Images Magazine June 2018

3 www.images-magazine.com 44 images JUNE 2018 TIPS & TECHNIQUES Knowing what is needed allows your shop to be able to plan the time and cost requirements to introduce and push new, innovative ideas. One of the most commonly asked questions I receive is: “Help! I need a new press operator and can’t find one. What should I do?” That this question is being asked is a sign that the shop doesn’t have much of a training programme. Future planning is predicated on having the right people trained to take over one day. This includes all levels of employees in the shop. Do you have your next manager or press operator already working for you? How is your bench strength? Get your programme built Once you have the skills inventory under your belt, it’s time to build the training programme. One thing to remember is that all training activities cost money and time. Most shops are busy and chaotic commercial environments. Training activities work best when they are planned in advance. Thirty to forty-five minutes for each session usually works best. Schedule these on a calendar and let everyone know well in advance what the expectations for the training sessions should be. If you have multiple learners on the same subject, bring everyone together at once. It is also good to have clear expectations of what training success looks like. “After the training, Mary will know how to ship internationally.” “After the training, Bill will be able to quote embroidery orders.” Marshall Atkinson is a leading production and efficiency expert for the decorated apparel industry, and the owner of Atkinson Consulting, LLC. Marshall focuses on operational efficiency, continuous improvement and workflow strategy, business planning, employee motivation, management and sustainability. He is a frequent trade show speaker, article and blog author, and is the host of InkSoft’s The Big Idea podcast. atkinsontshirt.com “After the training, Mario will be able to use capillary film to make screens for high-density print jobs.” While everyone learns differently, the best training is hands-on, doing the work. Mistakes may be made as the students will be learning. You have to acknowledge that and ease any tension beforehand. To mitigate the challenges, try to limit the number of real orders that are being used for learning. Ask employees While core functions for an employee’s job must be part of their training, be sure to ask what other areas they may be interested in learning. The screen room guy wants to learn to print. The catcher for a screen printing crew wants to learn to run an embroidery machine. You’ll never know these points unless you constantly ask: an employee’s performance review offers an ideal opportunity; however, a casual conversation while they are working is fine too. Add to skills training There are other areas that you may want to include in your training programme, not just the obvious skills such as learning to mix ink or rethread an embroidery machine. Employees need better communication skills, to learn how to actively listen, maybe they even need to be shown the proper way to write an email, or talk about the shop to a stranger. These types of soft skills can go a long way to elevating the professionalism of your company. Managers need training too – in how to motivate people, what to do in challenging situations, how to schedule effectively, even how to interview and hire employees. Providing your executive team with these skills may mean sending them to classes or having them participate in webinars. Measure your results Of course you’ll be able to see improvement with your skills inventory worksheet, but the best way to know if your training programme is working is to ask your employees. Ask for their feedback by using a survey. Ask your team if they are getting the skills they need. How are they using what they learned in their job? Do they like how your shop is setting up the opportunity for them to learn new skills? What would they improve? Employee training works best when it is an on-going routine effort. Work it in so it is part of the week’s activities, just like producing an order. Above all, try to make it fun. Once you have traction with this, you’ll be on your way to establishing a learning culture in your shop. That’s where the real growth and opportunity shines! Establish a learning culture These types of soft skills can go a long way to elevating the professionalism of your company

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