Employee appreciation is a good starting point in any successful training program.
By Jim Callahan
If you don’t have a comprehensive training program in place for your employees you’re failing them. And of course, you’re cheating your company since a well-trained workforce is the most valuable commodity in the convenience store industry.
If you already have a formal training program in place, then here’s a tip of the hat to you. Not only are you preparing your workers for the next station in their careers, employee training supplies a c-store a solid foundation in which to build its future operations.
So you can say that good training accomplishes great things for you, your company and, most of all, your employees.
Many years ago a store manager named Velma called me, quite excited regarding an employee training session held at the store. It seems that an employee, Mary, had left work and hurried home so she could show her parents the certificate of completion she had gotten from the store. Not only was she gratified, but so were her parents, who had the certificate framed and hung on the wall.
I thought during the phone call that it was nice that such a small company recognition meant so much to both Mary and her parents. I also thought it was nice that her parents were supportive and would encourage their daughter by framing the certificate.
Velma however didn’t feel that I had given quite the reaction the moment deserved and exclaimed: “But boss, you don’t understand, Mary is 54.”
As leaders, we must place ourselves in our employees’ shoes and like advanced degrees from prestigious colleges, our ability to relate to our employees is earned—and that includes structuring viable training programs.
Perhaps the first lesson is worker appreciation. C-store operators should take the time to get to know their employees, from cashiers to general managers. Here are a few considerations to remember as you develop the best training processes and practices. Hopefully, some of the lessons that you take away will include the following:
- Employees should know that you see value in them; this is extremely important to them as they don’t often get to have that ‘I am special’ feeling.
- Good training gets them out of the store environment and, when done right, allows them to relax and show their individuality, demonstrating their unique personality.
- During training sessions, you can observe those personalities and see who pays attention and seems to be absorbing the material. You can watch for signs of early leadership qualities.
- Done right, training re-energizes employees. Have a plan with follow-up actions to capture that energy for more than just a few days—work on making it an employee habit. Those follow-up actions can include things such as sending out a note thanking each employee for their participation, asking for feedback for rating the training exercise, encouraging them to present training ideas, etc.
- Think about awarding buttons or badges commemorating the training and/or a certificate formalizing the occasion. Understand that the “serious about success” team members will appreciate this positive attention. Others employees will take notice.
- In my opinion, “done right” includes but is not limited to, having small gifts (cheerfully supplied by major vendors—if you allow it) to give out for correct answers or meaningful insights. This creates positivity and keeps their minds in the game.
- The “done right” quotient is greatly enhanced by a nice lunch, which also conveys to workers that they’re valued.
- There is a strong tendency to cram too much into a single meeting. Fight this by remembering and holding true to this old and wise adage: “The mind will absorb only what the butt can endure.”
While upper management often gets travel perks and frequently dines at nice restaurants, earning a simple certificate and gaining a relaxing lunch can be just the jumping-off point to ensure employees are directed on the road to success.
Next month, we’ll look at choosing the best subject matter and more for your training sessions.
Jim Callahan has more than 40 years of experience as a convenience store and petroleum marketer. His Convenience Store Solutions blog appears regularly on CSDecisions.com. He can be reached at (678) 485-4773 or via e-mail at [email protected].