Azione Unlimited, a leading buying group of custom integrators that calls itself the Smart Home Association, has for years been recognized as a leading provider of compelling education and knowledge sharing for its member companies. Now, the organization announces a reinvention of the education process that they call the Dynamic Education Ecosystem.
Learn more about the Azione Unlimited Dynamic Education Ecosystem
In my many years in the tech business, I’ve been to many buying group conferences, all of which typically include an educational component. Education, after all, is one of the reasons dealers join a group – for the opportunity to learn and grow their operations.
Often, group leaders designing their education programs fall into a rut, offering the same seminars and classes the same way, over and over again. Azione Unlimited has always gone above and beyond to create a compelling education curriculum at its conferences. But instead of falling into a rut, the group surprised everyone this week by announcing a completely reinvented education process it calls its Dynamic Education Ecosystem.
A Multidimensional Approach to Education
Instead of taking the same old tired path of offering a talking head lazily reading bullet points off of a PowerPoint slide like many of the others, Azione has assembled a multidimensional approach to education that varies its program and teaching style based on the role of the student within his member company, or the student’s preferred manner of learning.
Here’s what Azione Unlimited President Richard Glikes said (in a prepared statement) about this dramatically reinvented program…
The Education Ecosystem is just the beginning of our commitment to delivering a comprehensive and
Richard Glikes, Azione Unlimited Founder and President
sophisticated learning experience. This multifaceted initiative is meticulously designed to cater to every individual within a dealer’s business, recognizing that diverse roles demand diverse learning opportunities. What sets the Education Ecosystem apart is its versatility—it addresses the varied learning styles, ensuring that whether you thrive in connected coaching sessions, hands-on skills seminars, thought-provoking webinars, or specialized partnerships with CEDIA, there is a tailored pathway for every member.
According to materials the organization released this week, education and learning are broken down into three main types of presentation. These types are Connected Coaching, Skills Seminars, and World-Class Webinars. Obviously, Azione is a fan of alliteration!
Connected Coaching
The group says that Connected Coaching offers members the ability to learn by participating in small group coaching sessions – no more than 10 participants in any one session – that is led…or coached…by a respected industry expert. The sessions are planned to be held on a monthly ongoing basis and the meetings are designed to stimulate intra-group interaction amongst the attending peers and coaches.
Furthermore, Azione says the coaching sessions curriculum will offer “targeted insights” for various job roles within the members’ companies. Not only that, but the supplied coaching will be purpose-built for multiple layers within the member companies’ businesses.
Coaches include:
- Chris Smith, Principal of TheCoTeam, focusing on Owners, Operators, Management, and Next-Gen Leadership.
- Randy Stearns, CEO of D-Tools, focusing on Salespeople and Owners.
- Bruce Clark, Founding Lighting Designer of Kaleidolight, focusing on Lighting Pioneers, Lighting Designers, and Lighting Salespeople
- Stacey McKibbin, CEO of Consilio, focuses on Owners, Leaders, and Existing Managers.
- Patrick Britton, Senior Consultant of Navigate Consulting, focusing on Emerging and New Leaders.
Skills Seminars
Skills Seminars will offer a classroom-style of learning experience, which many may prefer. Again, Azione has retained some top industry experts such as Jason Sayen (founder, I am Sayen) and Stacey McKibbin (CEO, Consilio).
Azione says McKibbin’s sessions will offer focused tracks covering essential process components, goal setting, DISC personality assessments, delegation techniques, skill transfer processes and more. Sayen’s sessions, on the other hand, will offer Lean Six Sigma principles to streamline operations, reduce waste, and create process improvements across every sector of a dealer’s business.
Skills Seminars are planned to run between 6 and 12 weeks long, provide 1-on-1 time, and to offer participants the opportunity to earn a certificate of completion.
World-Class Webinars and FREE CEDIA Academy
Finally, World-Class Webinars will offer Azione members strategic insights from industry leaders, sparking new ideas and perspectives. And all of this is also augmented by Azione Unlimted’s partnership with CEDIA which gives the group’s members FREE access to the excellent CEDIA Academy. The group says this is a key component of the Education Ecosystem, providing exclusive access to specialized training modules to ensure members stay at the forefront of technological advancements and industry best practices.
Adds Glikes: “The future of these initiatives is not just about staying current; it’s about creating a well-rounded, timeless approach to learning that will fortify our members against the challenges and opportunities of the evolving industry landscape.”
Learn More Here
To learn more about the Azione Unlimited Dynamic Education Ecosystem, visit www.azioneunlimited.com.
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