Good vs Great Customer Service

by | Apr 3, 2020 | 5 min read, Customer Experience, Employee Training, Featured

Good vs Great Customer Service

Good vs great customer service can make all the difference to your bottom line. Did you know that 84 percent of businesses that focus on customer service see an increase in revenue as a result?

If you want to see revenue increase, start with customer service.

Not sure what the difference is between good customer service and great customer service? Keep reading. You’ll also find some great customer service examples and advice on how to improve your business practices today.

 

Why Does Customer Service Matter?

There are lots of reasons to make great customer service a priority for your business. The following are some of the most noteworthy:

  1. Increased loyalty. 73 percent of consumers say a positive experience affects their purchasing decisions and willingness to work with a business again. Happy customers are the best advocates of your brand.
  2. Better reviews. Happy, loyal customers leave positive reviews, which encourage others to engage with your business. 5-star reviews can help your business attract new customers through word of mouth alone. No ad spend? Yes, please.
  3. Reduced costs. Spending lots of extra money to try and appease already-disgruntled customers can be more work than it’s worth. A loyal, recurring customer is more valuable than a new one who has unrealistic expectations.

Great customer service can turn into a sales engine for your business. In turn, it helps increase revenue by exposing you to new customers and instilling trust in current consumers.

 

What is The Difference Between Good and Great Customer Service?

Okay, so you need to focus on offering better customer service.

At this point, you understand that improving the customer experience (CX) is a necessity. However, you might be wondering what great service actually looks like.

Here are some key things to keep in mind when determining whether you’re providing good vs great customer service.

Meeting Expectations vs Exceeding Expectations

One of the first things to evaluate is the difference between meeting vs exceeding customer expectations.

If you can meet a customer’s expectations, wonderful. They came to you for a particular product or service and got what they were looking for. Expectation met.

But, exceeding expectations is the true gold star.

Exceptional Customer Service Meaning

Take a look at some examples of what it would look like to exceed the call of duty:

  • Going above and beyond the initial project scope.
  • Finishing ahead of schedule.
  • Sticking around to make sure the customer knows exactly how to use the product they purchased.
  • Providing goods and services at a reasonable price, which creates significantly more value for the consumer – everyone loves feeling like they got a “good deal.”

Resolving Problems the First Time

Another key component of outstanding customer service is resolving problems on the first try.

If you’ve ever been on the phone with a customer service rep and had to be transferred to someone else, you know why this is crucial. The more hands a problem has to be passed through before it’s solved, the more unhappy the customer is likely to be.

What’s the difference between good vs great customer service when it comes to dissatisfied clients?

Good customer service reps will get the problem solved eventually. Great customer service reps will get it solved immediately, doing everything they can to remedy the problem at hand.

Focusing on the Holistic Experience

Businesses and employees who offer good customer service will ensure problems get addressed. Those who provide great customer service will do more than fix what’s broken. They will work diligently to make the entire customer experience as positive as possible.

There are lots of ways that one can do this. The questions you ask, the promptness with which you solve the problem, the type of language and tone you use while communicating to the customer or client, etc.

Professional interactions that make the customer feel special can be the difference between a good or great customer service experience.

Adding a Personal Touch

Great service providers also differ from good customer service providers because they personalize their communications. They find a way to connect with the customer on a more personal level.

“[Personalization] is a chance to differentiate at a human scale, to use behaviour as the most important clue about what people want and more important, what they need.” – Seth Godin

Think of the times you had a great customer experience. Most likely, you felt heard as a person, and not as ticket number 437.

We talk a lot about employee training on this blog, but the quality of your client engagement is just as important. Improving customer experience results in better customer retention and creates a lifelong relationship instead of a one-time buyer.

 

What Does Excellent Customer Service Look Like?

Are you still a little unsure of where your company falls on the customer service scale? Perhaps some examples will help. Take a look at these examples of great customer service and other examples of what you shouldn’t be doing.

Legendary Customer Service Examples: Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s is already known for offering great customer service to everyone who shops there. One of the best examples is when the grocery chain opted to deliver food to an 89-year-old WWII veteran. He was snowed in and didn’t have enough food to prepare meals for himself.

Trader Joe’s doesn’t normally offer delivery, but they made an exception to help a veteran in need. The best part? It was a complimentary service. No extra charge, just great customer service. Enough said.

