Randy Clark's Blog, page 18

How to Follow Up on Team Goals

How to follow up on team goals is the fourth post in a series on goal setting. How to Set Team Goals in 15 minutes,  Six Ingredients of a Goal,  You Cannot “Do” A Goal – You Can Do Activities. These three focused on goal-setting procedures, but after you’ve set the goal, now what?

How to Follow Up on Team Goals 

Start by supporting, encouraging, and reviewing the goal every day. Seriously, every day. I remember a team member who missed a quarterly financial reward by a very small amount. It wouldn’t have taken much extra effort to hit the bonus. A few more sales calls or one additional evening of work would have been enough.

The team manager only knew how close his direct report was to achieving the bonus when it was too late. I asked the manager what he thought about his team member missing the bonus by so little, and he said, “The employee should have known where he stood.” I agreed and asked him whose responsibility it was to keep the employee informed. He answered, “It was strictly the employee’s responsibility.” I asked, “If this is true, why would he need a manager?”

How To Help Your Team Hit Their GoalsShare your vision. Help the team visualize hitting the goal.Talk about what it will do for them and the team.Encourage them to go public with the goal by sharing it with other team members, friends, and family.If needed, break the goal into smaller steps with deadlines.Keep them focused on activities, not just results.Remind, review, and support their goals every day.If they’re behind their goal, plan objectives and activities to get on track.Assume they will achieve the goal and support them at every opportunity.Recognize progress and reward them for their accomplishments.How to Follow Up on Team Goals Starts with Taking the Time to Do it

If you’ve taken the time to set an achievable yet challenging goal based on activities, take the time to review and follow up daily. It will make your job easier. When you focus on activities daily, you’ll likely make an impact. Focusing on the results usually doesn’t change anything. Results can only be improved through activities. By focusing on activities, you are sharing how to get there. Be the roadmap for your team’s success.

How Can I Help You? 

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out. It might help you stop putting off what you want to do.

If you liked this, you might also appreciate Why SMART Goals Are Dumb.

Photo by Kaleidico on Unsplash

 

 

The post How to Follow Up on Team Goals appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Does Your Business Attract or Repel Customers?

So, does your business attract or repel customers? Before you answer read this. Last week one of my co-workers was put on hold for ten minutes then sent to voice mail. His next step was to visit the organizations’ contact page on their website—it wouldn’t open. Finally, he connected to a live chat and was given the same phone number he started with. He said, “It’s like they don’t want our business.” I said, “It says something about their commitment to customer service.” Today, consumers’ have choices; they have easy access to your competitors. If you’re not attracting new customers then beware, you may be repelling them to your competition.

Does Your Business Attract or Repel Customers? AttractRepelPriceFair and competitive. Price points in-line with the market.Overpriced and inconsistent. Preys on the uninformed.QualityProduct or service does what’s promised.Lacking in performance, doesn’t meet expectations.ValueGood balance of price and quality—pays for itself.Doesn’t fulfill needs, creates problems, and added costs.ServiceResponsive and qualified.Hard to connect and doesn’t solve problem.KnowledgeStaff knows the product and can offer answers and solve problems.Help desk is lost, makes excuses, and passes the buck.PersonalityTreats customers like people, listens, and is understanding and attentive.Might as well be a computer. Sticks strictly to script, unresponsive, cold.AvailabilityReturns communications in a timely manner.Haphazardly respond to communications.Know the Red Flags

Does your lead funnel produce a steady stream of new prospects? If not, it may be more than marketing. You may be sending customers to another’s funnel.It may be anti-marketing. Watch for these negative trends in your business. They’re signs that you may be feeding others from your funnel.

Multiple customer service complaints about specific products and services.Consistently losing prospects over price.Clients complain about a lack of communication, updates, and information.Customer service positions relegated to unqualified employees or interns.Company representatives complaining about “having” to deal with customers.You’re not OK

Too many companies have waited too long, ignoring the signs of chasing prospects away, by rationalizing they were doing “OK.” But today OK is no longer good enough. Today OK is the first step on the path to failure. Good enough isn’t good enough anymore. People want and expect excellence in product, service, and attention, and if they don’t find it with one business, they’ll find it in another. How about your business, are you doing…OK?

