The Essential Business Lessons I Learned From Eating Ice Cream

October 8, 2009 | Bottom Line, Business, Coaching, Uncategorized | Beth Schneider

The count down is on. Only two days until my birthday. It's an exciting birthday this year because my cousin, Dani is getting married on my birthday. It's going to be some party.

I've been on the road again. I'm just back from speaking to a group of lawyers in San Antonio. I'd never been to San Antonio, the riverwalk or the Alamo before so I got a little exploring in while I was there. Well, actually I almost fell into the river. I was watching some ducks swim by. My heel caught in a crack in the ground and I almost went it. Good thing I have pretty good balance. I was able to right myself before I ended up going for a swim.

Part of the reason that I can escape the office on such a frequent basis is because my team has been properly trained to run the systems we've put in place. This essential step is something I often see overlooked. I got a great reminder of this the other day while eating an ice cream cone. Yes, I know, I manage to find inspiration in really unusual places. Enjoy this week's article, The Essential Business Lessons I Learned From Eating Ice Cream.

Take care,
Beth

Beth Alamo

Here I am in San Antonio remembering the Alamo. I love it when I get the opportunity to play tourist while I'm visiting a city on business.

The Essential Business Lessons I Learned From Eating Ice Cream

By Beth Schneider

As I sat enjoying my unexpectedly tasty quesadilla in the Phoenix airport I was silently negotiating with myself. In front of me was the Carvel Ice cream store and I was deciding if I wanted the extra calories, when suddenly this magic voice from behind the counter says, "who wants some ice cream?"

Next thing I know the manager is bringing me a cone. As I was thinking, "Wow, I just wished myself a cone," he explained they were training the staff to make the perfect swirl and I just happened to be the recipient of that training. Now that's my kind of training.

See the great thing about having a great swirl system, or any system for that matter is that it's repeatable, delegatable and multiple people can learn HOW to get something done. But here's the catch. You actually have to train people to understand and use your systems.

I often see small business owners bring on a new team member and then expect the new team member to magically figure out what needs to be done and the system for doing it. Most don't take the time to explain and train and then wonder why they can't ever get anyone to stay.

Think of my ice cream experience. If they'd just hired someone and said, "hey welcome to the ice cream team. Now go make some treats." They probably would waste a lot of time, energy and money. The new person would have no idea how big should cones be, how to make the perfect swirl, if they need gloves after touching the cash register, etc.

These imperfections are the variables that make small business owners think they should just do everything on their own. The missing piece here is training!

Here are some tips to get your team members creating the perfect swirl.

1. Lay out the system. You've heard me say this before. Layout step-by-step what you want your team member to do and how they need to do it.

2. Create a training agenda. Create a list of everything that you want to cover, so you don't accidentally leave anything off.

3. Don't just throw the systems at them. Take the time to explain the steps and walk them through what they need to do. It's kind of like giving them a tour of everything. Let them take notes and soak it all in.

4. Let them show you they understand. Once you've shown them what to do, then ask them to demo it back to you. Having them actually perform the system will show you where they need further training.

5. Support them as they learn and get used to everything. Even the most experienced team member has to get used to a new environment. Support them by setting regular check-in dates and times so there is plenty of time for them to answer questions and provide further training.

Does this take some time? Yes, but you'll be surprised at what a difference a little training will make. Your team will be more effective, faster which will quickly add to your bottom line.

Want to reprint this article? Feel free as long as you include the following:
Beth Schneider, President of Process Prodigy Inc., www.processprodigy.com, along with her team of highly sought after operations consultants, reveal the insider secrets billion-dollar corporations pay thousands of dollars for. Specializing in process creation, Process Prodigy tools and techniques have helped entrepreneurs increase productivity by as much as 600%, and revenues by as much as 250%. Visit www.processprodigy.com/ezine and grab your FREE systems starter kit valued at $297.00.