593: How To Create A New Employee Training Manual

You just completed the relentless and methodical work of recruiting and hiring a new team member, and you are still left with that big, expensive question, “is this new person even going to work out?” Hiring new roles and new team members always seems to be an obvious and easy solution to everyone except the person whose time, attention, and bottom line is most on the line.  It’s day one for that new hire…how does the mission get the most out of that new person, and how does that new person get the most out of the mission of the business? American style football is a very set-play-specific sport.  All eleven players on the offensive side of the ball must be in lock step technique choreographed in unison.  Each position targets a specific direction and technique because the other positions are depending on it.  The right guard trusts that the center has the other guy.  The running back trusts the right guard to block that huge human being coming straight for him.  The quarterback trusts that the running back made the right decision to run right instead of left. We are under the misconception that the game of business is simply a collection of random events that all seem to work out in the creating, buying, and selling of products and services.  And in some rare cases, people can get by on that mantra…but for most that is not the case. For most, haphazard play leads to haphazard results.  For most, a lack of preparation, of making ready before hand, has led to a life of chaos, frustration, and regret. Most American football teams are known to have a written, published, playbook.  That playbook is expected to be studied, reviewed, and re-reviewed. A Bleacher Report article reveals an example playcall from future Hall Of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, “East Right Flop, V Right all the way outside, Y Left, Fake 396 Bag, V Hinge, Z Puck.” Huh? In order to understand the various formations, routes, and directions, each player must spend a lot of time in the playbook. The moving parts in your business can be as complex as the moving parts of an 11 person football team, and yet many business owners do not make the time to create a playbook. For most, the idea is too intimidating, for the rest we hide behind the excuse of a lack of time. Imagine a football coach interviewed for a job and had no playbook to show and instead boasted, “I make it up as I go!” Let’s not follow suit. Instead, let’s make time to build a playbook for all new employees. Here are a few elements you can use to build a great, thoughtful, intentional employee initial training book. First, start with a welcome letter.  Make time to sit down and ask yourself, “If I were being hired by a business, what would I want to hear from them on day one?” Whatever comes to mind…write that down no matter how long or how short. Second, give a broad overview of your business.  We encourage all of our clients to build a Master Process Roadmap…this is your entire business on one sheet of paper. A great roadmap is made up of at least four columns representing the four systems found in every business: Administration/Accounting, Operations, Marketing, and Sales. Underneath each column are a list of every known process that is required to make that system run effectively and towards the mission of the business. The third element of a great initial training book for your team, is a technical overview of the elements they will need for their role.  Your team member needs to know who to ask and where to go find direction and answers to help them fulfill the role they are committing to. Who does what within the organization (Org Chart)? How do I get access to the important elements of that role (Checklists)? How do I learn the nuances of each process (docs or video training)? If you don’t know where to begin, just begin.  Sit down in a quiet space for a dedicated time (start with 30 mins) and just begin to jot down bullet points of everything you believe this person will need to know. Creating the outline is actually the HARD part…once you know what they need, it is easy to fill in the gaps because you (or someone else) have done those little tasks thousands of times up till now. Make time to outline…the content will follow. Finally, your initial training book should come with a simple scorecard, or expectations sheet.  This answers the question for the new employee, “how do I know if I am doing this right?” Whether your initial training book is five pages or five hundred pages, your new employee, and you, will feel a sense of clarity knowing that they have a place to start when they have big questions. Don’t be the coach without a playbook…an initial training manual will help your team flourish!