Steve Jobs often said that making things simple is hard. The same can be said of training.
Training franchisees or their employees is simple, but it takes a lot of hard work to make it that way.
Here are ten training tips to keep in mind:
#10: Respect people's time. If you're going to ask people to spend the time and possibly money to attend a training session, it should go beyond valuable to indispensable. This is especially true of classroom or other in-person training, which are typically longer and more expensive.
#9: Utilize online learning. This helps you achieve #10. Using online learning wisely allows you to make the most of in-person. One way is to present the concepts in an online delivery and then practice the needed skills in-person, thus reducing the amount of classroom or coaching time but increasing its effectiveness.
#8: Invest in an LMS (Learning Management System). There really is no excuse not to have an LMS. The franchise structure makes them the perfect tool for your training. There are too many good, inexpensive LMS options out there right now not to have one. This should probably be #1. It can be the foundation for all the training you do.
#7: Don't overwhelm. Know why M&M's are great? Because they're so small you can eat either 5 or 50. Break training into itty-bitty bits. If people want more, than can always combine bits.
#6: Spread it out. Relates to #7. Eating a whole bag of M&M's in one sitting might make you sick (who's up for some hands-on research?!). Building skills takes time, so should your training.
#5: Be holistic. I don't mean eating tree bark to cure a cold. I mean develop a strategy for your training based on an analysis of your franchisees' and employees' needs, and create a curriculum plan utilizing multiple delivery methods. Don't slap together several workshops from outside experts and call it a day.
#4: Speaking of outside experts, how about inside experts? You will be amazed, shocked and stupefied by how much your people know, if you just ask them. Trust me on this. Plus, you'll save a boat-load of money on consulting fees.
#3: Social media. Yes, you've been told that social media can cure every ill that ails your company but in the case of training, it is a powerful tool. That doesn't mean you need a complicated system. Do you know what social media is? Knowledge Sharing. Do you know what knowledge sharing is? Bob has a problem. Julie has a solution. Julie tells Bob the solution. Done. I've seen it in action, my friends, and it is amazing.
#2: Training should not be just fun. I always get push back on this, but I don't understand the obsession to make learning fun. Training should not be boring, agree. Training should be useful and relevant, agree. Training should be engaging and experiential, agree. There's nothing wrong with some levity, but most, if not all, people will choose good training over fun training.
#1: K.I.S.S. Keep it simple, stupid. It's easy to get distracted and swayed by fancy talk and one-size-fits-all solutions. Remember the ultimate goal of training. Your company has business goals. In order to meet those goals, your employees and franchises have to perform. In order for them to perform, they need skills. Determine which of those skills are lacking and train them. Done and done!
If you want improve your franchise training and onboarding, connect with me on LinkedIn and let's talk.
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I am amazed at how often the franchisor's training doesn't match the real needs of the franchisee . . . and unless the franchisor understands the skills of the franchisee, and the franchisee's learning style, most of the training is for naught.