Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008 - (Page 6)

frugal housekeeper Are You Stuck in a Rut? Try Cross-Training! What an exciting article in the September 2008 issue of Executive Housekeeping Today by Robert Wilson, titled What’s Pushing Your Buttons? In this article, Wilson told the story of a woman that lived to be over 122 years old, in part because she had a clear-cut goal and something to live for. As I read through the story, it was very obvious that Jeanne Louise Calment was not stuck in a rut: Are you? Too often organizations keep persons in the same position for many years. After chatting with some of these dedicated employees, one often finds out that it was not really their desire to stay in the same position for five, ten, or fifteen years. Rather, the organizations to which they belong either didn’t encourage them to stretch and move ahead, or didn’t provide such an opportunity. These hardworking employees had nothing to aim for—no way to get ahead. Organizations that lock employees into the same position or tasks day after day are doing a disservice—not only to the individuals, but also to the organizations themselves. Managers often say their employees are their best asset, but do they really mean that, or is it just lip service? One simple management initiative that managers can take that will be incredibly beneficial to individuals and organizations that is not excessively costly to implement is the cross-training of employees within an organization. What is cross-training? According to John Richardson, crosstraining “ is the practice of train- w by Alan S. Bigger and Linda B. Bigger Cross-train employees to be able to operate all types of equipment and not just the equipment that they may be accustomed to using day in and day out. • Leads to the sharing of organizational goals and objectives. Interestingly, Richardson states that cross-training can yield unexpected payoffs for an organization. Richardson indicates that quality cross-training can increase the flexibility and versatility of an organization, as staff will be able to adapt more quickly to developing needs. One could probably add to this list that employees feel valued, because employers are willing to invest in their development and future. Cross-training can demonstrate, in action, that an organization is interested in the development of an employee and his or her future with the company. Experts in cross-training techniques indicate that it is not a haphazard program and that for a cross-training program to be successful, it should be well organized. Richardson states, “Starting a successful cross-training program is not just a matter of switching a few employees around for a few shifts. To be effective, a cross-training program has to be carefully planned before it is carried out.” Richardson recommends the following steps: • Develop a reasonable timeline: Develop a plan that clearly indicates when to start, who will be responsible for the training, who will provide such training, and some goals to be achieved by cross-training. • Determine costs: Crosstraining programs may cost additional dollars, especially if based upon labor relations, and people have to be paid different wages outside of their classification. How- ing employees to perform tasks and duties outside of their regular roles. The goal is to build a staff that can pinch-hit in a variety of functions when called upon.” (www.restaurantowner.com/public/385.cfm) However, cross-training can be much more than pinchhitting during absences of others. Cross-training can be used as a form of mentoring to assist employees to learn new skills and to perform different tasks. Moreover, cross-training may be beneficial to all personnel in an organization. Claire Belilos of CHIC Hospitality Consulting Services states, “An effective training technique which results in motivation is crosstraining, when implemented horizontally, upward, and downward. Department heads, assistants, and employees can cross-train in different departments or within the department itself.” (www.easytraining.com.crosstrain.htm) What are some of the benefits of implementing an effective crosstraining in an organization? According to Belilos, cross-training achieves the following objectives: • Prevents stagnation. • Offers a learning and professional development opportunity. • Rejuvenates all departments. • Improves understanding of the different departments. • Leads to better coordination and teamwork. • Erases differences, enmity, and unhealthy competition. • Increases knowledge, knowhow, skills, and work performance. • Improves overall motivation. 6 Executive Housekeeping Today/October 2008 http://www.restaurantowner.com/public/385.cfm http://www.restaurantowner.com/public/385.cfm http://www.easytraining.com/crosstrain.htm http://www.easytraining.com/crosstrain.htm

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008

Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008� Contents Executive Corner An Easier, Greener, and Healthier Approach to Floor Care Caring for Carpets in 24-Hour Facilities Frugal Housekeeper Case Study: University of Miami My Experiences with High-Speed Machines vs. Spray Buffers Vacuum Floor Care Q&A with Andre Motta Is a Spray-and-Vac System Really Better at Cleaning and Reducing the Risk of Disease? CEU Article The IEHA/CRI Partnership The Green Scene USGBC Green Tip What's in YOUR Janitor Closet? Inside the Industry Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members REH/CEH Members Advertisers' Index Calendar of Events Inside IEHA What IEHA Has Done for Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.