Executive Housekeeping Today - February 2008 - (Page 23) OrientatiOn (continued from page 12) COlOr-COded ClOths (continued from page 13) Send us your E-mail Address! When you supply the Association office with your e-mail address, you can receive such benefits as the new virtual edition of EHT, our weekly Job News publication, the tri-monthly International Newsletter, and e-mail news blasts. Many Web sites, such as www.mail.yahoo. com, www.hotmail.com, and www.mail.lycos.com, offer e-mail services, are easy to set up, and FREE! Please send your most current e-mail address to mgriesemer@ieha.org and ask to start receiving these benefits today! These young employees have been pampered and been kept busy their entire lives. They are both high maintenance and can be high performers. They can be expected to question the authority of leadership. Often because of this, we need to look at our training in a different way, but it should not be that difficult. We need to tell the Gen Y’ers the “why” behind the requirements of training. This can actually be a benefit for all staff, no matter what generation they are. We need to go beyond the technical training (which is still needed), and also look at the soft skills that housekeepers need to know. They need to develop the concrete examples of customer service, and we can teach them that. Technology is welcomed by the Gen Y’ers, and we should use that for our training sessions. They expect this and there are products out there for this. For example, I have heard that employees at Nike Inc.’s stores train for their jobs by playing a game called “Sports Knowledge Underground.” Also, Cold Stone Creamery has employees go through several hours of computer-based training, involving quizzes, an online video, and a game. We just have to be creative with our training in order to appeal to this generation of workers. It is the training that we provide that retains staff in our facilities. The more informed they are of their jobs, the more they will work for you and do it properly. I believe that the housekeeping department can be a stepping stone for staff to move up to better-paying jobs. Our training gives them the knowledge that is important to the facilities we work in and to their individual lives and morale. stone, stainless steel, and glass. They can also be used to clean windows, without leaving any streaks or lint. Microfiber traps dirt until it is washed, so the same cloth can be used for a longer period of time, when compared with other wiping cloths. Microfiber is available in different sizes and many colors, making it an easy option to add to any color-coded system. The choice is entirely up to you when it comes to setting up a system for your own facility. For example, you may choose to have the color red represent the cloths that are only to be for cleaning areas in restrooms, blue for cleaning windows and glass, and yellow for general cleaning and dusting. There is no specific formula that needs to be followed when it finally comes down to assigning the cloth and color to tasks and areas at your facility. The important thing is to come up with a system that makes sense for you and your staff. Just make sure you don’t overcomplicate things, because a color-coded system loses all of its power if it cannot be easily followed and understood. I.E.H.A.’s General Relief Fund The General Relief Fund provides financial assistance to members as a result of natural disaster, such as an earthquake, fire, tornado, flood, etc. Administration and Procedure: The Association Office maintains a separate interest-bearing checking account for this fund, and it has a minimum balance of $1,000. How to Donate or Apply: Members wishing to either donate to the General Relief Fund or to apply for funds should write or call CEO/Executive Director, I.E.H.A., 1001 Eastwind Dr., Suite 301, Westerville, OH 43081-3361, (800) 200-6342. W Christopher Lundgren is the Marketing Assistant at ERC Wiping Products, Inc., located in Lynn, MA. He may be reached at clundgren@ercwipe.com. Save the Date! I.E.H.A.’s 42nd Annual Education Conference and Convention September 7-11, 2008 Las Vegas, NV New I.E.H.A. Chapter Leadership Webinar Available! For those of you who missed our June Leadership Webinar, the fifty-six-minute informative CD is now available for purchase! Ed Vizvarie, Vert Mont Chapter Past-President, and Kent Miller, Iowa Chapter Past-President, share their secrets and offer some alternative means of connecting to your members. This Leadership CD can be purchased through the Association Office for $29.95 by calling 1-800-200-6342, or by e-mailing excel@ieha.org. W Kent Miller, CHESP/CLLM, is the Director of Environmental and Linen Services at the Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, IA. He may be reached at kmiller@mercycare.org. February 2008/Executive Housekeeping Today 23
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