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because, if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out. It might help you stop putting off what you want to do.

If you enjoyed this post, you might like Pick One.

Image by nadine coco from Pixabay

 

The post Does Your Business Attract or Repel Customers? appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

How to Stay Ahead of Your Blog

So, how can you stay ahead of your blog? If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re behind on your blog. We’ve all clicked the blog tab on a website to find the last post was published three months ago or longer. It may have happened to you. First, you’re not alone. Second, you can get ahead. I post two new blogs a week, and I’m currently 60 days ahead, but I remember a time I was 60 days behind! Here’s how to get and stay ahead.

Identify Your Target Audience

Understand who your audience is and what content may interest them. For example, a sporting goods retailer could write about sporting equipment, but they could also write about sports, training, and health. An HVAC company could offer posts on the latest in efficient heating and cooling but also about things of interest to homeowners, such as safety, maintenance, interior decorating, and remodeling.

My products, blogging, and leadership training could help most businesses. Therefore, I don’t limit my blog topics to one small niche. This blog site has 12 categories ranging from Leadership to Writing. Your first step is to identify blog categories.

Action: Identify three or four blogging topic categories. Use an Editorial Calendar

After determining your topics, list them on a calendar two months in advance. I use Google Calendar. It doesn’t matter what you use. The important point is to have a plan. If you want to post once per week and have four categories, then list one a week for the next 60 days. Choose the day to post and list it. Don’t get caught in bad thinking such as, “It’s only one a week; I don’t need a calendar.” That’s not the point. The calendar is your blogging to-do list. It’s your deadline.

Action: Begin an editorial calendar and plan topic categories for the next 60 days.Track Blog Progress

In my editorial calendar, I track five levels of progress: topic category, idea, in edit, WordPress, and published. Once I’ve listed the topics, the next step is to add an idea.

Ideas – If you need help with ideas, go to this post. 6 Ways to Never Run Out of Blog Post IdeasHave a plan and follow it. A Simple 6-Step Blog Writing SystemWrite the post – This will help. Why You Should Rewrite Your BlogEdit – How to Drastically Improve Your Blog in 24 HoursPost to a blogging site. WordPressPublish Action: List your first four blog post ideas.  More Strategies to Stay AheadGuest posts

Ask for guest posts from legitimate sources. Don’t fall into the trap of allowing content farms to hijack your site for their purposes. How to Avoid Getting Spammed by Guest Blog Requests

Add Easy Blog Subject Categories, For Example: Meet the team – Introduce team members, their positions, and tenure. Ask individual team members the same four or five questions.FAQ – Ask sales, customer service, and installation their most common FAQsPhoto blog – Take photos of your work (get a photo release from customers) and describe who, what, when, where, and how.Writers Wanted! 

If your blog is a business blog solicit coworkers to write. In my previous job, the organization had 250 employees, yet I wrote 98% of the posts. At one time, we published six new posts a week. I looked for opportunities around the business. For example, while a marketing team member revamped the company website, I asked questions, which became a series of posts he wrote titled Tech Talk.

Use a Systematic Approach

The key to staying ahead of your blog is having a system, using it, and not letting it get away. The first time you don’t follow the calendar and a new post isn’t published as scheduled, is the beginning of the end because the exception becomes the rule.

How Can I Help You? 

Let me know if I can offer any help or advice. If this post struck a nerve, you should check out my book, How to Stay Ahead of Your Business Blog Forever. The book contains action plans to create a blogging/writing system that works for you.

If you enjoyed this you might also like, What Makes a Blog Attractive to Readers?