Bad Customer Service Examples: British Airways

Great customer service can generate a lot of good press for your business. However, so can terrible customer service experiences.

For example, a customer tweeted British Airways after the airline lost his father’s luggage. The response time took four hours. But it was too late. The dissatisfied customer had already taken measures into his own hands…or thumbs….

tweet british airways bad customer service example

Image source: NBCNews

He drew global attention by promoting this tweet on British Airways’ corporate Twitter feed exposing it to their +300,000 followers. Regardless of the context or scenario, 300,000 people now have the impression that British Airways has “horrendous” customer service. Not the kind of brand publicity you want.

This may be an unlikely scenario, but it gives perspective on just how valuable (or tragic) customer satisfaction is.

 

How Do You Start Providing Legendary Service to Your Customers?

Hopefully, your customer service standards are more in line with Trader Joe’s than British Airways. Regardless, you likely have questions about how you can change things for the better. How is your business training employees to know the difference between good vs great customer service?

Customer Service Training

One of the best, most efficient, and most cost-effective ways to improve your customer service through customer service training. Investing in employee training on customer service gives you instant access to time-tested, research-backed information.

Help your employees exceed expectations every time, learn the difference between bad vs good customer service, and mitigate potential issues immediately.

During customer service training, your employees will learn a variety of important skills, including:

  • Active listening
  • Communication skills
  • How to show empathy
  • How to ask the right questions
  • How to build rapport
  • How to add value to customers and clients
  • Positive language
  • Positive problem-solving

Can you teach all of this content on your own? Do you want to spend hours sifting through online resources to learn what you should share with your workers? Do you value the quality of your customer’s experience as a reflection of your business and its reputation?

Invest in one, concentrated resource that includes everything your team needs to know about what makes customer service exceptional.

Level Up Your Customer Service Today

Do you want your employees to truly understand the difference between good vs great customer service?

Are you ready to start offering great customer service to everyone who works with your company?

Follow the guidelines listed above to begin taking your customer service to the next level today. For improving customer experiences in the long run? Contact the experts. We happen to know a company!

Reach out to our team at Unboxed Training & Technology for more information on how you can teach your employees the ins and outs of offering great customer service. We’re here to answer all of your questions and get you set up with the right training program for your team.

 

2020 training trends webinar

The start of every new year is a chance to revisit training goals and aspirations for the coming 12 months. How do you know what’s worth your investment?

Download Now

Share This Article

More Articles Like This One

The Benefits of Environmental Social Governance Training (ESG)

by | Mar 16, 2020 | 5 min read, Employee Training, Most Recent

The Benefits of Environmental Social Governance Training (ESG)

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is probably a familiar term for most businesspeople. But, have you heard of “Environmental Social Governance training,” or ESG, before? Well, now you have and we hope to give you more context on ESG principles and its benefits. 

The focus on ESG training has grown tremendously over the last several years. The value of ESG investing is now estimated at over $20 trillion. If you’re not investing in ESG training at your company, you could fall behind competitors before you know it. 

Read on to learn more about ESG and how it helps your organization become a better corporate citizen. You’ll also learn the importance of CSR, ESG, and why they are both good for today’s businesses.

What is Environmental Social Governance Training?

Now might be able to answer the question, “What does ESG mean?” But, do you actually know what ESG is?

If not, that’s okay. We’re here to give you answers on this and other relevant questions, such as “What are ESG principles?”

The primary goal of ESG training is to learn how to evaluate your company’s environmental impact and assess socially responsible investments. Younger investors, in particular, want to make sure their investment decisions are in line with their values, such as sustainability and social responsibility.

The more businesses learn about their larger environmental and social influence, the more they can make wiser, corporate choices. 

ESG Certification for Companies

The goal of ESG training is to ensure organizations are being good corporate citizens. As a result, this attracts ESG investors who want to make a socially responsible investment (SRI).

ESG certification for companies is available to begin meeting the expectations and standards of future investors. Here are several principles that are covered during an ESG training course.

Environmental Principles

ESG experts look specifically at the effects that the business has on the overall environment. Additionally, they will assess criteria like energy usage, pollution, waste, animal treatment, and conservation of natural resources. Noting potential environmental risks is a high priority and the steps the company is taking to manage or mitigate those risks.

