Training Challenges

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Wendi Scarborough on July 11, 2008 at 6:47pm

One of the biggest challenges I have been faced with has been the assumption that service issues in the restaurants are always "Training Issues". True, sometimes it is a training deficit whether it's knowedge or skill based. Most of the time, I find that the staff knows "how" to do their job, what they lack is the leadership that cares enough to make sure they do it all the time. There is always some tidbit of knowledge I can pass on regarding a procedure or proper portioning. Sometimes, I can help someone become more practiced at the execution of their job. BUT it all seems to stop when the Training Department walks out the door because the management does not get involved. How do you get it to stick when you are not there?

Permalink Reply by Ben Edtl on July 12, 2008 at 9:03am

So the biggest challenge (to you, as I interpret) is achieving consistency.

Getting it to stick when you're not there is a great question. I'll need to ponder that one for a while.

Permalink Reply by Curt Archambault on July 17, 2008 at 10:43pm

Getting operations to take ownership of training and not relying on training for training.

Permalink Reply by Jeff Portwood on July 18, 2008 at 4:21am

"Training" (that all-encompassing reason for performance shortfalls and a solution to everything) continues to suffer from the disconnect between how important it's promoted ("training is our number one priority this year") versus what's demonstrated daily on the front line where operators suffer from tremendous and competing pressures ("...cut costs...improve service...touch tables...drive sales...be more profitable...complete this report..."). While virtually everyone agrees training is important (it is) it is not consistently proven to be a direct-connection to meeting said pressures. Often it's easier and faster and more noticable to just "cut labor." Training takes time to do it right. I've seen some of the best programs in the business fall flat because they're just not executed well. Effective training is / can be the solution to [most] operational challenges; but Time it seems, is in short supply.

Permalink Reply by Jeff Portwood on July 18, 2008 at 4:54am

Good points Jeffery, what I was trying to articulate was time-as-an-excuse because of too many comflicting priorities ("a thousand priorities is none," they say). I agree that mediocrity is becoming accepted as commonplace; "...the traditional concept of training is broken..." Hmmm, I have to ponder that one a bit.

Permalink Reply by Jeff Portwood on July 18, 2008 at 5:36am

First, the fact that you worked Sisyphus into your article makes you a god ...Secondly, I like your description of coaching and differentiation from training. I'm still not convinced that traditional training is broken per se...just not executed well for a variety of reasons. The restaurant business works off a model of "it takes people to serve people" - I equate that to "it takes people to train people" (in the service industry).

Permalink Reply by Michael Henshaw on July 18, 2008 at 5:52am

An issue that I saw a great deal in a couple of corporate restaurants I worked in that had a negative impact on training was the perception that the managers that when into the training department were those that couldn't cut it as "operators" (which was true in at least one case). When I first started with one company, the training department was recruiting very strongly among the successful store managers, but the regional managers would not let them transition over. I believe this was because of shortsightness on their part. Until the operations side of a company really buy into how important the process is they are going to have problems. Also, getting your operators to adopt more formal coaching techniques can be a huge help.