Image by 8212733 from Pixabay

 

 

 

 

The post How to Stay Ahead of Your Blog  appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Serving Others is the New Sales

Serving others is the new sales. Unfortunately the old sales hasn’t totally withered away. Let me explain. I was introduced to sales in an era when understanding the psychology behind the sale was considered the key to successful selling. I was trained to manipulate prospects to “make” the sale and was good at it. Eventually, I taught others how to do this. As I advanced my career, I focused on ethical corporate behavior, such as customer service, employee benefits, and vendor relations by serving others. It took me some time to realize the best way to sell was to serve.

Serving Others is the New SalesWhat Does Your Customer Want?

As a consumer, what do you expect from any provider? I’d guess the answer is something along the lines of service, honesty, and quality—not manipulation, hard sell tactics, or false promises. Your customer is looking for the same things. Whether you’re looking for someone to service your truck or marketing multi-million-dollar products to B2B’s, it’s not very different. People want service, honesty, and quality. They want their best interests considered, they want advice, and they want their problems solved. They want to be served, not sold.

How Can You Serve?

Let me first say why you should serve, and it’s not only because it’s the right thing to do but also because it’s often the best sales approach in today’s market. Consumers have a voice. They expect more. They want to be heard, and they’ll leave you in the dust if you don’t listen.

Don’t over-promise 

Don’t over-promise just to get a sale. Because when you under-deliver, you create an expectation of failure. Your customer will watch and critique every minuscule action you take. This usually doesn’t end well. It’s a negative drain on your operation as it spirals down.

Take care of your customer’s needs

Don’t sell what you have; sell what they need, and if you don’t have it, get it. If you can’t get it, send them where they can.

Deliver the best possible product

I know that sounds trite, but it’s true. Don’t reduce the quality of your product or service to meet or beat a price. If you need to reduce your price, cut overhead. And if that’s not possible, wouldn’t it be better to explain your product’s price once than apologize for its quality forever?

Go the extra mile

Look for other ways to serve your customers besides your product and service. Where do you excel? What can you share? Conduct free seminars, open your conference room to your customers, hold an open house, write a guest blog, support a customer on social media. The possibilities are endless.

Who Do You Serve?

Embracing service as a method of selling leads to loyal customers, referrals, and brand advocates. People have always trusted their friends’ opinions more than advertising, marketing, or sales. And today, we’re connected to our friends more than ever. We know where they shop, we see the products our friends enjoy posted on social media, and we read reviews on Yelp. We know who our friends trust. They trust those who serve. Do your customers trust you? Do you serve or sell?

Are You In Sales Management? 

Are you leading people or managing projects? Do you set goals based on activities to continue, eliminate, or improve, or do you strictly look at the results? Do you believe one sales strategy fits all your clients and sales team? If so, you’re walking the streets I paved, and those streets lead to disappointment. The good news is if you recognize these behaviors in yourself, you can change. I did. I eventually became a highly effective sales manager, and so can you. This workbook is a good place to start. The New Sales Managers Workbook

If you enjoyed this post you might like Be a Partner Not a Salesperson

Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

 

The post Serving Others is the New Sales appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Has Modern Messaging Become a Multimedia Meltdown?

So, has modern messaging become a multimedia meltdown? Maybe. In my most recent in-person office job I had a landline phone. I didn’t use it. I had a cell phone. Why did I need this desk phone? I seldom checked my landline messages or my cell phone voicemail. So, I’ve missed a few messages. You? For me, messages are an annoyance. Email too. I’ve turned off Email notifications and only check Email a few times a day. I’m not always on social media. The best way to contact me is to call my cell or text me. If I don’t answer, I’ll call you back. People should know that. Or should they?

What’s Your Opinion? Has Modern Messaging Become a Multimedia Meltdown?

I recall an NPR (National Public Radio) episode where I listened to a daughter complaining about her parents leaving voicemails on her phone. She’d return a call to her mother, who would ask, “Did you get my message?” to which the daughter responded with disdain in her voice, “No….I called you.” She thought it was a waste of time until her father died unexpectedly. She found several unheard deleted messages from him, including one that said, “I hope you hear this because it’s important. I love you…” She changed her opinion about voicemail.

