05/17/2019

Daily Buzz: Cross-train Your Staff

Implement shared knowledge practices to improve productivity

It’s no secret that association professionals wear many hats. And it turns out that type of cross-training inherent to many association roles also has team benefits: Not only is it a great opportunity for learning, but it also gives everyone in the organization a better understanding of processes and core values.

If you and your team are just embarking on the cross-training journey, David Finkel says on Inc. to begin with these three steps:

1. Start slow. “This is one of the biggest mistakes that business owners make when training their staff and one that I see every single day with new clients,” Finkel says. “When an employee wants to know how to do something or has a question on a process, you don’t have to give the full answer all at once. Think of it like watering a plant: Drip … don’t drown.”

2. Add strategic depth. “This basically refers to your company’s ability to handle situations or tasks if you or another key team member is out of the office,” he says. For example, if only one person knows how to carry out a certain task, teach a few employees how to take care of it. That way, your organization won’t have to rely on just one person for that knowledge.

3. Coach for development—not results. “Think of this like the Little League coach playing all the players on the team to help develop them, knowing that they aren’t going to win any games based on that lineup,” Finkel says. Everyone has their primary roles; cross-training is ultimately about education and getting the team more involved.

Please select this link to read the original article from Associations Now.