Now that you have done everything to train your employees when they are hired, don’t forget to setup a refresher course for them six months or a year into their tenure. On-going training serves to not only refresh employee knowledge, but also has shown to be a motivator for increased performance. Employees feel invigorated from training sessions where they learn and are motivated for success. Add a fun team building activity to your training helps retain information, build camaraderie, and increases performance.