| There's a common phrase used by Organizational | | | | a high price in the world of your competitors. You |
| Development and Human Resource professionals, | | | | will have to continually compensate with special |
| when identifying kinks in the growth of an | | | | promotions, additional advertising, increased hiring |
| organization or company - "It's a training issue." | | | | and give-aways to disgruntled customers. Good |
| The same phrase can be applied to almost any | | | | service is linked to happy, valued employees that |
| group of human beings that are working together | | | | provide the service. Training is a crucial tool in |
| to achieve a common goal. When progress | | | | helping employees feel valued in the work |
| stagnates and obstacles appear, you can retrace | | | | environment.How do you use training to solve the |
| the path of movement and discover that things | | | | problems mentioned above? It's all about having a |
| started to go wrong when someone wasn't | | | | training program that is set in place and held as a |
| trained properly.Have you ever experienced any | | | | priority. Don't fall into the "training out of |
| of the following situations?Fast Food | | | | desperation" category and only offer training |
| Nightmare:You pull up to a fast food drive through | | | | when you have to put out a fire. Remember that |
| window and a voice, with a foreign accent quickly | | | | training can be a form of giving your employees |
| spews out some inaudible words that you assume | | | | attention and recognition. If done well, they will |
| are probably akin to "May I take your order?"The | | | | appreciate it and feel affirmed.Always have some |
| waitress from hell:After being seated for thirty | | | | type of training scheduled. It can be as infrequent |
| minutes at a local restaurant, a waitress finally | | | | as once a quarter or as frequent as once a week. |
| approaches your table and asks if you'd like to | | | | You can do it in house or outsource it. Having |
| order. When you politely explain that you're | | | | scheduled training opportunities will prevent the |
| frustrated because you've been waiting thirty | | | | development of service problems that cost you |
| minutes, she condescendingly responds with a | | | | big time in the long run.New Hire OrientationThe |
| sigh, "The kitchen is backed up and I just had a | | | | most important training you'll ever do with an |
| party of fifteen in the other room."Know-nothing | | | | employee will be when he or she first comes on |
| Receptionist:You miss a much anticipated call from | | | | board. Here's an example of training to put in |
| service person you've been trying to reach about | | | | place for new hires.1. As a company policy, be |
| a product you purchased that doesn't work | | | | sure to have specific, written job descriptions for |
| correctly. When you call the person back, a | | | | each employee, and a system established for |
| receptionist says the person is not in and you | | | | continually updates. Job descriptions should focus |
| should try back later. The receptionist is not sure | | | | on competencies rather than functions.2. Develop |
| when would be the best time and - no - the | | | | an Orientation Training Program for each new |
| person you seek doesn't have voice mail.Travel | | | | employee that is hired. The program can last |
| Trauma:After being on the road for twelve hours, | | | | anywhere from one half a day to a week, but it |
| you arrive at the hotel where you have a | | | | should include the following:Introduction to the rest |
| reservation for the night. The check in time is | | | | of the staff.Thorough review of the job |
| posted as 3:30 pm. You arrive at 4:30 pm but the | | | | description and company policies with the direct |
| room is not ready. You are politely encouraged to | | | | report, clearly laying out expectations and |
| check back in about an hour to see if the room is | | | | processes for recognition and correction. Allow |
| available. The front desk clerk has no idea what | | | | time for questions and answers.Site tour - where |
| you should do with the hour of "kill time" and can't | | | | are the bathrooms, kitchen, parking spaces, |
| guarantee that the room will even be ready in an | | | | emergency exit, etc.Employee paperwork - W4, |
| hour.Office Chaos:You work in an office and have | | | | benefit forms, waivers, copy of Personnel |
| a large amount of administrative tasks that bog | | | | Regulations and job description, etc.New hire |
| you down. There is an administrative assistant | | | | should be given a thorough briefing on what the |
| working ten feet from your desk who is | | | | organization does, its goals, its vision, who it |
| supposed to offer support to your team. His | | | | serves and the role of the new hire's position in |
| understanding of "support" and yours differ. It | | | | the grand scheme of things.If possible, assign |
| appears that some members of your team get | | | | another staff person to be on call for questions |
| more support from this guy than others. You | | | | that arise by the new hire.Be nice and have that |
| express the inequity of support to your boss who | | | | staff person or yourself take the new hire to |
| sees the conflict as "personality differences." You | | | | lunch their first day.Have a 30 day review set up |
