Human resource is the primary asset of any company. Realising the value employees add to a company, the Learning & Development sector is getting more organized now than a decade back. Mr. Lavleen Raheja understands well these changing perspectives in the country during the last decade. Being a Global Master Trainer with over 22 years in training, Coaching and Mentoring, Lavleen has partnered with Franklin Covey, one of the most respected training companies in the world for a joint venture to start FranklinCovey in India as well as South Asia.
“I always had an independent view which was to strive to work on my own. Hence I decided to venture on my own and set up a business which lets people work interdependently with the highest levels of innovation” says Mr.Raheja.
We decided to partner with FranklinCovey as they always inspired me in my work of learning & development” says Lavleen. FranklinCovey creates transformational leadership in people and organizations around the globe through training, executive coaching, and principle based programs. Their clients include 90 percent of the Fortune 100, more than 75 percent of the Fortune 500, thousands of small and mid-sized businesses, as well as numerous government entities and educational institutions. FranklinCovey has 46 direct and licensee offices providing professional services in 147 countries, whereas in Asia FranklinCovey has six offices based lout of New Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore Mumbai, and Chennai.
There is a considerable gap today in the skills required by an industry and that the professionals possess. “According to a recent study, 70-90 per cent finance professionals lack business acumen and presentation skills which lead to failed business projects and possible loss in revenue. This is the problem with other sectors too such as hospitality sector alone will create an additional 3.6 million jobs during the next five years at a projected growth rate of 12%” says Lavleen. Our mindset and social system is what is holding the youth back. Today the youth refuses to innovate and don’t want to take risk. Although we have lot of talent, it’s not being leveraged in the right fashion. The education system too is to be held responsible. It doesn’t provide youth with flair to be creative and lead. FranklinCovey have designed various courses for every sections of the society. “We off er a number of training programs based on the legendary programs designed by Late Dr. Stephen Covey and the team at FranklinCovey” says Lavleen. The programmes encompass the essential skills right from the age of 5, preparing children to lead, innovate and succeed. “We work with clients in IT, Auto, education, government, FMCG, Oil & Gas, Power, etc among the others” says Lavleen. “I would also aspire to mentor and teach management professionals and train them to be leaders” he continues.
It was a very daunting task for Lavleen to set up the company as the market 10 years back in the learning & development field was at a very nascent stage and the awareness of training was missing. “Usually training was a workshop for a day or two to motivate employees. The perception in the minds of managements was misplaced”. It was imperative to educate them regarding the value addition and how training could bring about a change in the attitude of employees and would be a key driver to their respective businesses. It was also internally a huge challenge for him to find skilled resources with an inclination and passion to work in this niche sector. The current economy being extremely volatile, companies still are cautious about investing on training and development.
Started as a team of 3, now they have a workforce of 200 people across the region. Being a self funded company, the earning from business is getting reinvested back. The business grew from 1.25 crores revenue first year to 31 cores in 10 years. We started with a capital of 1 crore and we broke even at the end of first year” says Lavleen. “A 31 crores turnover in our industry is equivalent to companies of the size of about 125 to 150 crores of turnover in the manufacturing sector” he explains. Lavleen has adopted a direct marketing approach for FranklinCovey India. They have integrated tie-ups with government agencies, schools and several companies through their partners across the country.
Their five-year growth plans include achieving the revenue of INR 100 crores. In education space they are currently o ffering programs in 4 areas and are looking to expand and grow other three areas. Lavleen is very much excited about his career, especially with the immense knowledge he gained from the journey. “The key influencers in my life have been my parents and my wife who have stood by me in all my decisions. The other huge inspiration has been Dr. Stephen R Covey whose management legacy is something we are taking forward. The other inspirations are some great names like Jim Collins, Ram Charan, Clayton Christensen, Hyrum Smith, Sean Covey, Fred Rechield, Stephen MR Covey to name a few” he explains “Be passionate and do not be in any hurry, but be swift & prompt. You should respect your people and teams and be assertive and practice integrity. Be open to learn always” he sums up.
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