The Different Stages of Training

As a leader you need to know how to train your man properly. Without an effective system, it is easy for an employee to give up because they think it’s either too much effort or takes too long to accomplish. 

Without a proper system a company can fail their employees reach their maximum potential.

Here are the 4 stages of a new employee and how to train them properly according to their stage of confidence and competence. 

D1 : High Confident, Low Competence 

D1 are for people who are starting in their first week in their sales job. Every employee comes into a new job thinking that they can transfer all the skills they learned from their old job to their job now. 

How do you train a D1 ?

• Be very direct. Tell and show them what to do and lead by example.

D2 : Low Confident, Low Competence 

When your new start realises that the job is harder than it looks, their confidence will go down. This is when you have to build a good relationship with your employee and make them realise that you’ve been through the same struggles as well. 

How do you train a D2 ?

• Tell them your own story with their current struggle and make them realise that what they are going through is normal. 

Tell them what you did to improve and let them practice it. 

D3 : Low Confidence, Medium to High Competence

At this point the employee has been in the business long enough to handle themselves but they will still ask for your guidance. In this stage you have to build their confidence and make them realise that they can do it on their own.

How do you train a D3 ?

• When they ask you a question, ask them “what would you do?”. When they give you their answer, tell them that they are right and let them practice it.

D4 : High Confidence, High Competence 

In D4, the employee is now confident and competent in their skills. In this stage an employee might want to stay or leave the company. If the employee likes the idea of growth but you give them the same responsibilities, there is a chance that they will leave the company. 

How do you train a D4 ?

• When your employee reaches D4, let them train other people, give them a higher position, a higher pay or more office responsibilities. This will make your employee feel valued and know that they are growing with the company.