How do you transfer knowledge?

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Permalink Reply by Debra Straka on October 7, 2008 at 11:43am

We hold daily and monthly training meetings for FOH. Policies are never reviewed often enough. My feeling is that a section of policies should be reviewed weekly and review testing should be done at a minimum of once every two months.
Communications are done via e-mail and posted notices.
I will be interested to see the feedback on these important questions.

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Permalink Reply by MAWorking on October 7, 2008 at 3:44pm

Interesting topic. There is no end all answer but more a bag of tricks that may or may not work for the environment you work in.
For me, I have some basics that I insist upon at any and all operations I am involved with:
1) Learn something new everyday
2) If you do not make mistakes, you are not learning
3) Why is it?

Number 1 and 2 are pretty straight forward. 3 is the fun one for me. I insist my staff takes time, every week, to sit down and tell me "Why is it?" This is rather simple idea, fun assignment and opens up the door to learning.
I usually start with a straw on "Why is it?"
Why is it made of plastic?
Why is it round?
Why the length?
Etc....

I want my people to think. To challenge. If they are thinking and challenging... then they are sponges for information and transferring of knowledge is rather easy... they start to seek it.

Obviously, you have to temper this think tank process and keep people on focus to the business needs. They need not ponder "why is the sky blue?"

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Permalink Reply by Erle Dardick on October 7, 2008 at 4:29pm

You need to make an ongoing investment in documentation and training. Work on:

1. Product Knowledge
2. Policies
3. Procedures
4. Business Plan and Vision.

Of course, there are others, but you can start here.... good luck.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Ettling on October 8, 2008 at 7:46pm

When turning around ailing businesses, the hardest part was burning some midnight oil setting and posting the business policy book and procedures at workstations etc. Let’s be clear, we cannot expect employees to know what we haven’t clarified ourselves. I found that it was constantly being updated as addressing things on the fly works better for me than keeping a list of changes that need to be done and procrastinating or having some other "more urgent" activity sidetrack me.

I didn’t kid myself that anyone ever thoroughly read them, yet it serves to steal the excuse of “I didn’t know” away from employees, they at least new they were supposed to know and that the info was there.

When I found infractions, I could simply say to them that I wanted them to read section X and return to their work when they clearly understood.

Another hole to be filled was those who were chronic no shows at employee meetings. I began having the minutes taken and I would leave them in their time card slot instead of a pay check with “see me” on the envelope. They would read the minutes and initial them in exchange for their pay. Again, stealing away their ability to say “I didn’t know”.

Brain-food of the day was a great game. I posted brain-food on a clipboard where the employees clocked in and would give a pop question to someone each day. If they knew the brain-food there was a reward. Someone who didn’t know the brain food got to wear a certain hat for an hour.

Last, I started listening to them. Communication is best received when they feel respected. It’s about communication; creativity is key and having fun helps.

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Permalink Reply by Debra Straka on October 9, 2008 at 6:41am

Dan,
I really like your "brain-food of the day" game. Great training technique! I also like your plan for the chronic no shows. Great tools to put in any trainer's bag of tricks.

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