It Can Be Confusing

On one hand, I want to limit distractions—that’s why I’ve turned off most pings. On the other hand, shouldn’t I be more considerate of other’s preferred methods of communication? Not only that, but I could miss an urgent message from a friend or family or respond too slowly to take advantage of a business opportunity. When I’m on the other end of not receiving a response to a message, it can be frustrating. I assume the other person isn’t interested, doesn’t care, or is inconsiderate. But that’s not always the case, is it?

What Can You Do About It?

We all deal with multiple communication challenges every minute of the day and must understand there will be miscommunications, misinterpretations, and lost messages. The place to start is to be understanding and not assume the worst.

Inform others of your preferred method of communication.Ask others about their communication preferences.Politely follow up on unanswered correspondence. Consider using a different media.Match the media to the message. How important is it? How complicated is the conversation? Should you meet face-to-face, zoom, phone, Email or?Keep generational preferences in mind.

And most of all, be considerate, understanding, and patient. Not everyone will communicate as you do, and it’s not always intentional or personal when someone doesn’t reply.

Sometimes, it Takes Being Hit Over the Head

A few close friends frequently leave messages on my cell phone. One of those friends passed away. He had just turned 64. This morning, I retrieved several voicemails he had left on my phone. One was dated 12/24. He wished me a Merry Christmas. I’d never played the message.

Modern multimedia communication should make connecting and staying in touch easier, but that’s not always the case. Today’s communication options can be a tremendous advantage. If you’re as old as me, you remember when you had to find a pay phone to answer your beeper. Would you want to return to a time when FAX was the state-of-the-art in-office communication? Communication technology has come a long way. People? Maybe not so much. Multiple media communication can be used to its advantage or looked upon as a hindrance. Which will you choose?

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because, if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out. It might help you stop putting off what you want to do.

If you enjoyed this post, you might like Pick One.

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

The post Has Modern Messaging Become a Multimedia Meltdown? appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Be a Partner Not a Salesperson

Be a partner not a salesperson is more than words. I’ve been involved in sales since 1970, and I’ve witnessed an evolution which is becoming a revolution. My first formal sales training was how to convince others to buy, how to use words and demonstrations to evoke emotions to get a “yes.” There was little or nothing about fulfilling customer needs, listening to prospect’s wants, or doing what was best for the consumer. It was about selling products and services—as simple as that.

For 20 years, little changed. The only difference was the training became more scientific, professionally presented, and accessible. The psychology behind convincing others to do what you wanted them to do became the norm in sales training.

Be a Partner Not a Salesperson

Then came social media, and suddenly, it no longer was enough to talk “at” prospects. It was a conversation, and the buying public had a forum to share their likes and dislikes. The game changed; it became less of a game. I’m not saying some organizations and salespeople didn’t do their best to help their customers in the past. It just wasn’t the priority for most businesses. We’re now seeing a revolution in sales. It’s time to get on board or be left behind. Be a partner.

What Does a Partner Do?

Ask Questions — Listen to and learn your customer’s needs; it’s not about you.

Fulfill Needs — What will help your customer? How can you help them be more efficient, cost-effective, greener, or?

Fix Problems — Where does it hurt? Not where you want it to hurt because you have a product or service for that, but what problems do your customers actually have?

Put the Customer First — This means not selling what they don’t need. It means offering what’s best for them.

Ask For the Order — Not in a salesy, pushy way, but if you’ve done all the above and have your customer’s best interest at heart, you owe it to them to secure the order. If not, someone less caring or less qualified may get the contract.

Are You a Partner or a Salesperson?

Are you more concerned about using the best closing question or determining your customer’s needs? If you’re stuck in “old school” sales, you will soon be passed by. Viva la revolution.

How Can I Help You?  

