Tag: Setting standards

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Frank Mitchell Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, February 2019, Staff Training

Staff Training

by Frank Mitchell

 

 

Introduction to Training Methodology

In the next several installments of this series, we finally confront the nuts and bolts of how to train. As with Instructional Design, there are many theories and training methods. If you are a professional, you will no doubt have your own preferences. If not, I would like to share with you a popular method I have found most effective.

I was drilled in the correct use of POPPER by a highly experienced trainer and I, in turn, have taught many others who have used it with great success. You can read more about it in the book; Hands-On Training, A simple and effective method for On-the-Job Training. © 2001 Gary R. Sisson, Berret-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

In this book, Mr. Sisson talks of ‘HOT POPPER’, the HOT being an abbreviation for hands-on training. POPPER has several advantages that makes it ideally suited to training in the private home. It teaches practical skills without the need for handouts or slide presentations. Since both the instruction and review is practical, it works really well where language barriers or literacy issues exist. This is helpful for household managers working abroad, or who may be working with staff members from abroad.

Next month we will start with the first letter in the acronym POPPER, the letter ‘P’ which stands for ‘Preparation’.

Frank Mitchell’s background is as a private-service butler who then became a head butler at a hotel, and then a butler trainer with the Institute. While he continues to train butlers for the Institute occasionally, his focus for the last decade has been on training hotel and resort staff. He has written several well-received columns for the MBJ over the years and can be contacted via the Institute. 

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.

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Frank Mitchell Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, January 2019, Staff Training

Staff Training

by Frank Mitchell

 

 

Instructional Design, Part Two

There are several popular design models used to develop effective training. I like to recommend a simplification of the Gerlach-Ely design model, since it is suited to designers who have good content knowledge, but less experience in designing training. This certainly described me when I was in private service.

This model solves the difficulty of knowing where to start by reversing the intuitive order. You start by picturing the final outcome for your training. Once you know what you want to achieve, specify the standards participants must achieve in order to meet expectations. The setting of standards was discussed in “Chapter” 8 of our series.

Next, look at what they already know. Remember your TNA from Chapter 6? That’s right, it’s already done. Now we design only the training needed to bring our staff to where we want them to be. If someone is already at point ‘B’, don’t start at point ‘A’ to get them to point ‘C’. Finally, we conduct the training and test our participants to see if the training worked. This is a simple, effective model that really helps start the novice trainer.

I find the subject fascinating and I would strongly urge the earnest reader to research the topic online. Next month, we start a step-by-step explanation of how to conduct training.

Frank Mitchell’s background is as a private-service butler who then became a head butler at a hotel, and then a butler trainer with the Institute. While he continues to train butlers for the Institute occasionally, his focus for the last decade has been on training hotel and resort staff. He has written several well-received columns for the MBJ over the years and can be contacted via the Institute. 

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.

Categories
Frank Mitchell Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, December 2018, Staff Training

Staff Training

by Frank Mitchell

 

 

Instructional Design, Part One

Often considered a science or discipline, it may be more useful for us to think of instructional design as a systematic approach to designing effective, quality instruction. There are many theories and design models. All hope to achieve maximum learning and retention while using the fewest resources.

Instructional Design, at its most basic, is encapsulated in the mnemonic ADDIE:

Analyze – What is the problem? What is causing it? Set objectives that describe the improvement you wish to see.

Design – What must be trained? What skill will help them achieve the objectives set under ‘analyze’?

Develop – Plan your lessons and create any material needed.

Implement – Conduct the training.

Evaluate – Ask students how it went and test their application of the learning. Did they learn? What improvements can you make before conducting the training in future?

Experts will point out that there is a lot more to ADDIE, but the application of the basic principle can be as simple or as complicated as needed. For our purposes, thinking through the ADDIE steps, even in the most basic way, results in a more-ordered approach —a vast improvement on the haphazard “Come here quickly, let me show you how to do this” approach so often used.

Next month we will look at a popular model used in instructional design.

Frank Mitchell’s background is as a private-service butler who then became a head butler at a hotel, and then a butler trainer with the Institute. While he continues to train butlers for the Institute occasionally, his focus for the last decade has been on training hotel and resort staff. He has written several well-received columns for the MBJ over the years and can be contacted via the Institute. 

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.

Categories
Frank Mitchell Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, November 2018, Staff Training

Staff Training

by Frank Mitchell

Setting Standards

Standards are one of the three S’s of training; Service, Standards and Safety. It is the minimum performance required for competency and consists of Performance Standards and Quality Standards. (i.e. How neatly and how quickly a task must be done.) The trainer must decide, record and practice the standards before demonstrating them and testing them in training.

If a standard cannot be written down or measured, it can neither be taught nor tested, nor can staff be held responsible for not achieving or maintaining it. If staff perceive the application of standards to be inconsistent or arbitrary, it will lead to insecurity, low morale and high employee turnover. The same goes for unrealistic standards. If you expect a staff member to complete a task as fast as you can do it, ask whether you could realistically keep up that pace over the course of a workday. Nor is it realistic to expect an inexperienced staff member, the likely target of training, to complete the task as well and as quickly as an experienced staff member.

Before setting standards, ask if it is useful, helpful or necessary. Standards should not be restrictive – they are a minimum and high performing staff should be allowed the creative freedom to excel.

Next month we will introduce the concept of Instructional Design.

Frank Mitchell’s background is as a private-service butler who then became a head butler at a hotel, and then a butler trainer with the Institute. While he continues to train butlers for the Institute occasionally, his focus for the last decade has been on training hotel and resort staff. He has written several well-received columns for the MBJ over the years and can be contacted via the Institute. 

 

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.