Good management means understanding how teams operate. It’s worth remembering that teams usually follow a certain pattern of development. It’s important to encourage and support people through this process, so that you can help your team become fully effective as quickly as possible.

When forming teams, managers must create a balance so that there’s a diverse set of skills, personalities, and perspectives. You may think it’s easier to manage a group of people who are likely to get along, but truly effective teams invite many viewpoints and use their differences to be creative and innovative.

Here, your task is to develop the skills needed to steer those differences in a positive direction. This is why introducing a team charter and knowing how to resolve team conflict are so useful for managing your team effectively. Finding great new team members, and developing the skills needed for your team’s success is another important part of team formation.

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The most important staff related task we have in Environmental Services is training. Almost every challenge or difficulty we face can be reduced or eliminated with great training. I’m going to list steps that will help you conduct successful training. This is not meant to be a perfect or complete list, just use this as your starting point and customize it for your needs.

ACTION STEPS:

1. Organize the Approach for Training

a. Decide the amount of skill you expect the trainee to acquire and by what dates.
b. Prepare a schedule to follow

1. Have the employee ready for training.
2. Decide what area will be used for training.
3. Decide items to be covered in each training session.

2. Organize the Work

a. Decide how the area to be covered will be separated into segments that can be learned.
b. Arrange for the proper supplies.
c. Be sure the necessary equipment is available and in good condition.

3. Orient the Employee

a. Put the person at ease.  Make them feel comfortable with you.
b. Explain the task to be learned and find out how much the employee knows about it.
c. Stress the importance of the task, the reason it must be done, and the results of doing it well.  The employee must become interested in learning the work.
d. Explain and show the employee each step of the task, one step at a time.  Don’t go too fast, look for understanding.
e. Stress each step clearly, completely, and with patience to make sure the employee understands.

4. Hands on Training

a. Have the employee attempt the task, and correct any errors while he or she does the task.
b. Have the employee do the task again, and explain each step as the employee does the tasks.
c. Repeat the procedure until you are certain that the task is being done properly and the employee fully understands.

5. Follow Up

a. Allow the employee to perform the task on their own.  Be sure they know that they should contact their supervisor if assistance is needed.
b. Check on the employee frequently until they are thoroughly comfortable in the performance of their duties.  Always encourage the employee to ask questions.

6. Evaluation Employee Performance

a. What are the areas of poor performance?
b. Should they be retrained?
c. If retraining is required, when should it be started, and how long should it last?
d. Is the schedule being met?  If not, why?

Any Questions?

Housekeeping management is often viewed as a straightforward position and can be an overlooked area for training. While everyone thinks they know how to clean, the management of housekeeping is more complex than people realize and has critical impact on guest satisfaction. To help tackle your job, cover these 10 areas:

1. Guest experience
2. Multicultural understanding
3. Staff training
4. Efficiency
5. Inspections
6. Deep cleaning
7. Preventive maintenance
8. Safety and security
9. Inventory
10. Standard operating procedures