Training culture boosts business during down economy

Poor training is like throwing employees into the deep end of a pool. The lucky ones already know how to swim and the others are forced to find a way to safety. Worst case, some drown.

Training is paramount in the hospitality industry, where people are the top resource. Hotels can break through a down economy by creating a training culture; understanding adult learning; using a simple training cycle; tracking, evaluating and assessing performance; and celebrating positive contributions.

Culture
A training culture is not a program—it’s created through behavior and example. It starts with leaders who lay the foundation for a culture where every person is learning, despite cutbacks and challenges. Leaders don’t send mixed messages. Employees know what the vision is, what’s acceptable and embrace it. They feel empowered to partner with management.

Benefits
Training benefits everyone if they understand WIIFM–What’s In It for Me.
Hoteliers will make more money and improve their reputation. Employees will feel more confident, deliver on service and have a higher self-esteem. Everyone will speak the same language and work together as a team. Hotel guests will receive better and more consistent service.

Learning
Effective trainers understand that adults must be motivated to learn, especially those who have not been in training for some time.
Effective trainers involve the employees, don’t lecture and have a sense of humor. Training is an ongoing process, not a one-time activity. Identify training needs, plan the training, conduct the training and then evaluate the training.

Evaluating
Every hotel should have a system in place to know who has gone through training. Effective trainers follow up with a meeting or one-on-one evaluations to see how everyone is doing and if the training is complete. Measuring the effectiveness of training demonstrates the return on investment.

hwn@questex.com