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book The New Sales Managers Workbook

If you enjoyed this post you might like The Customer is NOT Always Right

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on

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9 Steps to Creating a Compelling Blog Layout

A compelling blog layout attracts and engages visitors. The key to creating a successful blog layout is twofold: understanding the medium and how readers consume blog posts.

A Blog Isn’t a Book 

Reading content on a screen, whether on a PC, laptop, or mobile device, is different from reading a printed page. We scroll, swipe, click, enlarge, and scan on devices. With books, we turn the page. Understanding this is key to building a layout that fits readers’ needs.

People Don’t Read Every Post They Open 

They scan them for information, and if what they’re looking for isn’t easy to find—they leave. It’s more than that; readers must be encouraged and compelled to read further. Layout is one of the blogging tools to achieve this.

9 Steps to Creating a Compelling Blog LayoutThink of Your Readers First

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that your blog is about you. It isn’t. It’s about your readers. Without readers, what good is your blog? Good question, isn’t it? Here are a few ways to put your readers first.

     2. Use a neutral background

Your best bet is to stick with white. Have you opened a post to find white print on a black background or a busy image behind the print? Did you jump out before reading it? Keep it clean and simple. Remember, easy to read trumps design here.

    3. Use a highly readable font

Stay with simple, unadorned fonts such as Arial, Tahoma, Sans Serif, Verdana, or Lucinda Sans. Use italics sparingly. It’s the same for ALL CAPS. Bold copy can be compelling but should be balanced. Depending on the font, an 11 to 12 size works well.

   4. Keep paragraphs short 

I recommend limiting paragraphs to five or six sentences at most. If it’s longer than six sentences, break it up. “Good paragraphs discuss one single well-defined aspect of the topic at hand. They start with a core sentence and generally shouldn’t exceed 200 words.” — Yoast — Paragraph length check: Why and how to write shorter paragraphs

   5. Use subheads

An appropriately used subhead can entice visitors to read further. A compelling subhead can keep a visitor on your blog by helping them find the information they’re looking for. A good rule is to go at most 200 words between subheads.

   6. Control your sentences

Long run-on sentences can be tedious, confusing, and challenging to read. You will scare people away if more than 20% of your sentences are 20 words or longer.

   7. Develop lists

Bullet points, numbered lists, or sentences with a bold introduction will make your content easier to digest.

   8. Leave some white space 

Overrunning the senses with too much copy and not enough space detracts from the content, making it harder to concentrate.

   9. Use good images

My friend Carol Stephens, a master of using images in her posts, shares this advice, “If you’ve written something without any images, add an image or two. Or use a different featured image. Since we’re all visual creatures, sometimes the image is more important than the words, unfortunately. And a positive image can change the feel of a piece of content.” — How to Cure Writer’s Block: Ten Best Ways.

Here’s an excellent guide for adding images to your blog post. Neil Patel — 11 Best Practices for Including Images in Your Blog Posts

Don’t Make This Complicated Than It Is

By putting some thought into your blog’s initial layout, you simplify the publication of future posts. Once you’ve established the design, stay with it. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel on every post, nor do you want to.

How Can I Help You? 

Let me know if I can offer any help or advice. If this post struck a nerve, you should check out my book, How to Stay Ahead of Your Business Blog Forever. The book contains action plans to create a blogging/writing system that works for you.

If you enjoyed this you might also like, What Makes a Blog Attractive to Readers?

Image by Werner Moser from Pixabay

 

 

 

The post 9 Steps to Creating a Compelling Blog Layout appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Why Checklists Fail

I learned one reason why checklists fail last week when I facilitated a meeting about checklists with a group of foremen. This group had previously created checklists for daily tasks. I had helped them with the project, but it was their creation. It was almost a year ago.

The checklists were in a file organizer on a desk in their primary work area. I learned two of the newer managers were unfamiliar with the lists their predecessors had created. I took some of the blame for this, so we followed up and reviewed the checklists.

