Staff training done right: How you keep your staff motivated.

Your team at the gym do an amazing job motivating your members to give their best again and again. But what about your staff? Who motivates them?

To know how to get started, we first have to understand where motivation comes from. While some might argue it’s 100% based on salary, I have a different point of view. It’s really a number of elements playing in unison: A positive supportive work environment, recognition of skills, and constant growth & learning in the form of training. In our experience, the presence of these factors makes for a more motivated workforce. Because good talent is attracted by a great learning opportunity, not primarily by remuneration – and these are the types of employees you want in your company.

Determining the need for training

Businesses evolve and so must your people. Staying current with what consumers wants means staying competitive. When it comes to the workplace, fitness clubs are an intimate environment if you will, everyone working closely together. Add on top of that the transient work nature of the Middle East, and you got yourself a parkour of questions.

Here are some tips & steps I like to cover when identifying the need for training in a new team:

1. Look at the individual: Some of your team members might already be more experienced than other: Whether through simply having more work experience or exposure to different work environments & countries. We start where we start, and work our way up.
2. Different learning types: Every person has a different way of learning. While some are more autodidact, others might benefit more from a written guide. Some of your team members might be dyslexic – a video guide is a better choice for them.
3. Identify the status quo: now that you understand the need for personalized training, take stock of where your team member is. What it his current knowledge, where are his strengths and weaknesses? Be prepared to discuss this positively in a feedback session.
4. Set goals: In an open conversation, try to identify your employees’ goals. What is his chosen career path? Is he looking to freelance in the future, or wants to own his club one day? For your admin staff, which area of the business are they interested in growing into? You might benefit from a motivated front desk employee who is interested in taking on some of your operational tasks.
5. What’s needed to close the gap? Now that you know where the goal and the current status quo is, you can identify the right training. Whether it’s managing people, time management, practical training in operations, of additional qualifications: It should be a plan tailored to the individual.
6. Keep it SMART: I am a big supporter of SMART goals, as it gives the employee a tangible action plan. Additionally, it’s a good idea to break goals down into monthly, maybe even weekly tasks, so the team member can be accountable for taking small steps in the right direction – with your ongoing support and acknowledgement.

What we do additionally at Yves Preissler Consulting

I like to lead the way when it comes to building a great team here at Yves Preissler Consulting. My team has allocated time for personal development, reading, and learning. Personally, I find mentoring a very valuable source of information, for me personally and my team alike, because I know: An environment of constant learning and trust makes for a happy workforce.