Earlier this week I visited a distributor and toured a neat, clean, apparently very well-run operation. There was no question that the staff had been trained to maintain an efficient and disciplined branch. In fact, they had everything but business.
It was mid-afternoon and all the trucks were still out making deliveries, receiving had already unloaded and stocked several freight carriers, and the counter was empty because it was an ideal day for customers to be working. Certainly the staff had earned a rest because of their diligence and earlier hard work, but all too often downtime turns into playtime. It was a great opportunity for some advanced training.
The purpose of advanced training is not to make your staff work harder; it is far more desirable to provide practical education that makes them THINK while enhancing their lives.
Here are some topics to consider for the next level of staff training and beyond.
1. Managing debt
Not yours, theirs. If you cannot offer staff more pay, at least help them extend their paychecks. This amounts to a tax-free raise while simultaneously reducing stress and anxiety at home. There are counselors who specialize in this for a modest fee as part of their marketing efforts and your bank or accountant might provide a speaker or trainer without charge.
Design the training session to start people down a debt-free path. This can even be a team effort where those who have already learned about money management can encourage others to build a more secure future.
An obvious next step is to run a program for customers, especially those who are always late in paying their invoices. Working with customers to manage their credit and helping them now can build future loyalty while simultaneously cutting receivables. This is a proactive way to reduce the time wasted chasing deadbeats.
2. Wellness
Along with financial health, physical well being is important to everyone. Health awareness training from local hospitals, clinics and the Red Cross is cheap and readily available. Schedule a screening and training program for a down time and consider inviting your staff’s family members to also participate. This is great for morale, reduces absenteeism and delivers a very positive message.