Being a leader, a Key Connector, means more than just overseeing training an employee on tasks; it’s about bridging the gap between individual aspirations and organizational goals. It’s the ability to inspire, guide, and equip your team with the tools they need to thrive professionally. Employee training and development are at the heart of this connection. By aligning these two processes, leaders can foster growth, build stronger teams, and cultivate an environment where success flourishes at every level.
Let’s explore how these complementary strategies can help you connect with and empower your team to achieve their full potential.
What is Employee Training and Development?
It’s important to distinguish between “training” and “development,” as they refer to different yet complementary processes.
Employee Development is the overall effort employers provide to help employees gradually improve their skills, acquire new knowledge, and progress in their careers. It involves casting a vision and creating a growth plan or roadmap to help them grow and achieve their professional goals.
One could look at development as working with your employees to be the architect of their careers. Think of development as designing a career blueprint with your employees. It’s similar to a conversation with an architect or interior designer: What will the final renovation result look like? How many floors? What color will the walls be? Spiral or straight staircase?
During these conversations, seek to understand where the employee wants to be in the next month, year, or five years. A brief SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis can provide insight into their current position. Always remind your team that weaknesses or threats represent skills they haven’t mastered—yet.
Employee Training, on the other hand, refers to specific programs designed to enhance technical and soft skills for performing their job more efficiently, successfully, or safely. Training supports each step of an employee’s development plan by delivering the “concrete” skills training necessary for growth, much like how a contractor brings an architect’s vision to life.
Just as the contractor is the architect’s partner in crime—focused on the nuts and bolts of construction—training, zeroes in on the specific details that support the broader development vision for an employee. What supports are needed under the flooring? What bolts secure the stairs? What type of wood is best for the hardwood floor? When do the doors get hung? Similarly, in training, you provide employees with the precise tools they need to build their skills: whether it’s mastering inventory management, understanding food costs, or knowing when and how to implement safety protocols.
Training gives employees the essential skills and knowledge needed at each stage, equipping them to install flooring, secure staircases, or select the right wood—so to speak—so they can successfully move forward in their roles and careers.
Once the development vision is set, training steps in to help employees master the skills
needed to progress in their careers. Because not everyone is naturally skilled in accounting, training through practical applications—such as understanding food costs, liquor costs, and the process of taking inventory from shelf to paper—can help them grasp accounting principles beyond basic spreadsheets. It’s also important to reinforce mastered skills and train employees to teach others. A strong server, for instance, may not know how to teach others their skills, so involving them in creating departmental
manuals and training materials can be an excellent way to build this capacity.
After creating the vision and conducting detailed training (repeatedly, if needed), empower employees to deliver exceptional service at your club. As a leader, it’s critical to inspect what you expect. Manage by walking around, not to find faults, but to celebrate what’s done right. Even if tasks are 80% correct, that’s progress because last week, they didn’t have those skills at all. People learn from success and failure—each mistake is an opportunity to grow.
Effective employee training and development are essential to a thriving workplace, with each serving distinct yet complementary purposes. Training equips employees with the specific skills they need today, while development focuses on their long-term growth.
Remember, the journey doesn’t end with training; it requires ongoing support and encouragement. As leaders, we must actively observe and celebrate our team’s successes, fostering a culture that values learning from both achievements and setbacks. When employees feel empowered and supported, they are more likely to deliver exceptional service, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and contributing to the success of the organization.
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