During ESG training, employees and business owners learn steps they can take to minimize the negative impact they may be having on the environment. Most importantly, they learn how to maximize their positive environmental contributions.

Social Principles

When evaluating a company’s corporate social responsibility score, internal and external relationships are considered. 

Part of ESG training involves business owners and employees learning what they can do to make the company more socially responsible. 

During the evaluation process, ESG experts consider the company’s business relationships. This includes its engagement with suppliers and whether they uphold company values. It can also include donations the company makes to community organizations and any volunteer work its employees participate in.

Social evaluations also assess the company’s working conditions for health and safety. Outside of direct business processes, ESG experts consider the interest a company takes in its stakeholders’ well-being and feedback.

Governing Principles

Finally, we can’t forget about governing principles.

ESG experts and potential investors will want to know what accounting methods companies us. Are those methods are accurate and transparent? They will likely ask whether stakeholders are given an opportunity to vote when important issues arise.

ESG training and evaluations commonly address any conflicts of interest among the company’s board members. ESG investors avoid working with companies that use political contributions to receive unfair advantages or engage in any illegal or questionable practices.

4 Benefits of ESG Courses

ESG training helps create good corporate citizens. Here are some reasons why CSR and ESG positively elevate businesses.

1. Positive Brand Identity

When business owners and employees are known for being good corporate citizens, it helps your company develop a positive brand identity. People will tend to think more highly of your business, creating a sense of trust, and more easily get behind your mission. 

2. Attract New Clients and Investors

A positive brand identity attached to your business is attractive to new clients and consumers. A business with vetted and recognized social and environmental standards is also appealing to new investors. Fiscally responsible ESG investors will be more open to supporting a company that is interested in the greater good, not just profit.

3. Attract Better Employees

In addition to attracting more investors and clients, upholding strong ESG principles can also draw in high-quality employees. Being an ethical corporate citizen pays off. Company’s that uphold CSR attract more loyal, qualified employees and see boosts in financial performance.

4. Reduce Risk

Less risk is associated with running a business when you make CSR and ESG principles top priorities. Firms that are motivated to “go green” tend to see lower risk, which is a huge factor that investors take into account. Be dedicated to running an ethical, environmentally aware company. As a result, you are likely to see long-term growth, especially as the focus on ESG continues to grow.

 

What to Look for in ESG Training Courses

Are you convinced that Environmental Social Governance Training should be part of your employee training plan? Are you unsure of what to look for when searching for the right ESG training program? 

If so, here are some tips to keep in mind:

Consider Training Methodology

Start by considering the modalities in which the training information is delivered. Think about which method(s) will work best for you and your employees before making a decision.

Determine The Right Time

Choose the right timing to engage in company-wide ESG training. Look for a time in the year that employees may have more flexibility and bandwidth to handle extra material. This will help them (and you) be more engaged and ready to implement resulting in lasting changes.

Find Out How Progress Is Monitored

Take note of how progress is monitored. How do you determine your employees’ performance during the course? How will you measure what they’re retaining and how effective the information is? Consider the same criteria you may look for when tracking employee training in a learning management system.

Engage in Environmental Social Governance Training Today

Now that you know more about what ESG training is and the benefits it has to offer, are you ready to start pursuing it for your team? If you want your business to become an example of good, corporate social responsibility, look into ESG training.

Follow the guidelines listed above to find the right course for yourself and your employees. It might be daunting at first, but you’ll be climbing the pyramid of corporate social responsibility in no time.

Contact our team at Unboxed Training & Technology for all of your employee training needs. We’d be happy to help you implement the perfect ESG training program in your LMS.

2020 training trends webinar

The start of every new year is a chance to revisit training goals and aspirations for the coming 12 months. How do you know what’s worth your investment?

Download Now

Share This Article

More Articles Like This One

What’s The Purpose of Learning Management Systems?

by | Feb 24, 2020 | 5 min read, Employee Training, LMS, Most Recent

What’s The Purpose of Learning Management Systems?

Have you ever wondered, “what is an LMS, exactly?” or what the purpose and objectives of a learning management system are?

You’ve landed on the right article.

The LMS market is steadily growing with more companies investing in learning management systems every year. In fact, 90% of companies offer digital learning today. On top of that, 90% of executives agree that L&D is a significant benefit to their company.

