As the business community begins to start up again, it is clear that things have changed, or will be changing soon. As employees return to work, the behaviors of the past may need to go away, such as touching (as in a simple handshake). Or, being close when you need to learn to work while not being close; like sitting at a computer, wearing a mask, the production process may be new, customer relations might now be done online, etc. The list goes on for each business and each situation. And the last thing an employer wants is for employees to get sick and spread it around to their staff. The employer wants a positive result and healthy people. This is in everyone’s best interest.
To make certain all the needed changes take place, training must occur. There are four important components to keep in mind when you do your training. Dr. Donald L. Kirkpatrick in his book, The Four Levels, discusses these in detail (Reaction, Learning, Behavior, and Results).
Reaction: I worked for ServiceMaster for many years training franchise owners around the country. They needed to react favorably to my training. Their reaction to my training told me if I’d done a good job or not. If I failed to do a good job then they reacted poorly to my training, and the results which usually followed were poor. If they reacted well to my training, the results which followed tended to be more positive. Measuring their reaction to your training will tell you something about the success you’re going to enjoy or not enjoy. Doing your training and then walking away with little concern about how people felt about it, would be a mistake.
Learning: My best advice here is to begin with the end in mind. Consider what would you like your employees to be like as a result of the training? When someone has learned we should be able to say the following:
It changed their attitude: with a good attitude, an employee is more likely to initiate the needed changes than they would with a bad attitude.
Believe it or not, attitudes can be taught. They were more enthusiastic, they were excited, they seemed willing to do it, etc.
Improved their knowledge: this could have something to do with why they are making the required changes (someone might get sick if you don’t), or it could be specific learning they need to apply, for example, they may have to explain a new procedure to your customer or other employees.
Increased their skills to do something new: a simple example of this might be packaging up food in a restaurant for a to-go order, instead of just putting it on a plate, and then getting the right order to the right person.
Behavior: You can get a positive reaction to your new training effort and even have employees who learned a new way to do it. However, if they choose not to do it, then you still have a problem and the needed behavior has not changed. More often than not this is the result of their immediate supervisor. Their supervisor must make sure the needed changes and learning has taken place. He or she must hold the employee accountable for the change. For change to occur, four conditions are needed:
The person must have a desire to change (attitude)
The person must know what to do and how to do it (your training program)
The person must work in the right climate (a supervisor or manager who encourages the needed change), and lastly,
The person must be rewarded for changing.
Results: The final results could be increased production, decreased costs, no illness, improved quality, a decrease in accidents, reduced turnover, etc. The final objectives of your training should be measured in terms of this. Also, they need to be measurable.
If you want to help your employees adapt to change, you will find it helpful to provide what they need to navigate the change. Consider their reaction to the needed training. Be sure and ask yourself, “what would you like employees to be like?” before you design your training. You want them to do what you’ve taught (you don’t want it to just stay in their head). And last, but certainly not least, what results do you want from it? Having supervisory staff who are prepared to support the needed changes to help your people align with what you want is crucial to success. Then measure it.
I’ve always viewed training as a way to honor others, the same way God honors us through His training. When you train someone well, you’re saying to that person I’m investing in you and providing something you could not get on your own. I want you to excel in your job and not be disappointed.
About the Author
Andy’s passion and experience is that of an executive coach with years of experience in ownership and leadership in business. What’s of prime importance to him is a personal relationship with Christ and how to integrate that into everyday thinking, judgments about the business, and leadership of people. Andy wants to help leaders who must organize, direct others, delegate, and sell their ideas to others at a high level of abstraction – to hold steady with their faith and allow Christ to steer the ship, even when under pressure.
Andy is a Convene Chair in Phoenix, Arizona. Click here to learn more and connect with Andy!