Just For Schools specialises in Professional Development for ESS, which includes a strong focus on soft skills (people skills). Hard skills training (technical skills) are easier to measure the outcome of the training.

Hard Skill Training Example: Staff member doesn’t know how to operate a fork lift – goes to forklift training, gets a licence and comes back to the job and safely operates a fork lift. Competency is measured and productivity goes up, thus giving you a clear return on your investment in the training.

Soft Skill Training Example: Staff member has trouble remaining calm when interacting with angry/difficult customers – goes to soft skill training and learns a 4-step process to deal with difficult people. The new strategy can’t be tested until confronted by an annoyed or frustrated customer and unless the customers confirms it was handled well, or you witness the interaction, was the training investment worthwhile and did the learning stick?

3 ways to confirm soft skills training was worth the time and the money:

• Talk to your team member – Ask them reflective questions as soon as possible after the event, i.e.: What did you learn, and how will it help you in the future? In business terms, this type of activity is referred to as Measuring Training Impact – in team member terms, it confirms their School Business Manager wants to help them achieve professional and personal growth.

• Set a goal – Decide with your team member how and when they can put new skills into action, i.e.: present their new knowledge to the rest of the ESS team, make themselves available to help the next difficult customer, role-play their new skills with you or other team members. Research has shown that 80% of what is gained at a training event is lost if not transferred into practical work-specific tasks or actions immediately.

• Follow up – If you don’t follow up on agreed actions, training attendees are less likely to complete them. Be mindful that follow up isn’t simply asking if the actions were completed, it requires you to be deeply curious; what was done, how did the employee feel before, during and after the action, what help do they need, and where do they feel they did well?

LinkedIn research found that Manager involvement is critical for team member engagement in learning. 56% of employees said they would invest more time in their learning with their manager’s direction and support. (Source: https://learning.linkedin.com/elearning-solutions-guides/workplace-learning-report-2018)

If you and your ESS would like access to soft skill development, support, and programs, AND the steps to embed the learning into day to day actions, contact us.

By Cate Schreck – Author of “The A-Z of Service Excellence”

The post What to do Immediately After Education Support Staff Attend Soft Skill Training appeared first on Just For Schools.

Just like all businesses, Schools have rules. The rules are there for good reasons, but rules can drive some customers away.

Customers loathe rules that are complicated, too hard to follow, take up their time, change often or require them to pay for what they think should be free. Most customers don’t know (or care to know) the big picture of why the rules exist.

Most customers want what they want, when they want it and your staff are who they have to interact with access those wants.

For the ESS to not only survive but thrive in their roles, they need excellent soft skills (people skills). Without excellent soft skills they will find it difficult to work together in harmony and interact with every customer professionally – the good, the complicated and the down right difficult.

To help your ESS stay positive and professional when interacting with each other and your customers, consider the following 5 actions;

1. Remind them of their Power. In a face to face situation, 93% of what our attitude is and how we feel, is communicated to others via our body language and tone of voice.  Remind your Frontline to use their power – smile, use eye contact and stand tall.

2. Encourage Phone Excellence. 85% of how we feel and what our attitude is, is communicated via our tone of voice over the phone. How the Frontline answer the phone can literally set the tone of the conversation. Speak clearly, slowly and with a smile on your dial.

3. Practice what you Preach. Always be mindful of your own Body Language and Tone of Voice when you are interacting with your team or your customers. If you don’t bother, you’re staff will wonder why they should.

4. Record Compliments and Complaints. An exercise book or Excel Spredsheet will do. Recording the good stuff in one area and things for improvement in another area. Ask staff to record what they hear and see ie: date and short details. Review the records regularly to make imporvement plans and acknowledge excellence. If you don’t review it – it won’t be used.

5. Recognition and Reward.  Just like students, ESS love to hear when they do good work BUT, not all staff like a public ‘song and dance’ about their success. Take the time to find out how your ESS would like to be acknowledged. Never take excellent service for granted – it’s takes effort to provide consistently excellent service and effort should be recognised.

If you would like to spend less time handling complaints and addressing negative attitudes or bad behaviors and more time getting your own work done and listening to compliments about your team, then contact us or order your copy of “The A – Z of Service Excellence”. It is packed with practical tips and actions that will take your team from good to great.

By Cate Shcreck – Director of Just For Schools

The post 5 ways to keep your Educational Support Staff firing on all cylinders appeared first on Just For Schools.