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How did you know? How are you training?
Driving into work one morning, I noticed all the ornamental grass had been cut back to about 6 inches from the ground. It made a nice geometric scene for me to enjoy but more than that, I wondered how they knew that's best for the grass.
More to the point, I wondered what I would do if I was told to maintain the grounds. If it was my job suddenly to take care of the landscaping, what would I do? I wouldn't have thought to cut back grass. I doubt there is a training manual at our property management company for the grounds crew. Of course, something as insignificant as cutting back grass is comical, but it highlights a larger lesson for me.
I see tribal knowledge. I see a great example of implicit knowledge. I see a group that shows newcomers how it's done. I realize my salespeople are exactly the same as these grounds’ keepers, and I wonder what I am leaving up to the group to teach each other through gossip, trial and error, email threads, and you-should-have-known.
A training manual will help, but it doesn't solve much. A weeklong training camp is useful but the impact fades quickly. The only way I've seen impact stick is consistent, steady, nudging. The best way to nudge is sitting side by side while they work. Much like the groundskeepers working side by side. Much like we all adapt to new situations by watching those around us.
I watched a great Ted talk that of course I can’t find anymore. I remember the research being discussed was about teaching and how to get someone to remember something for a while. We typically teach a lot in a short period of time and test to confirm it was taught. Students are great at this, and the test scores show it; however, if you test again in a couple of years, you’ll discover nearly 100% of the material has been lost. The best method is to pile a lot on early and then continue to question for a long time. The questions must vary in difficulty, and if a question is missed, the subject can be repeated. I hope it doesn’t come as a surprise that random reinforcement over a long period of time is best. Just because we know how to do something doesn’t mean we do it. We tend to copy what we’ve seen, and we see the cram course is popular. Guess what? It actually takes work.
Good luck and watch how the grass is cut.
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By Greg Dyche
5
11 ratings
Driving into work one morning, I noticed all the ornamental grass had been cut back to about 6 inches from the ground. It made a nice geometric scene for me to enjoy but more than that, I wondered how they knew that's best for the grass.
More to the point, I wondered what I would do if I was told to maintain the grounds. If it was my job suddenly to take care of the landscaping, what would I do? I wouldn't have thought to cut back grass. I doubt there is a training manual at our property management company for the grounds crew. Of course, something as insignificant as cutting back grass is comical, but it highlights a larger lesson for me.
I see tribal knowledge. I see a great example of implicit knowledge. I see a group that shows newcomers how it's done. I realize my salespeople are exactly the same as these grounds’ keepers, and I wonder what I am leaving up to the group to teach each other through gossip, trial and error, email threads, and you-should-have-known.
A training manual will help, but it doesn't solve much. A weeklong training camp is useful but the impact fades quickly. The only way I've seen impact stick is consistent, steady, nudging. The best way to nudge is sitting side by side while they work. Much like the groundskeepers working side by side. Much like we all adapt to new situations by watching those around us.
I watched a great Ted talk that of course I can’t find anymore. I remember the research being discussed was about teaching and how to get someone to remember something for a while. We typically teach a lot in a short period of time and test to confirm it was taught. Students are great at this, and the test scores show it; however, if you test again in a couple of years, you’ll discover nearly 100% of the material has been lost. The best method is to pile a lot on early and then continue to question for a long time. The questions must vary in difficulty, and if a question is missed, the subject can be repeated. I hope it doesn’t come as a surprise that random reinforcement over a long period of time is best. Just because we know how to do something doesn’t mean we do it. We tend to copy what we’ve seen, and we see the cram course is popular. Guess what? It actually takes work.
Good luck and watch how the grass is cut.