If you are considering an LMS software as part of your training protocol, read on for all the details you need to know as you research employee learning platforms.

 

What Is an LMS?

Let’s start with the basics before we dive into the specific objectives of a learning management system.

A learning management system is a type of software that houses training material in a variety of forms (videos, PDFs, games) and tracks what employees are learning over time. Essentially, an LMS delivers educational content to its users in a centralized location. It also handles a variety of other tasks, including the following:

  • Registering courses
  • Performing skill gap analysis
  • Tracking and reporting user data
  • Handling course administration

LMS software is used in a variety of industries and for a range of purposes, from compliance training to collaborative learning and application sharing.

Tools like Spoke® LMS make it easier for employers and coaches to analyze performance through online assessments. This gives management one place to review employee competencies and identify areas for growth.

 

Objectives of a Learning Management System

There are plenty of reasons why your company might want to use an LMS to train and engage employees. Consider the following objectives of a learning management system.

Mobile LMS: Learn On The Go

One of the biggest advantages of learning management systems is the ability to take it anywhere. A mobile LMS provides your team with immediate access to organizational training materials wherever they are. This gives employees more flexibility to train at convenient times without having to be at their desks. Always think, “mobile-first.”

Streamline Training Process

The employee training process becomes much easier with an LMS to streamline learning. All learning content is housed in one location. Employees have one place to access important resources quickly. No more clicking between different applications, emails, or company resources in a web of SharePoint sites.

Engage Employees

These days, the modern learner is more distracted than ever before and companies are paying the price. LMS software provides employees with a blended learning experience for well-rounded, engaging training. Educational content is presented in a variety of forms: written, audio, videos, etc. to support learning objectives.

Track, Assess, and Report

An LMS makes it easy for employers and supervisors to track employees’ progress, too. They can check-in to see how well people are doing and whether or not they’re keeping up with the required tasks. Employers and supervisors can also use the LMS to check for gaps in understanding and find out if employees need to review any principles to get a better grasp on them.

Reduce Costs

Every business is looking for ways to save money, right? Investing in an LMS can help conserve cash in a major way. Learning management systems save companies the cost of paying a trainer to travel and teach new material to their employees. Thereby, removing the overhead (i.e., training costs, boarding, lodging, etc.). Simply set up the LMS and let the employees get to work.

Improve Efficiency

Learning management systems provide a more efficient way to train. It’s often more efficient to let employees train at their own pace and ask questions as needed. Now, there is a time and a place for instructor-led training. The benefit of an LMS is that it provides plenty of automatic support and guidance. This allows employees to train on their own, at their own pace.

Instant Feedback

An LMS provides instant feedback to employees after a training module with regard to their performance. This gives employers, and trainees, an objective way to see what information they are retaining and what needs more review before moving on.

 

How to Choose a Modern LMS

With so many people struggling to focus, you may be convinced that an LMS would make a good addition to your company. It’s not always easy to find an LMS that works well for your employees and provides you with your desired results, though.

Not quite sure what to look for in a modern learning management system? Download our LMS Requirements Checklist for a step-by-step buyer’s guide.

A good place to start is by assessing the needs of your company and your employees. What are your learning objectives? What do you want to accomplish by implementing an LMS? Answering these questions will help you find an LMS that aligns with your goals.

Take our advice on this one and consider the following as you search for an LMS…

Don’t Prioritize LMS Features

This may sound counterintuitive, but you read that right. Technology is always evolving and new learning management features are being added all the time. There will always be a shiner (and more expensive) LMS on the market with more features than you actually need.

Stay away from focusing too much on learning management system key features. Start by defining the objectives of a learning management system that are important to your company.

  • What is your organization’s training process currently lacking?
  • What do you want to improve?
  • What do you value?

Think About the Future of Learning Management Systems

Think through how your company will grow and change over time. Look for an LMS or training course administration software that can grow and scale with your company. That way, you won’t have to upgrade to new software every couple of years.

Request a Demo

Finally, don’t forget to request a demo. The only way to really know if an LMS is a good fit for you is to try it out for yourself. “Try it before you buy it,” as they say. Test run an LMS software first to see how it works and if it fits your organizational needs before implementing it.

 

Find Your Modern LMS Today

Now that we have answered, “what is an LMS?” you can start dialing in on the objectives that matter.

