In the uncertain times that COVID-19 produced, business leaders were forced to face the fact that employees might not be available every day to do their jobs. That is either because of their own health concerns or because they were scrambling to make child-care arrangements because of school closings. And, as the economy takes a […]
In the uncertain times that COVID-19 produced, business leaders were forced to face the fact that employees might not be available every day to do their jobs. That is either because of their own health concerns or because they were scrambling to make child-care arrangements because of school closings.
And, as the economy takes a hit, some businesses may need to downsize, leaving the remaining workers to take on duties they are unprepared for and weren’t hired to carry out.
That’s one reason why it’s always a good idea to cross-train employees, allowing someone else to step in when circumstances necessitate it.
Ultimately, you want everyone who works for you to broaden their knowledge and expand the scope of what they normally do. The result is a more efficient and productive workplace.
In [my] younger days, [I] was an Army Ranger, where the need to cross-train was inescapable. If you are on a critical military mission and someone goes down, another Ranger needs to take over that person’s duties. Otherwise, the mission would be scrapped.
The average business day may not be as severely distressing as a military mission, but just as in the military, cross-training comes with benefits. It prevents mistakes. It improves accuracy. It saves time. It saves money.
And each additional duty an employee can take on during uncertain times could make the difference on whether a project or order is completed on time, and whether missed deadlines leave customers unhappy, costing the business money — or even leading to it going out of business.
Some business leaders may say they just can’t work in the time for cross-training because they and their employees are too busy. They probably are busy, but it needs to be a priority and they need to figure out a way to find the time. We’re probably seeing right now just how important it can be.
Here are a few suggestions for working cross-training in to harried schedules:
• Make use of downtime. Few people are busy every minute, so take advantage of any downtime to slip in cross-training. That way no one is just sitting around waiting for the next project.
• Schedule time. I’m skeptical when people tell me they don’t have any downtime, but let’s assume that’s so. Then I recommend you set aside time specifically dedicated to cross-training. It’s that important. Figure out who you need to cross-train, and find the areas of your business where cross-training will pay off the most.
• Implement “lunch-and-learns.” Nearly everyone eats lunch or takes a break at mid-day, and that’s a great time to set up some lunch-and-learn times when someone in the company can teach others about what they do.
An added bonus to cross-training is people who don’t normally interact are brought together and develop a better appreciation for what others do. That helps to create an even greater sense of team throughout the organization, which is especially important during difficult times like these when everyone needs to pull together.
Bill Higgs is author of “Culture Code Champions: 7 Steps to Scale & Succeed in Your Business” (www.culturecodechampions.com/training). He trains companies on how to improve their bottom line by improving their culture, and recently launched the “Culture Code Champions” podcast.