| just want your darn copies made in a timely | | | | (mark it on your calendar) where you will evaluate |
| fashion.All of the instances above show poor | | | | the new hire's performance and inquire about their |
| service and mismanagement - in some cases | | | | feelings and frustrations related to the job. NOTE: |
| "abuse," but it all could undoubtedly be corrected | | | | If you reschedule or cancel this 30 day review, |
| through proper training. Thus, the root of these | | | | you'll send that employee a clear message about |
| corporate and retail nightmares are addressed as | | | | the priority you place on their training and |
| "training issues.""Training" is such a bland word. The | | | | development. This meeting is crucial to the new |
| mere mention of the word conjures up visions of | | | | hire and they anticipate it with great expectation.A |
| boring classroom environments, unenthusiastic | | | | training program, aside from being a way to |
| training instructors and wasted time having | | | | continually dispense needed information to your |
| concepts that common sense has already taught | | | | employees is also one of the most effective |
| you rammed down your throat. Few people are | | | | methods for gaining information about how to |
| ever excited about training.My husband, who is an | | | | improve company infrastructure. It is a safe |
| iron worker, recently went through training | | | | environment for workers to share thoughts, |
| mandated by OSCA that instructed all the | | | | feelings and ideas on how to improve the |
| workers on his team in the safety procedures for | | | | company. In addition, training - when done |
| operating a forklift truck. One of the most crucial | | | | properly - affirms employees, helps them to |
| training points was that "one should never leave | | | | develop a sense of loyalty to the company, |
| the driver's seat of the forklift while the motor | | | | reduces turnover and creates a prime opportunity |
| was running and the forklift was in gear." | | | | for building consensus.Training and development is |
| Duh!Despite the negative karma training has | | | | an investment, not a cost.Fortune 500's lists on |
| gained in the corporate world, and the hype it | | | | top companies, Best Small Businesses, Best |
| was granted during the boom, the simple truth is | | | | Companies to Work For and Best Bosses have |
| that training is not merely dispensing information | | | | repeatedly displayed interest in employee |
| about technique and skill. It is also communicates | | | | satisfaction as well as training and development. |
| expectations and requirements of the job. People | | | | Edward Jones, a stockbrokerage out of St. Louis, |
| need to be told what is expected of them in clear | | | | MO was rated #1 for the second consecutive |
| terms, and relaying that expectation is a part of | | | | year on Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work |
| the training process. Training lays the foundation | | | | For."According to Fortune it spends 3.8% of its |
| for affirming performance as well as correcting | | | | payroll on training, with an average of 146 hours |
| mistakes.In all of the examples above, the | | | | for every employee, and new brokers get four |
| "untrained" employee has emotionally disconnected | | | | times that much. When asked why it spends so |
| themselves from the person they are employed | | | | much on training managing partner John Bachmann |
| to serve. Each has personal issues foremost in | | | | replied, "In order to grow, you have to be trained |
| their minds which override their willingness to | | | | or you get trapped in the present." One |
| adequately serve others. If you were to get their | | | | administrative assistant at Edward Jones was |
| side of the story, you'd hear some of the | | | | quoted by a Fortune journalist saying, "I've never |
| following responses:"Everything moves so fast | | | | experienced working for a company that has so |
| around here. It's all I can do to keep up. No one | | | | many satisfied employees."(#)A training program |
| really tells me what to do; they just tell me if I'm | | | | is an ideal starting point to take action to |
| doing something wrong.""I could do my job if | | | | decrease turnover, improve employee |
| those I depended on could do theirs.""I'm tired of | | | | performance and initiate loyalty. It is also a strong |
| taking the hits for the poor performance of my | | | | foundation for developing affective communication |
| superiors.""No one ever told me exactly what my | | | | within the company or organization. If you have |
| job is. I guess they think I'll figure it out. What I | | | | no training program currently established, start |
| know of my job expectation has been mostly | | | | with an orientation training program or look to |
| communicated by others telling me what I'm doing | | | | your local university or community college for |
| wrong. It's every man for himself around | | | | training opportunities. Start a training library by |
| here"Poor service is not due to poor employees, | | | | ordering books, videos and periodicals that |
| but poor employers.The bottom line is that lack of | | | | address competencies you want to develop in |
| service = lack of growth, lack of productivity, lack | | | | your staff. Beginning or improving a training |
| of profits. Your company's lack of service will pay | | | | program shows employees that you care.#. |