Staff training: A business essential

In the hustle and bustle of a daily business routine, proper training of the company staff is often forgotten. Whether the personnel requiring instruction are new hires or long time employees, good staff training is essential to business success. If an employee is unable to do the job assignments, simply as a result of not knowing how to complete the tasks at hand, the company bottom line can experience some severe damage.

It is not unusual for a new employee to be shown the desk or work station and be left to fend for herself. It is also commonplace for a long term employee to receive a promotion or new job assignment with no direction or instructions. Without proper training and guidance the employees are unable to produce good results and generate less revenue for the company. Unable to complete their assignments properly, the staff members often become frustrated and leave the job. Rinse and repeat.



Some business owners and managers take the penny wise route of skimping on saving. They also experience the pound foolish outcome of lower productivity. To cut back on training is asking for lower monetary returns. Instead of recognizing that staff training is an important investment, it is seen as a luxury expense that is one of the first places targeted for budget cuts. Lower production numbers and weakened staff morale soon follow.

Increased company revenue and improved staff productivity and morale are the most visible benefits of proper staff training. Less well known are lower accident rates on industrial sites, lower company health care costs, fewer problems with meeting government standards and regulations, and possible lower insurance and Workers Compensation premiums. At the same time, some potentially very costly and even business crippling lawsuits may be avoided by ensuring employees understand their job duties and responsibilities.



Customers and clients of your business recognize well trained staff people as well. Customer questions are answered properly and fully by employees who understand their job and their department completely. By knowing and understanding the client's needs and requirements, sales can be made where they were lost in the past.

Proper customer service training helps keep patrons happy and returning to your place of business. Reports and projects completed on time help the business to meet new challenges and opportunities, in the marketplace, quickly and with the appropriate plan in place.

Don't neglect proper employee training. It may be the most profitable investment that you can make in your company's future. Most business people state that their employees are their most important business asset. Not everyone practices what they preach, however. You can walk the talk, however, by ensuring that your staff members are trained fully in their job and its requirements.

Staff training is vital to your company's short and long term business success.

Tags: staff training, personnel management, employee productivity, customer service.

Attitude change: Declare a Positive Week

Business owners and managers experience much doom and gloom in the course of a working day. Confronted by the news with tragedy of every sort, finding marketing and other business problems of all kinds, and facing the usual employee frustrations, many entrepreneurs and managers want to throw up their hands and surrender. Instead of falling into dismay, it's time to declare a company Positive Week.

Positive Week would be based on the idea of only saying, doing, and behaving in a positive and happy way. Always greet every customer with a smile, and treat all other employees as friends. The regular water cooler complaint society is declared off limits, and staff gossip is not allowed to happen. Instead of concentrating on work, create cooperative games based on teamwork, and on helping customers solve their problems.

Positive Week is all about focus upon the good things about the company. Problems will only be dealt with in a constructive manner and with creative ideas. It's well known that happy employees are more productive for the organization as they feel their contribution is appreciated and rewarded.



The first step to creating a Positive Week is to get everyone involved in the organization on board with the concept. Make the week a fun event. Announce prizes for the staff members who go the entire week without making a single negative comment. Any bad customer service or derogatory remarks about co-workers or the organization are off limits for the week. Create fun disincentives for anyone breaking the code of Positive Week.

Create badges, t-shirts, posters and other reminders that Positive Week is underway. Encourage the staff to help others keep smiling and behaving in a happy manner. Create a special Happy Party for everyone to attend. It could be potluck or some other fun way to celebrate. Every day, keep a tally of the good deeds done by everyone as a team; as well as fun individual and work group awards and prizes.



The value of Positive Week is many of the good things started under its guidance become regular habits of the employees. Once taken away from the gossip and gripe sessions, staff members have time and energy to apply to helping the organization and its customers. Instead of feeling as unimportant, participants will begin to feel like important members of the company.

A smile worn in Positive Week can easily become part of the new company culture.

Hold a Positive Week in your company and help your business become happier and more profitable.

Tags: Positive Week, staff attitude change, changing focus, customer service.