Training leaders to teach

I am writing this article as I sit on a jet inbound to Kansas City, Missouri. Many of my clients are large enterprise-level organizations, and I always do my best to provide them with the highest level of personal service and attention. While on this flight, I was thinking about what I should write for my June 2019 article, and it came to me. Write on the importance of training others to become better teachers. Otherwise known as “The Art of Teaching.”

Training helps a person understand how to do something, the method, the order, and the how. Teaching is so much more than training. Teaching connects dots; it zooms out of the task and provides a bigger picture. Teaching is… the "why". Teaching helps the student to see the benefits and how one thing impacts another.

One very old piece of writing that I like was recorded by a man named Isaiah; he penned, I am “teaching you to benefit yourself, the one guiding you,” “if only you would pay attention.” When a skilled teacher teaches, he takes care to explain the benefits.?

"Training helps a person understand how to do something, the method, the order, the how. Teaching is so much more than training."

Internal observations

In late 2017, I noticed that my middle managers were good trainers but not very good teachers. They were to be commended for their ability to assign tasks and train on those various tasks. Their technical skills were and are very good. But something was missing; it was teaching ability.

I was trained to be a teacher at a very young age. I was very fortunate. But I asked myself, “How can I help permeate my teaching skills through my workforce with a top-down strategy?” I determined that the answer is simple: stop, reflect, organize a plan, and act to address the need.

Subtle changes

Training others to be better teachers is not a destination. This is a journey and really needs to be part of an organization's culture. Even a skilled teacher himself is always learning. I observed my managers more closely while on the ground at a Service Center. I would watch them interact with their team members.

I had several discussions with my managers and shared my observations with them. Early on, I said, “Regrettably, we are not very good teachers… and we need to change that.” While training is a constant feature at East Coast Facilities and probably at the highest level in our industry, our collective abilities as skilled teachers need attention. The change would be slow and subtle but purposeful and deliberate.

Little by little, I began to offer small doses of training focused on teaching ability.?At times, I would point out that they spoke too fast or that they could have done a better job of enunciating words, especially for a person whose second language is English. I commented on being prepared in advance when they planned to train, knowing the material, and skillfully presenting it.?I encouraged them to make clear points and not speak with long sentences with little substance.

Training East Coast Facilities managers to teach

I have worked hard to set an example in teaching. I work very closely on the ground, via video conference or teleconference, to constantly reinforce our culture of training and teaching. I began to focus on this need and consider it when making hiring decisions and even job assignments. For example, it is no accident that our Safety Committee Chair and HR Supervisor Edwin Torres is also one of our most skilled teachers.

When training employees together with our managers, I provide feedback, sometimes at the moment and often at the conclusion. I do not doubt that my managers can see the benefits of becoming skilled teachers. They are working hard to improve.

Recently, we performed a Crew Leader training at our HQ in Allentown, Pennsylvania, but following this training was secondary training. The secondary training was for the managers who were present. The outline focused on the teaching skills observed during the Crew Leader training and covered many principles that managers can adopt when training others so that they can be doing more than training; they can be teaching. This double-sided training approach is proving very effective.

Another way I have begun to enhance training for my management team is by way of articles, just like this one. Many are written for them and then published. We utilize articles written as a basis to learn how to be better teachers.

Formal training sessions are being recorded and archived; in part, these recordings can be used to help managers develop their teaching skills.

Why training managers to teach is so important

So, why is this training so important? How will teaching skills for leaders have a positive impact on an organization? The benefits are numerous. Here are some of the top benefits that I really like:

1. Employees, especially front-line workers, can reach their maximum potential if we take the time to teach them
2. A highly trained and knowledgeable workforce is the foundation of a successful business
3. Teaching enhances discipline, order, safety, production, quality, know-how, proper use of the fleet, and overall results
4. Teaching empowers people in their lives and provides them with many principles that help them grow in life
5. Teaching ability transforms a lower-level manager into an expert operating at maximum capacity

Add up the 5 benefits above, and tell me if you will not see happier clients and better results.

Why is teaching ability so hard to find in management teams? I don't know if there is a correct answer to that question, but the short game, as I call it, has something to do with the answer. Most organizations are so focused and short-game-centric today that they lose out on the opportunity to play the long game and build a culture that invests in and embraces high-level fundamentals like teaching ability. It simply costs too much and takes too long to develop. For me, the CEO of East Coast Facilities, I must tell you, these are the cultural fundamentals driving year-over-year multi-million-dollar growth in our business. Teaching directly impacts the bottom line.

Practical teaching skills to focus on

?You may ask yourself, what exactly can I work on to enhance my teaching skills? Here are some skills to cultivate and to be a good teacher; I will also list the why and the benefits.

Speak clearly

If you do not speak clearly, and your accent, local dialect, volume, pitch, pace, or enunciation are not understood, you cannot teach.

You can find common ground and think like your student.

Come down off your lofty perch and speak like the rest of us simple people. High-flying words and phrases are not helpful. Step back and think like your student by considering their background, level of training, formal education, and even culture. You might even begin a discussion speaking with your student about family, or their kids, anything to find some common ground, to put them at ease. When a student sees you as another person with things in common, they will be more receptive to your teaching.

Use illustrations

Illustrations help your student understand the how and the why simultaneously. Illustrations are also powerful teaching tools to help your students remember what you taught them. Simply reciting three or four words from a past illustration will help them immediately recall what you taught them.

Use examples

Examples can assist by providing a warning of a negative outcome or a model for a positive outcome.

Explain the benefits

Explaining the benefits is so important. When team members understand why we do something and the benefits, they are more likely to buy into the standard we teach.

Summarize the takeaway points

Takeaway points are critical if a formal training session or discussion is more than a few minutes. Remember when someone taught you something? I guarantee you you cannot remember the entire discussion or seminar. Key points help consolidate the most important pieces.

Ask questions

Asking questions helps to ensure that your students are learning and that they understand. Skillful questions do not elicit a simple yes or no. Skillful questions are probing and help draw out what the student is really grasping when you are teaching them.

Reinforce the training

I am certain you have heard the expression, “The fortune is in the follow-up.” That is so true. Follow-up on the training you provided. The aspect of teaching is so important. We call it “repetition for emphasis”.

Conclusion

We are on approach to our destination. So, it is time for me to wrap this up. I want to recommend that you take some time and think about how enhancing the teaching skills of your trainers and leaders will help your organization thrive. It is so worth it to put effort into this business fundamental. Do not be short-sighted; play the long game and win!

Postscript to Middle Managers

I promise if you learn how to master The Art of Teaching, it will change your life.

About Me

I lead a top-tier facility maintenance firm serving Fortune 500 companies across multiple states on the U.S. East Coast. Our company is known for delivering exceptional services through a highly skilled workforce, which is among the best in the industry.

We are proud advocates for blue-collar workers, ensuring they receive fair living wages, comprehensive health care, and retirement benefits. This approach not only supports our employees but also drives our commitment to sustainability and excellence. We handle all our production in-house and maintain a large fleet of professional equipment.

Our clientele includes commercial asset and portfolio managers who face unique challenges and requirements. We boast a strong client portfolio featuring some of America's largest corporations and renowned Commercial Real Estate (CRE) management firms.

As a first-generation Mexican-American, my background has enabled our company to be recognized as a Certified Minority Business Enterprise.

#joshuagamez

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