“I don’t have time to create training.”
“Training staff takes too long.”
“What if I spend all this time training someone and they leave?”
These are only a few of the countless reasons I have heard from business owners and executives on why they don’t train their staff.
Honestly, my response is, “You don’t have time NOT to train your staff”.
There are no hundred million dollar companies or billion dollar businesses out there run by one person.
Forget big companies, you can’t build any company that doesn’t become a time vampire without figuring out how to hire and train people to take on various parts of all the work that needs to get done.
Creating an effective training program for your team is essential for ensuring consistent, complete, and clear training that aligns with your company’s vision and goals. A complete training course includes well-defined policies, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), flow charts, and practical drills, all structured within an organized course, studied step-by-step. Here’s how to build a training program that not only educates but empowers your team.
The Importance of Policies
Policies are the basis of any effective training. They are like the foundation of a house.
Imagine you buy your dream home and you invite your friends and family over. No one walks in and comments how amazing the foundation is of your house.
“Wow, look at this incredible foundation you have!”
They notice the chandeliers, furniture and tall ceilings. But without a super solid foundation, there is no house. Policies are the foundation for a company.
Policy Guidelines
Policies should be aligned with the vision and direction of the company, helping you achieve your goals. In many companies, policies are often perceived as “stops” that impede progress. However, well-crafted policies serve as a guide for what to avoid and feature successful actions, providing staff with clear guidelines on how to operate.
Effective policies essentially create channels for decision-making, empowering staff to make decisions within a defined framework. By understanding the company’s vision and the policies in place, employees can work more effectively towards the company’s goals and can make the huge number of decisions that need to be made every single day without requiring executive oversight on every tactical decision.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
In working with over 100,000 business owners and executives I have come to find that many of them love being the expert. They love being the “go to” so that they can feel that they know so much about the business, yet they complain about why people aren’t getting as much done as they could or they can’t find competent people.
SOPs help solve this.
Once policies are established, the next step is to develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). SOPs provide detailed instructions on how to execute tasks. Here are the key elements to include in your SOPs:
- Purpose of the SOP: Explain why the SOP is necessary. This helps employees understand the importance of the task and its relevance to the company’s objectives.
- Commitment Statements: Outline the company’s commitment to the staff executing the SOP and vice versa. This helps ensure clarity of responsibility between the company and staff and staff with company.
- Time Expectations: Specify the expected time to complete the task. This helps employees manage their time effectively and know if it is being done in the right amount of time or help them spot that something is wrong.
- Step-by-Step Instructions: Provide clear, detailed steps to complete the task. Include visuals or videos if relevant, as these can make the instructions easier to follow and understand.
By including these elements, SOPs become powerful tools that guide employees through their tasks and enhance their understanding and commitment to the company’s goals.
Utilizing Flow Charts
Flow charts are invaluable in illustrating processes and decision points clearly. They help staff visualize the steps needed to execute tasks and understand where decisions must be made. Including flow charts in your training can streamline complex procedures and provide a quick reference for employees, ensuring consistency and efficiency in task execution.
Implementing Drills
Drills are essential tools for testing and reinforcing learning. They allow staff to practice tasks repeatedly until they are confident and competent in their ability to execute the actions. A combination of automated tests and practical exercises ensures that employees not only understand the theoretical aspects but can also perform the required actions effectively. Regular drills help identify areas where additional training might be needed and ensure that skills are maintained over time.
Structuring Your Training Program
An organized, structured training program is crucial for effective learning. Break down the training into sections so that staff can study at their own pace. Each section should have a specific objective, such as:
“By the end of this section, the student should be able to ________.”
And do the same for the overall course.
“By the end of this course, the student should be able to________.”
After completing the course, verify that employees can achieve the desired outcomes through practical assessments. Make necessary improvements to the course based on feedback and observed performance to ensure continuous improvement.
Continuous Improvement
Once you create the training, have your staff go through it and then check to ensure they can achieve the intended outcomes.
Sometimes when we create training, we can assume that someone knows something that they don’t know. When you have been doing it a long time, it’s easy to forget all kinds of basic points that you had to learn years ago.
Collect feedback and make adjustments as needed. Continuous improvement ensures that your training remains relevant and effective, adapting to the evolving needs of your business and staff.
In conclusion, creating an effective training program involves more than just compiling training materials. It requires a thoughtful approach to policies, SOPs, flow charts, and drills, all structured within an organized training framework. By focusing on the real-life processes and goals of your business, you can develop a learning system that empowers your team, drives performance, and achieves your company’s objectives.
GrandCentr.al provides a central hub for running your business and training your staff. From writing policies and SOPs to test and drills, we have you covered. You can build out complete training, assign it to your staff and see them take productivity and competence to a whole new level.
If you have any questions, or like to know more, click here to schedule a call with Kaeio