The Best Investment Your Business Can Make

Taken from an excerpt from an interview with Tamien Dysart, CEO and Co-Founder of Think 3D Solutions. Edited by Daniel Card, Director of Operations.

What does it mean when you say that people are an organization’s greatest asset? 

T.D. – “Peter Drucker talked about this concept and it came out of a period of time when most organizations had it backwards. This really went wrong back in the 70’s and 80’s. Organizations looked at their balance sheets and realized that they didn’t need more machines, but people. However when you look at the way those balance sheets were split up, it didn’t make much sense. “

“When you look at a P&L (profits and loss, or balance sheet), where you find people? It’s over on the losses, the “liability” side. Versus where you find machines. Machines and equipment are seen as “assets.”  

Well, the reality is, I don’t care how fine-tuned you make a machine, there’s a maximum output to that machine. The difference with people is: there are far less limits to human potential. It’s almost limitless. Truly. 

That’s what we believe and it’s one of the beliefs we have as a team that fuels our business and our approach to helping organizations grow. A better you is better for everyone, and your business. “

“One of the biggest gaps in our country, and potentially even all across human-kind, is the fact that there are far more people performing beneath their potential than there are those who are meeting or exceeding their potential.  

Across many organizations there is a deficit of self-confidence, a deficit in self-belief.  

Think about if you have people in your organization who at best are meeting 60, or 70% of their potential, their maximum output or productivity will still be 60 or 70%. They may give you a 100%, but you’re still only getting 100% of 60 or70% potential output. 

However, if you help them “upgrade” to 70%, 80%, 90% of their potential, now, when they give 100% it’s a much higher rate of return based on the fact that we’ve elevated the entire yield and quality of performance across the board. 

Historically, companies have looked at personal development, as “it’s personal, it’s your responsibility to actually develop yourself.” But left to our own devices, what are people really doing in their free time? 

Are they actually getting better on their own? By and large…no. 

They’re left to their own devices; 3.5 hours on average on their cell phones. (Realistically this is much higher for most.) And so people aren’t becoming better by themselves, especially on their own on the internet. 

If you’re not carving out intentional time with your team to help them elevate and step into their potential, you are more than likely missing out on what is close to half the potential yield and output from your greatest asset – your people. 

Your people are absolutely your greatest investment because there’s no limit to the return that you get by making them better versions of themselves.  

Which is why we tell every organization that while it’s a worthwhile investment to provide your people with the best equipment, tools and resources possible, you will always get a return on the investment you put into making your people better. 

Better people create better organizations, and better organizations create better results. “