"I hire smart people—they can figure it out as they go."
These were the words a CEO once told me when I tried to convince him to invest in formal training for his engineering team after he’d just spent tens of thousands of dollars on new 3D parametric modeling CAD licenses. I don’t know if that company is still in business. I don’t know if they’re even using the software they bought. But what I do know is this: for the next six months, my phone rang constantly with frustrated calls from his engineers—bright professionals who were stuck, overwhelmed, and unable to complete even basic tasks, let alone design complex machinery.
That CEO didn’t realize it at the time, but he planted a tree and walked away—expecting it to grow on its own, without water, without care.
The Myth of “Figure It Out”
Hiring smart people is important. But even the smartest minds need guidance, structure, and skill development to operate efficiently. Complex tools—like CAD, ERP systems, collaboration, or project management platforms—aren’t intuitive by default. “Figure it out” is not a strategy; it’s a gamble. And in business, gambles cost money.
Unless your company is in the business of “figuring it out,” relying on your team to self-teach under pressure is setting them up to fail. Productivity stalls. Frustration builds. Momentum dies. It’s far better to have people whose job is to figure it out—trainers, consultants, experts—teach your team the right way, the fast way, the scalable way. This way, your employees aren’t reinventing the wheel—they’re driving it forward.
Training Is Water for Growth
Think of your team as a forest of potential. Training is the water that nurtures that potential into productivity. Here’s what that investment really buys you:
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Faster onboarding and less downtime
Trained employees hit the ground running. You don’t lose weeks (or months) to trial and error. -
Reduced rework and errors
When your team understands the software, they get it right the first time—saving time, money, and customer trust. -
Higher morale and retention
Employees who are trained feel valued. They’re more confident, more loyal, and more likely to stick around. -
Maximized ROI on tools and tech
There’s no point in buying high-powered tools if no one knows how to use them. Training ensures you’re getting the full value from your investments.
The Real Cost of Not Training
The cost of training often gets scrutinized—yet the cost of not training rarely does. When employees struggle, deadlines slip. When teams make mistakes, projects stall. When people are left unsupported, they burn out and leave. All of that is expensive.
The angry engineers I mentioned earlier? They weren’t just frustrated—they were stuck in a broken process, unable to deliver value, wasting their time and their company’s money.
Final Thoughts
If you want your business to grow, you’ve got to water it. That means nurturing your people with the knowledge, tools, and support they need to thrive. Training isn’t an expense—it’s an investment. One that pays dividends in productivity, innovation, and long-term success.
Don’t leave your team in the dark and expect them to bloom. Water the tree.