One of our new hotel operators recently asked what was my training philosophy. I honestly replied with “whatever works.” Often times we trainers justifiably get very excited about new training methods, mediums, philosophies, etc. Sometimes, however, the excitement of trying out a new method or simply relying on the tried and true methods distract us from asking the vital question, “Who am I teaching this topic to, and how do they learn?”
When working with hotel and restaurant operators, trainers often design their training for this group without realizing the basic personality and nature of most of these individuals. These people are not the ones who sit at desks all day long. Most of them got into the business because they feed off the interaction they have with people. They are in constant motion. And then we sit them down in a hotel meeting room and ask them to stay put for eight hours and learn. From the start, we create a challenging environment for both the audience and the trainer.
Why not set up training in different areas of the hotel? If you are teaching managers about the laundry room, set up a training module in the laundry room. To keep people interested, instead of setting up tables and chairs, set up stools around highboy tables. It may be easier for trainers to teach in a classroom setting, but if the audience doesn’t retain information in that setting, it’s a wasted effort.
Trainers need to put themselves in their audience’s shoes. Trainers are constantly learning new techniques and then want to rush and use the latest technique in their next session. We say the words “learner-centered education,” but are we really following that motto, or are we just caught up in using the newest thing?
Sometimes the new techniques are perfect for a training situation. Homewood Suites, for example, uses iPod training for learning how to set up breakfast buffets. The employee can walk around with the iPod and learn each step of the set-up—where to put the muffins, the yogurt and the fruit tray. Everything goes in the same place every day, so there’s no need for more complex training.
On the other hand, a front desk person might learn the basics of the PMS system very well from computer-based training. But when it comes to learning guest service, does it make sense to learn people skills on a computer instead of role playing?
As another example, emergency evacuation training needs to be conducted two to three times a year in every hotel property. It’s usually conducted in a classroom setting and is very time consuming. Why not use iPod training? Employees then can learn by walking around the hotel and seeing where the exits are, where the fire extinguishers are located and probably will retain more information.
As trainers, it’s our responsibility to be up to date on different training methods, but we need to push ourselves to figure out what is going to work best for each specific audience. It might take a little extra work, but to ensure the training sticks, always begin with the question, “Does the medium match the message match the audience?”
Gail Lyman, Director of Training and Development for First Hospitality Group in Chicago, IL, is a member of the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART).
