Has your company ever tried to move you into a job that was outside your comfort zone? You know, one that you didn’t feel fully qualified for because you didn’t have quite the right expertise or skills, but that you thought you might be able to handle with some training and help.

Smart companies do this with their employees; it gives workers a broader view of the business as well as wide-ranging personal knowledge and experience. Think of it as “cross training on steroids.” The learning goes way beyond taking a couple of business classes.

I know a guy named Brian who started his career as a computer programmer. After a few years, he moved into the role of programmer/analyst, and then systems analyst. While his responsibilities increased with each step, he still felt pretty comfortable because his role in each position was basically about developing enterprise applications for his Fortune 50 company. Each move was a logical, calculated step in his IT career ladder.

Then something unexpected happened. Brian’s company asked him to become an IT auditor. At first he didn’t like the idea. Instead of developing enterprise applications, he would be scrutinizing them, looking for weaknesses that would expose the company to unwanted risks. He hesitated, thinking he didn’t know enough about the business to do this job well. But his manager reassured him and insisted he take the job. ‘You’ll get training,’ the manager told Brian, ‘and senior auditors will mentor you.’ So he took the job and held it for several years.

A funny thing happened in that job that Brian didn’t expect: he learned much more about the inner workings of his company, and of the industry his company was in. He also had the opportunity to work side by side with many senior executives. These high level contacts and the critical business knowledge were something he’d probably never pick up by holding onto his systems analyst position. When he eventually returned to IT as a director of operations, he had the business knowledge that allowed him to be a more strategic thinker and to make much more insightful decisions. Simple put, he was much more valuable to his company.

I read one article after another where companies bemoan the fact that their IT employees don’t know enough about the business. Maybe it’s time for these companies to implement a program that provides hands-on cross-training. Such a program develops employees who are much better “broad picture” thinkers. It also helps develop promotable people who are the next generation of executive management.

If you’ve had the opportunity to cross-train in IT and business roles, I’d like to hear from you about your experience and how it has helped your company and your personal career.