I am a very competitive person, so if you put me in a classroom situation, I am more than likely going to try to beat you on all of the test scores. However, I am also a person that dreads being forced into a corporate continuing education program. Some employers will just assume I am lazy, but the opposite is true. I am a very hard worker. So, what is it?
A recent Gallup State of the American Workplace report, published in June, states that most Americans hate their jobs or are completely indifferent toward them. It also stated that over 20 million workers are actively disengaged at work. This can lead to negativity and is bad for productivity. Nobody wants that. So, how do we get our employees to engage and not dread continued education?
WHY DO THEY HATE IT?
There are generally 3 reasons why employees don’t enjoy continued training:
- It feels like a punishment
- It is purely for compliance
- It is irrelevant or of poor quality
It is not about making the training fun, but about making it matter. Help show your employees that you, as a business owner, are always honing your skills and leading by example. Set the tone and create an environment that fosters continuous improvement and education.
Happy Employees are Well-Trained Employees and Well-Trained Employees are Happy Employees
A great way to foster a staff that embraces CE (Continuing Education) is to incentivize the education. Perhaps you make it a requirement for a promotion? Maybe there is a financial benefit once they have achieved a certain skill level? Reward them for the improvement, rather than punish the lack of enthusiasm. Seeing which of your staff reacts positively towards improving their skills is also a great way to keep your eyes out for future leaders. Engaged employees are the perfect candidates for advancement.
Happy employees will also see an improved self-image. This helps boost their daily confidence and will improve their networking skills. They will have more opportunities for advancement, create job security, and see an overall improved workplace satisfaction.
Benefits to the Employer
The financial benefits of offering your employees a continued education program, far out way the cost of the program. You will not only see a reduction in downtime but also fewer mistakes and less turnover. Turnover is a major cost for all employers, you will experience savings from the loyalty of your employees. A well-crafted employee will spend less time completing the task at hand, therefore making the company more efficient and more profitable. Find programs that are engaging and rewarding. Be wary of any program that feels like punishment and always reward positivity.
If you want to improve how your dealership handles phone calls, check out our Dealership Phone Training or Active Coaching Services and see how Phone Ninjas can help you!
As the COO | Partner of Phone Ninjas, Chris delivers leadership, coaching, and mentorship to 55 team members providing software sales and phone skills coaching. He fosters powerful partnerships and collaborations with leaders across various business sectors, establishing expectations, communicating vision, and escalating performance to maximize productivity and effectiveness.
Chris is an innovation-driven business executive with over 25 years of experience delivering leadership to teams of up to 75 overseeing development, launch, and sale of website lead acquisition, reconditioning process software systems, and technology that support automotive dealerships across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
