Training by…Training one trainer…
Training by…The numbers
Like most things in our world, there’s a proven, time tested method of training anyone to do almost anything. And that includes teaching them skills ranging from from racking dishes to complex tasks like programming a laundry machine.
Proper training consists of four steps – the first of which is to explain the principle behind the task and why it’s important. Next comes demonstrating the task and then allowing the person to do it and finally critiquing that execution.
Skip step one and chances are that your efforts will likely fall short of your expectations or at worst just get blown off. As we know an instruction delivered without being told the “why” is almost universally doomed for the dust bin of failure.
Forget the demonstration step (to include explaining it as you so so), and the trainee probably won’t get it – or at least not fully. And that critiquing step, after they do it, is maybe the one that’ll determine the retention lifespan of the task that’s been taught.
Oh, and critique doesn’t mean criticize. It means constructively correcting where execution fell short and (especially) praising where it’s been well done. That last one is the most important since feeling good about our performance tends to translate into learning that endures.
Training one trainer…And making life easier
Of all the failures behind many of our emergency calls is a pretty simple one: improper prescrapping and racking. That’s why is so frustrating to respond to the bad results call that we know upon arrival will prove to be the result of plugged or partially blocked wash arms full of swizzle sticks and all manner of detritus that should have been fed to the disposal or put in the trash bin. But instead they ended up in the wash tank inside of those wash arms.
Aside from the never-ending training of operators, if we can teach at least one manager in that kitchen how to clear those blockages, just maybe we can eliminate some of those really unnecessary service calls. It’s not much different from hiding that “emergency” detergent capsule in a place known to that same ally who can pull it out when they discover they’re out to save you that after hours delivery run.
The same holds true for scrapping, racking and changing the wash tank. That shift manager you’ve cultivated might just be able to reinforce the training that you’ve already given that operator, lessening your service burden and also keeping the decision maker happy.
Next up: Those scrap trays and curtains.