There was at least one checklist for each department and one for opening and closing the operation. However, except for a couple of exceptions, the checklists weren’t used consistently because no one had followed up, and some of the lists were developed by people no longer employed by the organization. Here are a few more reasons why checklists fail.

Why Checklists Fail The Checklist is Only in Your Head

Not having a written checklist leads to inconsistency. A written checklist can be used to train, as a check-off list, and to keep a team on the same page. Yes, it takes time to create checklists, but you can measure the time savings of checklists in improved efficiency and mistake reduction.

The Checklist Doesn’t Look Professional 

Dog-eared bits of old card stock or post-it notes stuck to desks aren’t checklists and most likely will not be taken seriously. Take time to type out lists and make copies. The team I mentioned above laminated their lists.

The Checklist is Out of Step

List tasks in the order of completion. If an action needs to be completed before another — list it first. Missing an essential step because it wasn’t listed causes problems, eventually leading to putting the list in a drawer unused. Also, checklists should be updated when processes are added or changed. If not, they’ll be out of step.

Leaders Don’t Consistently Follow the Checklist 

We all get distracted by email, phone calls, customers, vendors, and co-workers. It’s the way it is. When leaders take shortcuts or ignore a checklist, it sends a message to the team, and it’s not good.

There’s Little or No Training

Training isn’t only one time; it should be consistently followed up. As with the management team in the first paragraph, when new members join the team, they need to be trained on the checklists.

There’s No Accountability 

If there’s nobody assigned to tasks on a checklist, the checklist will fail. When no one is responsible it’s easy to point fingers and say it wasn’t me.

Nobody Monitors the Checklist

Great, you have a checklist. You listed every task with the person charged with the responsibility. However, the checklist is useless if nobody checks to ensure tasks are completed correctly and on time. Set aside a little time each day to check the progress of all checklists.

Checklists can be an excellent tool to help your team stay on track, be more efficient, reduce mistakes, and work consistently together, but only when you follow up and train.

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because, if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out. It might help you stop putting off what you want to do.

If you enjoyed this post, you might like Pick One.

Image by Mary Pahlke from Pixabay

The post Why Checklists Fail appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

How To Improve Employee Training Retention

Employee training retention especially with new trainees may be the biggest organizational training failure. A lack of follow-up training is not only common it’s typical. So, why is follow up training critical? How much do trainees forget? “Research on the forgetting curve (Figure 1) shows that within one hour, people will have forgotten an average of 50 percent of the information you presented. Within 24 hours, they have forgotten an average of 70 percent of new information, and within a week, forgetting claims an average of 90 percent of it.” – – Learning Guild — Brain Science The Forgetting Curve

“Within 24 hours of getting the information – spend 10 minutes reviewing, and you will raise the curve almost to 100% again. A week later (day 7), it only takes 5 minutes to “reactivate” the same material and again raise the curve. By day 30, your brain will only need 2-4 minutes…” — University of Waterloo.

How To Improve Employee Training RetentionFollow up

After conducting a training session, following up with the participants is crucial to ensure participants have retained the knowledge and skills gained during the training. Here are some ways to conduct follow-up after training:

Conduct a survey 

Send out surveys to the participants to gather feedback on the training session. This will help you identify areas that need improvement and give you an idea of how well the participants understood the training content. (See the survey below.)

Quiz the previous day’s key points

Facilitate quizzes to test the participant’s knowledge and skills after the training. This will help you determine whether the training effectively achieved its objectives.

Meet one-on-one

Meet with each trainee after the training session. Schedule one-on-one meetings with the participants to discuss their progress and address any questions or concerns they may have.

Send a communication asking for examples of implementing the training.

Keep following up! 

Conduct refresher sessions to reinforce the training content and provide additional support to the participants. Continuously repeat the training. I often must remind myself that it’s not only okay to repeat training but necessary.

The key is follow-up training; think about it—you can raise training retention by up to 90%! How would this impact your operation?