The purpose of learning management systems, in short, is to elevate the learning experience through engaging content for better-trained employees. Use our LMS Buyer’s Guide to help you find the right training management system for your company.

If you’ve done your homework and finally want to check out some learning management key features, request a demo of Spoke® Mobile Learning Management System today.

2020 training trends webinar

The start of every new year is a chance to revisit training goals and aspirations for the coming 12 months. How do you know what’s worth your investment?

Download Now

Share This Article

More Articles Like This One

Traditional Change Management vs Change Enablement

by | Feb 17, 2020 | 5 min read, Employee Training, Most Recent, Sales Enablement

Traditional Change Management vs Change Enablement

Let’s face it, change is a necessary part of life. It may not be something we like, but it’s something we have to deal with, especially in business. Queue the traditional change management process…

In the past few decades, organizational change management has been a hot topic. What’s interesting is despite how much buzz there’s been around it, no one seems to know how to manage change. McKinsey & Company note that the failure rate of change management initiatives holds at around 70%. Today, the stakes are even higher because change is happening at an even more accelerated rate.

20 years ago, large organizations did a reorg every 7 years. Today, it’s happening every 7 months.

Couple that sheer speed with a 30% success rate and you can begin to understand the bigger picture. We’re changing quickly and we’re not being intentional about it – at least, not in the right ways. So how do we turn the tide? Is there a way to learn how to embrace change in an organization?

The first step in rewriting this story is shifting the change management jargon.

 

Change Management Process to Change Enablement Progress

It’s time to reset the way we talk about traditional change management and replace it with the phrase “change enablement.” By reframing the way we talk about change, we can get ahead of some of the fear and anxiety that comes with it.

For a lot of people, the term “management” implies that something is outside of their control and falls under someone else’s sphere of influence – and for most of us, a lack of control triggers anxiety.

So why use “enablement”? The word enablement, by definition, is the action of giving someone the authority or means to do something. Basically, it’s giving each person the power to influence change and own it. Instead of viewing change as something we have to manage, we’re shifting to view it as something we want to enable – it’s thinking about change as more of an opportunity than an obligation.

 

Change Management

Change Enablement
A small number of people are responsible for the change Everyone shares a mutual responsibility for the change
Top-down messaging about what’s changing and how it impacts employees Transparent, company-wide communication about why change is happening and why it’s exciting
Focus on what has to be done Focus on accelerating adoption

 

3 Steps to Change Enablement

To facilitate the shift from a change management process to change enablement, your program has to have the right infrastructure in place. Our recommendation is to follow the three-pronged approach: tools, training, and support.

Let’s take a closer look at the essentials of change management when it’s redefined as an enablement process.

 

Part One: Tools

The first piece of the puzzle is having the right tools. This one sounds simple but requires some real consideration. Think about what you may need from a logistical perspective to roll out the change and make sure everything is in place before you move forward.

  • Does your team need new software?
    • How many licenses or seats will you need?
    • How long will it take to download on their devices?
    • How much memory does it take up and is there enough on the devices?
  • Is your LMS equipped to support the change?
    • Do you have a community board for discussion about best practices or overcoming hurdles?
    • How will you share updates about the change? Instead of email, can you use a News or Notification feature on the LMS?
    • Does your LMS have a coaching component for observation and feedback?

Part Two: Training

When you’re rolling out a change, you need to think really intentionally about how you’re teaching about the new expectations, responsibilities, and norms. A couple of the big reasons why change management fails in organizations is a lack of buy-in and change battle fatigue — employees are tired of change and naturally resistant to it.

Training is a healthy, proactive step that prepares everyone for what’s to come and leads the organizational change from the front.

Share the What, Why, How, and When

Before you start building out your training, think long and hard on the following:

  • What is Changing?
  • Why is it Changing?
  • How is it Changing?
  • When is it Changing?

Use the answers to these questions as the underlying message for your entire training program. Begin with a live-action video that features some of your leadership team speaking candidly to the camera about the above. Transparency from the onset can help people trust that the change is well thought out, which in turn can decrease some of the change management challenges.

Then, set your team up for success by giving them training on any new technology you’re rolling out, how to use it, and any new expectations you have around their performance. Remember, the keyword in change enablement is enablement. You can’t expect employees to do it perfectly if you don’t show them how.

In any training you roll out, keep the focus on employees and keep the messaging centered on how they can influence the change.

