Tag: Training

Categories
Frank Mitchell Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, October 2019, Staff Training

Staff Training

by Frank Mitchell

TRAINING—FOLLOW-UP

Managers who say that training does not translate into a change of behavior in the workplace usually have a fundamental misunderstanding of roles. Since staff quickly revert to old habits, it is the supervisor who must ensure that the new standard is applied on the job. If they do not support and monitor the new standard, the learning will be lost.

During your POPPER opening, and when you set the scene, you painted a picture for the participant of how and when they would use the training in the workplace. After a successful assessment, tell the participant that you will come to their workplace to observe them. This encourages them to remember the training and apply it immediately. Ideally, the observation should be at least 1-4 weeks after training, with a follow up at 6 months. Retention of learning over time is the proper measure of competence.

The observation is informal and need not be recorded. Check that the task is completed to the required standard and give feedback on performance. If you are both trainer and supervisor, it is easily done. If you are not the supervisor, arrange to do the workplace observation together with their supervisor.

If staff are not performing to standard, you will have to coach them, which is our topic for next month.

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, resort, and palace staff in general. 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, September 2019, Staff Training

Staff Training

by Frank Mitchell

TRAINING—FEEDBACK

Feedback is used in training to assist the learning process, guiding and correcting participants.

After each practice and after the final assessment, we tell the participant what they did well so that they will keep doing it. We also tell them what can be improved, how to improve it, and why our way is better. Corrective feedback that does not include an explanation and a suggested alternative, amounts to little more than criticism and will be perceived as such. “You must do better” is of no practical help whatsoever to the student.

The format for positive feedback is to tell them what they did that was good and why. “You aligned the edges well which will give you a neat fold.” Feedback for improvement starts with what they did wrong, followed by an alternative and an explanation of why the alternative is better. If this explanation is properly done, it is not necessary to include an explanation of why their original action was wrong. “You did not hide the seams of your napkin. If you ensure that all seams are facing inward, the end result will be much more presentable.”

Constructive feedback is concise, accurate, timely, objective and above all, respectful.

Next month we will look at how we follow up our POPPER training in the workplace.

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, resort, and palace staff in general. 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, August 2019, Staff Training

Staff Training

by Frank Mitchell

POPPER – REVIEW

Once the participants have completed their practice and you have asked questions to check their understanding, they are ready for assessment. Before you begin, reset everything to zero and check that they have enough materials for the test.

In order to make it fair, you must tell them that the test is starting. Say “You are ready for your assessment. I know you will do well. Please start when you are ready.” Express confidence in them – positivity is infectious. You know they will do well because you would not assess them before they are ready. Test staff members individually, using identical tests.

Time the assessment to check that they meet the performance standard. Do not slow them down by asking them questions or stopping and correcting during the test. Let them complete the task unless they are going to damage something or hurt themselves. After completion, stop the clock and inspect the quality standard. First, tell them whether or not they have passed. They need to know this so that they can relax and concentrate on your feedback.

If there is a written training record to sign (which I strongly advise), indicate the outcome of the assessment, have them sign it and sign it yourself.

This concludes POPPER. Next month we will look at giving feedback.

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, resort, and palace staff in general. 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, July 2019, Staff Training

Staff Training

by Frank Mitchell

POPPER – EXPLORE

Questions are vital. They help the trainer gauge the depth and extent of the participants’ understanding. Failure to question students can lead to duplication of action without understanding. They may pass the assessment but be unable to apply the training in real-life.

Ask questions throughout but be aware that asking questions during your demonstration of the required pace for competency may slow you down. For the same reason, ask questions while the participant is practicing, but not during their assessment.

Any time you think to share info, stop and rephrase it as a question. Instead of saying; “Do not rub too hard.” ask; “Why do you think it is important not to rub too hard?” Open questions are far more effective than closed questions.

After the practice, it is important to ask at least two questions that check understanding. These questions are not part of the assessment and cover a scenario not addressed in training.  So, in napkin folding, you might ask; “What will you do if you find a loose thread on a napkin?” Can the participant think and apply? If they answer incorrectly, the participant may still pass the assessment, but require closer supervision in the first few weeks after training.

Next month we will look at the ‘R’ of POPPER which stands for ‘review’.

