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Every time there is a performance
deficiency, especially in the customer service area, training is immediately
the answer. Back to the classroom. Back to reading up on the proper service procedure.
Another session or two with the training supervisor. All of this in the hopes that
behaviors will change, skills will improve and service will meet guest expectations.
Sound familiar? Well, let me suggest a better approach.
While formal training surely has its place,
for new staff (the usual 90-day period) and
general skill development for management/
supervisory staff, the best approach is
coaching. Before we get into a debate
about whether coaching is or isn’t training, I
will admit it falls into the category of training
but it is as much a cultural process as it
is training initiative. Coaching is feedback
in real-time that deals with a specific
performance, and delivers corrective action
on the spot.
To help clarify my perspective, let’s step
back for a minute and look at another
business, pro sports. Being in Dallas, but it
could be in any city and any coach, we get
to watch the Cowboys coach, Bill Parcels,
work with (develop) his players. And what
we see is:
- A clear setting of expectations
- Immediate feedback on performance
- Corrective coaching to demonstrate the
right procedure/technique
- Immediate measurement to see if the
individual “gets it”
- Ongoing observation to ensure full
learning and proper “delivery”
Delivery in pro football can have many
meanings, but for our purposes we’ll use the
basic one, getting the task done properly, on
time and with the expected outcome.
Watching Parcells, we observe direction being given as to an expected outcome
(tackle the runner and get him on the ground), an observation of how the
tackle was accomplished (was the proper technique used and did it meet
the expected outcome), the coach demonstrates the proper technique
(procedure), the tackle is observed after the coaching process and then ongoing
observation continues to determine expected outcomes (the runner is often
on his back, side or stomach).
This, I believe, is often missing in our hospitality environment. Frequently we
see the delineation of expectations, but many of the other steps are
missing, especially after the first 90-day training period. And therein lies
the problem. We simply don’t have good frequent assessment processes,
with the exception of inspectors in housekeeping, and even that process
is full of weaknesses.
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There are some processes that are
used from time to time to follow-up.
In restaurants we confirm average
check by servers, sometimes. We do
inspections in the kitchen, especially
when we expect the boss or health
inspectors, and we even hire mystery
shoppers to assess our performance.
But more often than not we miss steps
2 through 5. In the catering operation
we accept the fact that the banquet
staff will have to wipe the glassware
and silver before they set the tables.
To really drive performance, you need
a coaching environment. Another word
is a mentoring environment. Where
are the best “training” properties;
they are where the leaders have a
mentoring based culture.
The problem though is that not everyone
has a mentoring personality. But that
can be aided with a systematic process
of timely performance assessment that
leads to regular feedback, not just the
annual performance appraisal that HR
sends out. What is needed are systems
that ensure periodic evaluations on
the key service delivery aspects of a
person’s job. We call this process Short
Term Evaluations or STEs.
By developing evaluation tools that
require management to assess
performance at least 4 to 5 times
per month per employee and give
timely feedback on the results,
service and profit performance will
improve. Further, this record can then
be the basis for the annual or semiannual
Performance Appraisals that
need to be completed. This regular
feedback will improve organizational
communication, make feedback a less
stressful experience for all parties
while frequently enabling members of
the organization to assess service goal
attainment and continually improve.
A very simple method that will improve
operating results. While classic training
works for developing basic skills and
the 90-day evaluation period helps to
support that process, regular coaching
is what will make a difference in longterm
performance. Coaching based
on a formalized system of frequent
key service evaluations is a far more
effective way to beat the competition.
Mark Heymann, ISHC, is Chairman & CEO of UniFocus.
Reprinted from FocusEd, Fall 2004 edition.
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