Sustainment

Change doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time. Use sustainment to make sure you get there. If you aren’t already familiar with it, do a bit of reading on the Forgetting Curve to learn the “why” behind sustainment.

With sustainment, the focus should be on fun, engaging activities designed to help reinforce knowledge and practice key skills. Ask yourself: Does this topic lend itself well to a game? What about role plays, a huddle, or a simulation practice? Sustainment activities should empower your employees to be ambassadors for change with their peers. By demonstrating behaviors for their peers, you’re reinforcing their learning in action.

 

Part Three: Support

You can have all the best tools and training on the market, but your team needs to know who to go to when (not if) they have questions. Let’s face it, the best tools and training should prompt questions and spark some curiosity.

Online Support

As with any training program, it’s crucial to have a designated person or group to go to for support. You can use office hours, an email distro, or even a support number. Just make it easy to remember and easy to do. Sometimes, simply having a human that employees can connect with can help alleviate some of the fear that comes with change.

Manager Check-Ins

We also recommend weaving manager checkpoints into your change enablement program. In these check-ins, have the team members meet with their manager to ask any follow-up questions and to talk about how they’re instituting the change in their day-to-day jobs. Use targeted discussion questions and reflection activities housed in a companion workbook to help make sure these meetings are specific and valuable.

Like it or not, change is here to stay. And it’s not enough to simply react to change anymore. Instead, you have to teach people why the change matters, why it’s happening, and how it impacts them – not just what their new job responsibilities are. Empower them to take some ownership over the change themselves.

After all, what you’re really trying to do is enable change, not just manage it.

 

Unbox Change Enablement

Are you ready to transform your traditional change management process into a modern, change enablement solution?

Change (and planning for it) doesn’t have to be scary. Unboxed Training & Technology can help you enable change, today.

Call (888) 723-9770 and our team of experts will help you find the right change enablement training for your organization.

2020 training trends webinar

The start of every new year is a chance to revisit training goals and aspirations for the coming 12 months. How do you know what’s worth your investment?

Download Now

Share This Article

More Articles Like This One

Coaching Employees to Improve Performance

by | Feb 10, 2020 | 5 min read, Employee Training, Leadership Training, Most Recent

Coaching Employees to Improve Performance

It’s common to find great coaches on the playing field – but what about in the workplace? Coaching employees to improve performance starts with effective leadership.

Good managers are skilled in coaching employees. Employees respond best to motivation, positivity, and support – not micromanagement or intimidation.

Did you know that coaching employees can actually boost productivity and create more positive morale?

Here we’ll describe and define the purpose of workplace coaching and share tips on how you can start coaching employees to improve performance.

 

Characteristics of a Good Coach in the Workplace

You can effectively coach employees in a variety of ways. A good coach is available, transparent, and encouraging.

Here are a few more employee coaching techniques to try.

 

Offer Consistent Feedback

It’s difficult for employees to improve performance without detailed feedback on a regular basis. Begin scheduling time to meet with employees individually.

Use an actionable coaching approach when providing constructive feedback in the workplace.

First, acknowledge the areas they’re excelling in. Then, identify the specific areas that need improvement. When coaching employees to improve performance, always leave them with a plan of action after identifying gaps.

When you’re pointing out flaws or a specific skill that needs work, lead with encouragement. This helps employees stay motivated and feel invested in the success of the company and their role in it.

The importance of feedback in coaching isn’t one-sided. Empower the whole team to practice positive feedback, not just management.

Employees should point out when they notice a coworker performing well and offer advice or guidance if they see someone struggling. Create a feeling of mutual respect among your staff and soon they’ll be rooting for one another to succeed.

 

Push Employees Outside Their Comfort Zone

Without putting too much pressure on employees, as a coach, it’s your job to help them move outside their comfort zone. When you see potential in an employee, challenge them! Offer them a more important role in the office or put them in charge of a special project.

Capitalize on your team’s skill sets and past experiences. Assign individual tasks that help employees strengthen and refine technical skills and soft skills, or challenge them to grow in new ones.

Always be available to answer questions and lend support during the process.

 

Welcome Employee Opinions and Ideas

Nothing makes employees feel more valued and appreciated than an open line of communication with their superiors. One way to do this is by welcoming their ideas and opinions.