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, resort, and palace staff in general. 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, June 2019, Staff Training

Staff Training

by Frank Mitchell

POPPER-Practice

Now that you have completed your demonstrations, reset everything to zero so that the participants can practice the task from the very start. Set the scene by telling them where and when they might be doing the task, so that they can practice with the right mindset. “Imagine we are having twelve guests for dinner at 8:00 pm this evening. The Head Butler has asked you to set the table according to this menu. It is now 3:00 pm.”

Adults learn best by doing. Remember that practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. Stop them when they make a mistake. Correct them, explaining why the point is important and then let them start again.

If you see signs of hesitation, encourage them to continue before jumping in to help. Some students lack confidence, others are lazy. If you keep guiding them at each turn they will never learn to do it for themselves. Only help when they get stuck, unless they are going to damage something, or hurt themselves.

After each practice, give them feedback and then reset to zero. Let them practice until they are confident and can complete the task to the required standards to pass their assessment.

Next month we will look at the ‘E’ of POPPER which stands for ‘Explore’.

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, resort, and palace staff in general. 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, May 2019, Staff Training

Staff Training

by Frank Mitchell

POPPER—PRESENT

Telling is not teaching. Demonstrate the task. Remember the two standards from Chapter 8? This requires two demonstrations. I start by demonstrating the quality standard, taking my time and explaining what I am doing and why. “This is how neatly you must do it to pass your test. Note what I am doing with the corners – if you do not align them, the fold will not work.”

Next, demonstrate the speed necessary to achieve competence. This is not how fast you can do it. Showing off will confuse participants. Demonstrate the minimum pace required for competence, while maintaining the quality standard demonstrated earlier. Avoid repeating explanations from the quality demonstration – they will slow you down.

Note that you must ask questions throughout, but we will cover this in more detail under ‘Explore’.

When training groups, ensure that everyone has an unobstructed view. Even in one-on-one training, a participant may stand at a respectful distance and not be able to see the finer details of what you are demonstrating. Bring them closer. If you say “fold to your left” while facing them, you can introduce confusion. It is better to stand alongside them and demonstrate exactly what you want them to do.

Next month we look at the third ‘P’ in POPPER which stands for ‘Practice’.

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, resort, and palace staff in general. 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, April 2019, Staff Training

Staff Training

by Frank Mitchell

POPPER—Opening

After welcoming the student(s), explain why they are in training. Is it a new standard? Remember, adults learn best when they understand what is in it for them. Open by explaining the importance of the training and then segue directly into the benefits for them: “Today we will drill fire emergency procedures. This is very important for the safety of our youngest family members. Successful completion of this training will make you a very useful team member in the event of an emergency.”

Next, check whether any participants already know how to perform the skill being taught to the required standard and would like to proceed directly to testing to save time.

You may encounter objections; “When I was at Mrs. X’s house, we did it differently.” Counter with something along the lines of “That standard is also perfectly acceptable, but today we will learn to follow the standard expected in this house.”

Finally, set them at ease by explaining how the training will proceed. Succinct is best. “I will show you how to make the bed, then I will give you enough time to practice, and then I will test you.” Stating that there will be a test later tends to focus their attention.

Next month we proceed to the second ‘P’ in POPPER which stands for ‘Present’.

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, resort, and palace staff in general. 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, March 2019, Staff Training

Staff Training

by Frank Mitchell

POPPER – “P” for Prepare

Your participants will judge the quality and usefulness of the training on your presentation skills. The foundation of a well-organized, smooth training session is good preparation.

Where the unprepared trainer finds impatience and objection, the well-prepared trainer enjoys support and acceptance, even when things go wrong.

Preparation includes fully understanding what you are training (subject), why you are training it (objectives) and how you want it done (standards). This makes it easier to explain the importance and value of the training to your trainees.

Conduct dry runs (no students) to ensure familiarity with the task, ensuring you can meet the required quality and performance standards. If you can’t make a bed in 8 minutes, how will you demonstrate it to your staff? Practice how you will explain it, but do not memorize a script.

Check that you have sufficient materials for demonstration, practice and testing. Inexperienced trainers tend to bring about half the required material. A starched napkin can only be folded a few times before it needs to be pressed again. Having an iron and ironing board in the training venue helps. For single use items or food preparation, experience will teach you to greatly increase quantities for practice.

Next month we look at the ‘O’ of POPPER which stands for ‘Opening’.

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, resort, and palace staff in general. 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, 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.

Categories
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.