BY JEFF SHANKER
One of the most stimulating aspects of running a great, profitable business is ensuring all employees are on the same page with the company’s mission, goals, and objectives.
The question is always posed: How do we make sure our company message gets out there and, most importantly, is consistent?
The answer is simple: through great training. Of course, you already know this, but we as owners, executives, managers, supervisors, or mentors often lose sense of what we want to ultimately achieve in these meetings. The weekly, monthly, and quarterly gatherings become rote, which is the quickest way for your team to disengage, or for the regular sessions to fall by the wayside altogether. In order for them to be productive, we must guarantee that the correct message is parleyed regularly and consistently—and that meetings or training events don’t become something that everyone dreads rather than the true learning exercises they’re meant to be.
❱ Start with a clear purpose: Above all else, the meeting or training session must have a purpose. Share goals upfront, provide materials, and allow time for Q&A.
❱ Training is essential for consistency: It ensures all employees align with your company’s mission, goals, and operational standards.
❱ Make training ongoing and structured: Frequent sessions with clear objectives and feedback loops are critical.
USE VARIED FORMATS:
↹ Large meetings work best for broad updates.
↹ Midsize “lunch and learns” provide enhanced dialogue and opportunities for open discussion.
↹ Small groups (4-8 employees) are ideal for interactive learning.
↹ An e-mailed “one-minute” safety message is good, but group sessions get the thoughts and conversations flowing.
❱ Mix methods: Combine classroom instruction with hands-on practice. Vary it from formal to informal, brief safety and operational snippets, to fully encompassing sessions. Instruct, demonstrate, and allow for real-world training. It’s great to talk about the turning radius of a vehicle, but don’t forget to reinforce the lesson with actual doing. It’s always better to sideswipe a traffic cone that bends and falls over than a fixed object that damages your vehicle or someone else’s personal property. Those costs, soft and hard, can be catastrophic to your operation and company.
❱ Encourage informal follow-up: Many employees ask questions privately after sessions—create space for that. Our messages need to be consistent and provide bonafide feedback from the recipients to ensure a full understanding of the material presented.
❱ Bring in outside experts: As a mentor told me years ago, it takes “50 miles and a pocket watch” to make an expert. Don’t be afraid of using external trainers, who can add credibility and fresh perspectives, whether it’s a rep from your insurance company, another local but non-transportation company like an upscale restaurant owner who delivers exceptional customer service to their clients, area law enforcement officers to discuss defensive driving or even child seat installation, or TSA agents who can provide safety and security training. Of course, there are also professional consultants from our industry that also offer various training methods and platforms.
❱ Continuous education elevates professionalism: Ultimately, many other professions (our clients) conduct and require continuing education like doctors, lawyers, pharma companies, financial entities, Fortune 1000 managers and leaders—chauffeured transportation should too.
❱ Training ROI is significant: Benefits of these sessions include fewer mistakes, better service, and higher profitability, which is crucial at a time when safety is under the microscope with steep insurance rates.
❱ Make sessions engaging: Use stories, analogies, motivational elements, and evaluations to confirm understanding.
❱ Repetition matters: Train, retrain, and reinforce for lasting results.
Ultimately, train, train, and retrain over and over again. You will be astonished and pleased with the outcome, long-term results, and increased success with your business. [CD1225]
Jeff Shanker is the chief strategy officer for Black Tie Transportation and Bus Charters. He can be reached at