Ask your staff what they think about recent changes, updates, or a new project. Practice active listening and be receptive to their comments or concerns. When employees are able to express their opinions and offer feedback, they feel like their contribution matters.

Employees who feel respected, heard, and valued are more invested and committed to the company. Leaders can inspire employees to engage by rallying them around a shared goal. Be inclusive when setting goals. Ask employees to participate in the goal setting process and motivate them to accomplish it as a team.

 

Encourage Collaboration

Just like the coach of a sports team needs to unify players, coaching employees means helping your staff work better together. Take things one step further by encouraging employees to collaborate in the workplace.

Every employee brings a unique set of skills to the table. When team members collaborate regularly, they can learn different approaches and techniques. This strengthens both the individual and the team.

Coworker collaboration also builds company morale, which is essential. Encouraging strong relationships at work creates a more positive and productive environment for everyone.

Additionally, collaboration helps employees lead up by learning from how their coaches interact with everyone to create unity.

 

Lead By Example

The mark of any good leader or mentor leads by example. Avoid swooping in and completing a project or task for employees. They will learn more through trial and error. Instead, prepare them with comprehensive onboarding training then let them try.

Make sure to use a supportive and positive tone when correcting employees. Don’t be condescending or impatient as you demonstrate how you want things done.

Taking a few extra minutes, or even days, to show an employee the right way to do things will save you both time and frustration in the future. It also strengthens the employee’s skills and boosts their confidence.

Do you regularly assess employees to identify progress and gaps? Coach better with Hub360. Modernize your employee coaching tool and improve the results of even the lowest-performing employees.

 

Help Build Employee Confidence

One of the most important parts of coaching employees is building their confidence both professionally and personally. Instill newfound confidence in employees is by recognizing and rewarding their accomplishments.

During your feedback sessions or employee reviews, highlight the great work they’ve done. Use specific examples to personalize your compliments.

Point out exactly what you liked about how they handled a certain situation. Always acknowledge when an employee goes above and beyond their job description. Boosting employee confidence not only makes your staff feel good, but it keeps them motivated to keep working hard.

 

Accept Failure Once in a While

Failure to talk about failure erodes a culture of growth.
While it’s not in your best interest to condone failure, accepting failure as a part of life helps take the pressure off your employees and yourself.

Failure itself is like a coach — reminding employees what not to do next time.

The way you respond to employee mistakes or shortcomings makes all the difference. Avoid belittling team members or overreacting. Instead, ask the employee what went wrong and how they could’ve handled it differently. Then, make a plan for addressing issues like this in the future.

On the other hand, don’t let mistakes or failures go unnoticed. This lowers job performance standards and expectations. Foster a culture of growth by acknowledging failure, using it as a coachable moment.

 

Support Employee Training and Career Development

One of the best employee coaching techniques to use is ongoing employee training and management development. You can accomplish this by creating a roadmap for each individual’s career development.

Well-rounded training gives employees confidence in their job duties. But the goal is not to have an employee be great at one aspect of their job. Cast a wide-angle view of how their training and development plays into the bigger picture.

Sit down with each employee and help them set goals for personal and professional development. When employees have a plan, they begin to see themselves grow within the company, which lowers turnover.

Engage employees for the long haul by coaching them into leaders, not followers.

 

Effective Coaching in the Workplace

When coaching employees to improve performance, tracking your coaching relationships is best done through a coaching software. Effective coaching in the workplace takes a healthy balance of holding employees accountable and offering guidance and encouragement.

These key techniques will help you create a healthier coaching process in the workplace. Start engaging employees with training, assessments, and professional development for their future success.

How are you coaching employees to improve performance? Are you looking for more ways to train, motivate, and coach your team?

Download the Coach Tool product overview to begin coaching better, today!

2020 training trends webinar

The start of every new year is a chance to revisit training goals and aspirations for the coming 12 months. How do you know what’s worth your investment?

Download Now

Share This Article

More Articles Like This One

Interactive Games for Training Sessions

by | Jan 27, 2020 | 5 min read, Employee Training, Most Recent

Interactive Games for Training Sessions

Do you know how to make a lecture interactive? Employee training is a necessary tool for success, but that doesn’t always mean that your lectures are stimulating or exciting. 

If you’re looking for ways to create more engaging lectures, there are several techniques and technologies you can use. Read on to discover some simple strategies that will help you create a training program that engages and interests your employees.