Benefits of Conducting Follow-up Training

Conducting follow-up after training can provide several benefits, including:

Reinforce learning

Following up after training reinforces the information from the initial training session. This helps ensure the information is retained and applied in the workplace.

Identify knowledge gaps

By following up after training, trainers can identify any knowledge gaps or areas where employees may need additional support or training.

Improve performance

Follow-up training helps improve employee performance by providing ongoing support and feedback. Companies can increase their return on investment (ROI) in training programs by ensuring that employees apply what they learned during training.

Enhance employee engagement

Conducting follow-up after training shows employees that their development is essential to the company. This can lead to increased engagement and motivation to perform well in their roles.

Overall, conducting follow-up after training is an important part of any effective training program and can benefit employees and companies.

Share What’s Valuable to the Trainee 

Employee training retention requires training that’s useful, pertinent, and fit the needs of trainees. It must support organizational policy and procedure. I’ve conducted training sessions on subjects near and dear to my heart — subjects I was passionate about. However, I was sometimes disappointed when the trainees didn’t share my enthusiasm. The trainees didn’t embrace the training because it didn’t fit their needs. When planning a training session, ask yourself the following questions:

Does the training fit the needs of the trainees?Will it improve the job, results, activities, or team?Does the training adhere to organizational policies and procedures?When and how will the trainees use this?

Just because you’re passionate about a subject doesn’t mean your direct reports will be. Do they need the information? Is it information they can use? How do you determine if the training is valuable? Ask them. Below is a simple survey you can use. You can adapt the survey to your needs or create your own. The survey uses open-ended questions to solicit more than yes or no answers. I want to know what they’re thinking and what they remember, don’t you?

Training Survey

Trainee Name _________________________ Date _______________

What key concept did you take from the training?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Was the information pertinent, and is it information you will use?

_____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

What was the purpose of the training?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

What would you have discussed further?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

What could have been improved?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

What topics would you like to explore in the future?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

What are your assignments?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

What commitments have you made regarding using the training?

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How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because, if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out. It might help you stop putting off what you want to do.

If you enjoyed this post, you might like Pick One.

Photo by Claire Nakkachi on Unsplash

The post How To Improve Employee Training Retention appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Keep the Change

The phrase “Keep the change” has been around for decades, but where did this phrase come from? Some say it originated in the early 20th century when coins were more valuable, and it was common to tip with a silver dollar. The idea was that if your bill came to $4.50 and you gave the server a $5 bill, they could “keep the change” as a tip.

Keep the Change

My brother took the term “Keep the change” to a new level. A few years ago, my brother, sister, spouses, and I were enjoying ourselves at a comedy club. Near the end of the evening, as the show continued, our waitperson came quietly to the table with our bill. The tab was around 40 dollars. My brother reached for the bill, but I grabbed it first. While this was happening, the server looked away from our table. I think they were watching the comedian.

Being the oldest and, in my mind, a big shot, I laid a $100 bill on the tab. The server saw the check and $100, picked them up, and started to make change. My brother intervened and said, “Keep the change.” The wait person quickly turned and left. My brother got me.

Over the years, my brother and I have tried to one-up the other. In an earlier piece, I mentioned how he would trick me when we were both in public restrooms. Here’s another example, when we would chat over the phone, the first of us to realize the call was for all intent and purposes over, would say something like, “Don’t forget to…” or Dad wanted you to know…” and then hang up. I think he was better at it than me.

A Thanksgiving Turkey

One year, I drove my dad to my brother’s home in Kansas City for Thanksgiving. I made a purchase before the trip, and when my brother and his wife were out, I installed an 8-foot blow-up turkey on his front lawn. It was not the typical thing you’d expect to see in his upscale suburban neighborhood.

I did the same thing to a neighbor who every year said they were going to decorate their home for the holidays, but never did. I put a 10-foot-tall Santa in their front yard. I think I’m funny, fortunately so did my neighbor.

If you enjoyed this post you might like, Breaking the Streak.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

The post Keep the Change appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.