In Training And Loving It: How You Can Use Employee Training To Create A Better Workplace Culture

Some people thrive on stress. They enjoy working in high-octane environments where success and failure are only a razor’s edge apart. There’s a good chance that the majority of the people in your event management firm don’t possess that taste for pressure.

And even if they do, it’s worth mentioning that even stress junkies have their limits – that even people who enjoy fast-paced work still won’t be happy if their work environment is completely toxic.

Whether you’re an event management professional with their own firm or simply a key decision maker in your organization, it falls to you to make sure your company is the sort of place people actually want to work. Your employees should look forward to coming in every day; they should be happy at work, because it’s proven that people who are happy inevitably tend to work harder. There are a bunch of little things you can do to make your company a better place to work, but ultimately it all boils down to your training style – how you manage the people working under you.

Today, we’re going to go over just a few of the ways you can foster a positive environment in your business – and how that positivity will be reflected back at you in better work, higher productivity, and  and greater loyalty.

Don’t Just Hire For Skill – Attitude Is Important Too

Here’s a story for you. There are two people applying for the same job. One of them has impeccable credentials – on paper, he’s absolutely perfect for the position. If you didn’t have to do an in-person interview, you’d have already brought him on board.

Unfortunately, your interview with him doesn’t go well. He’s unpleasant, confrontational, and generally seems as though he’d be a drain his surroundings. Sure, he’s probably the best at what he does – but is it worth hiring him for it?

The other applicant, though not quite as much of an expert as the first, has a great attitude. He’s always got a joke on-hand to make people laugh, and he’s clearly extremely passionate about what he does. Who do you expect would be the better hire?

I’m certain you already know the answer – the second applicant. The simple truth is that although the first guy’s incredibly skilled, he’s not a great fit for the company. Bringing him onboard would probably just give way to a toxic work environment.

In short, he’s more trouble than he’s worth.

Never underestimate the importance of finding someone whose attitude meshes with your company’s culture. Skills can be taught and trained. It’s a lot harder to get someone to check a negative personality.

Regularly Review Your Training Process – With Input From Trainees

No process, no matter how refined, is entirely perfect. There’s always room for improvement. That’s why it’s imperative that you regularly review the training programs you have in place within your organization.

The most important element in this process is feedback – both from fresh recruits and from people who’ve been at your organization for a while. Every now and then, checking with some of your staff to see how they feel your training has been meeting their needs. Accept their opinions with an open mind, and use it to find ways you might enhance things for new entries into your organization.

Independent of this feedback process, I’d also advise refreshing your training program on an annual basis – if not every few months. Event management in particular can be a pretty mercurial and volatile market; you need to make certain that whatever education you offer is current.

Always Give Employees The Opportunity To Better Themselves

The most successful people in the world never stop learning. They’re always on the lookout for new ways to improve, whether through acquiring new knowledge or mastering a new skill. For that reason, writes Entrepreneur’s James Parsons, it’s important to offer training and education to anyone who might desire it – preferably free of charge.

It isn’t just a matter of happiness, either, at least not entirely. The more your employees work to better themselves, the more competent they’ll be at their jobs, and the better it’ll be for you. It’s really a win/win across the board here.

“When you empower your employees with knowledge and skills, you keep them up to date. Your employee turnover drops, your productivity stays high, and you keep up with modern developments,” he explains. “Your employees will meanwhile feel valued; you’re investing in them, so you must want to keep them around.”

Set Clear Expectations – Then Give Your People The Chance To Meet Them On Their Own Terms

No one likes being micromanaged, and I’m sure everyone who’s spent even a little bit of time in enterprise has at least one horror story of a manager who didn’t quite understand the concept of employees as autonomous beings. The best bosses aren’t those who constantly hover around offering advice and feedback; they’re the ones who clearly convey what they want done, then empower their employees to accomplish it their way. They’re the people who hand people the necessary tools, set a few boundaries, and turn them loose – yet are always available in the event that someone requires help.

“It’s often much more effective to give your employees the direction and tools to accomplish their goals than it is to set down rigid guidelines and a process they must follow,” explains Parsons. “In corporate problem solving, this freedom and autonomy can boost morale and productivity. How often have you come up with a viable solution to a problem, only t o find a rule or policy that prevents you from acting?”

“Allow for creativity; don’t squander it,” he advises.

See, here’s the thing – people enjoy feeling competent, and most embrace the capacity to take charge of their own agency.  The idea that one matters to an organization – as though one’s own decisions are helping advance the goals of one’s employer – is one of the greatest feelings in the world. Give your employees that agency, and they’ll pay you back with better, harder work.

Takes Steps To Ensure Employees Feel Valued

The reason increasing the agency of an employee goes as far as it does in making that employee happy can be summed up with one simple statement: because it makes them feel valued. There are other ways to convey that to your staff, as well. The best managers never miss an opportunity to congratulate one of their employees for a job well done; and they always make sure they get to know the people working under them.

This goes beyond simple “thank you’s” as well.

“As an employer, you have an excellent opportunity to make a difference in your employees’ lives,” reads a collaborative piece on Reliable Plant. “This may mean a smile, asking how their family is, or asking about their interests or problems. If you sense that someone is depressed, help that person get the necessary resources, as employees with depression have higher absenteeism, increased health problems, and decreased performance.”

“Remember that we are all humans working together to get through life,” it adds. “We need to care about each other to get the best results.”

Oh, one more thing? Always be willing to give employees time off for school events, to care for sick children, or to head off on a vacation. Make sure as well that your office provides your employees with plenty of different healthcare referral services.

Pay Attention To How Your Workplace Looks

It’s a fairly well known fact that messes are stressful. Clutter – even when we’re not consciously aware of it – tends to clog up our subconscious mind, bombarding us with so many excessive stimuli that it becomes nearly impossible to focus on anything worthwhile. This, in turn, makes it significantly more difficult to relax, inhibiting both creativity and productivity.

Not only that, it’s frustrating – and frustration is never a good thing for productivity.

What I’m trying to say here is that how your office looks is every bit as important as what sort of culture you foster there. You need to make sure your employees have enough room to work, and that they don’t feel too cramped or boxed in. More importantly, you need to ensure that all your equipment is designed and laid out in such a way as to be both aesthetic and intuitive.

Reliable Plant offers the following design tips to help make one’s office more productive.

• Include live, green plants. People tend to feel better about their environment when they feel a close connection to nature. They’re happier.
• Make sure the air on your office is clean. Indoor air pollution isn’t a pleasant problem to deal with.
• Emphasize natural light over artificial light. Wherever that’s impossible, simply make sure the office is well-lit.
• Give employees the option to select healthy food choices.
• Let employees personalize their workspace (within reason). If they feel they’ve a place to call their own, they’ll end up working harder as a result.

Salary And Benefits Are Great – But You Need To Offer Additional Rewards

Any manager can give an employee a raise or offer a benefits package. It takes a truly awesome manager to go beyond that and offer rewards that aren’t necessarily linked directly to the company. I’m talking about gamification; about incentivizing harder work and greater enjoyment through a system of structured rewards. I’m talking about adding some additional zazz to your workday, and making the workplace fun.

That, more than anything, is probably the best piece of advice I can give.

Closing Thoughts

Some people enjoy operating in a stressful workplace. Most don’t. When hiring new employees, it’s best to keep that in mind – along with all the advice presented here.

Hopefully, this helps at least a few of you figure out new training programs and systems for your business. Let me know in the comments below if you feel there’s anything I missed. And for now, I’ll catch you all later.