 

Interactive Workshop Activities During Lectures

One of the best ways to keep people engaged during a lecture is to start with a few activities that will encourage audience participation. Foster a spirit of openness when you work on creating an interactive lecture. Make sure employees feel as if their answers and contributions are appreciated and respected. 

Here are a few tips to make lecture based training more active:

 

Pop Quiz

A simple quiz that asks some easy questions is a great way to start. Use a projector and show the questions, and then ask members of your group to respond to see if they know the answers.

A quick quiz helps to stimulate conversation and instantly creates interest in what you have to say. People love to showcase their knowledge of certain subjects, so these types of easy interactive training activities are an excellent place to start.

 

Play Games

You can also create a few fun training games for work that will get everyone involved in the learning process. It can be anything from telephone to a quick trivia competition or game show style like jeopardy.

The key to any training games you use is to make sure that they’re uniquely tailored to your company and employees. You want everyone who participates to learn things that are relevant to your business and the people who support it. 

 

Tell Stories

Everyone loves a good story. Keeping the training session relatable to daily life is a great way to keep participants engaged. The goal is to make sure that your employees feel involved in the learning process. Storytelling has a lasting effect on our memories and can also support knowledge retention.

These types of interactive training activities are crucial for creating a solid, focused team at your company. 

 

Team-Building Training Games

When you create your interactive workshop activities, make sure that your training games are focused on building a team. Every company is only as good as its people. As Ken Blanchard says, “None of us is as smart as all of us.” 

For more engaging lectures, use training games that include everyone in the audience and not just a few selective people. Make sure that you’re encouraging everyone to participate and work together to solve a common problem or to reach a common goal.

Fun training games for work helps everyone look forward to coming to the training session. Use training games for specific training events and incorporate them into your LMS to keep employee training engaging throughout the workweek.

If you really want to up the ante, gamify in-person training events by handing out prizes or other rewards to the winning team or individual who masters the training games. This will give your employees some incentive to learn as much as possible and it also shows you who on your team is taking the most initiative.

Any team-building game you try should focus on the benefits of working together. The games don’t have to be all related to the work itself. They can also focus on teamwork specifically to create a sense of togetherness and strength in numbers.

 

Tips to Make Lecture Based Training More Interactive

While training games and quizzes are fun, there’s plenty of other methods you can use to craft an interactive lecture for your trainees. As you develop your curriculum, make sure you incorporate things like photos, videos, and graphics into your presentation.

 

Nail the Hook

The key to any effective and interactive lecture is to “hook” your audience right from the start. You can do this by telling a story or a funny joke. Maybe even begin with an unexpected activity like rearranging the whole room or playing some music or a video. These initial hooks will draw people in and begin to form an interest in learning more.

 

Keep it Visual

Visual stimulation engages participants to pay more attention to the things you have to say. If you simply stand at a podium and talk for over an hour, chances are that many people will start to zone out quicker. Try adding some colorful graphs, charts, or even some humorous cartoons or memes in your presentation (depending on the setting).

 

Break it Up

Try to break your lecture up into smaller, bite-sized chunks instead of talking for a long period of time. You can toggle between talking, asking questions, and getting the audience involved to make things more interesting. Consider playing some short videos throughout the lecture to keep your audience engaged.

 

Ask Questions

Another good way to ensure a lecture is interactive is to ask your trainees questions about the content they are learning as you go. This will keep people on their toes and encourage them to pay close attention to what you’re saying in case they are called on.

Training is the most important element of any successful company. Educating your employees while keeping them fully engaged doesn’t have to be a hassle. Use these fun corporate training ideas to carry your message throughout the entire presentation. 

 

Unbox Your Training Lectures

No matter what industry you’re in, you can make an interactive lecture that transforms employee training into a fun, immersive experience. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and incorporate a variety of techniques like multimedia presentations and fun training games.

The more exciting you make your lectures, the better the odds are that your employees will retain important information. Try some of these tips to get your trainees excited about the learning process.

Reach out to our team at Unboxed Training & Technology to discover how you can utilize our expertise to improve your employee training today.

2020 training trends webinar

The start of every new year is a chance to revisit training goals and aspirations for the coming 12 months. How do you know what’s worth your investment?

Download Now

Share This Article

More Articles Like This One