Career Development in InterClean - Case Study Example

Training for InterClean, Inc. New Training and Mentoring Needs The basic challenges for InterClean, Inc. are that they need to inform their employees about what is going on. There are many rumors circulating and there are changes being made but no one has actually talked to the employees (other than Human Resources) about what is going on. The employees that will be most affected by this change are those in the sales and marketing area. The specific needs for this group include: Training 1. They need to be trained in the concepts of solutions based selling and how it fits or doesnt with what they currently do in the sales and marketing department. 2. They need to understand environmental issues within sanitation (according to the CEO) and the environmental regulations that are emerging for the regulation of cleaning and cleaning systems. 3. The need to understand OSHA standards. 4. They need to learn how to work as team under the new structure. 5. They need to understand how to be an effective mentor (which is a separate training I would think). 6. All staff needs to be included in the training including InterClean and EnviroTech staff. They will have similar issues. New Skills The employees will also need to have a new skills orientation that include greater communication with clients, the ability to perform as a team, high ethical standards, patience, be able to critically think and analyze data and the ability to perform market research. Some of these skills can be directed within the training while others may already be instilled in some of the employees. There is a need to help them understand how these skills are already working and then how they will use them to adopt the new sales standard. Mentoring Needs Both InterClean and EnviroTech staff will need mentoring which could be started within the framework of training. It has already been suggested that an InterClean staff member should be placed with an EnviroTech staff member to help them understand the new corporate structure they will be working within. However, since the structure of InterClean is changing, this may be a great time for everyone to learn the new corporate structure together. It seems that training EnviroTech to accept the old culture that InterClean has been within would not benefit them in anyway. By virtue of the fact that this corporation is now going through transition it would stand to reason that the corporate structure as InterClean staff know it would have to change. The mentoring needs then would be seen as a way to bring them together as a team and help them understand how transitions work, what happens during them and how the corporate structure may look when it is finished. The final piece of mentoring may be to have the counseling components available during the mentoring portion of training because staff on both sides will need to talk about some specific issues. If the counselors are available during training they may be the best ones to institute some of the more difficult psychological issues that will come up when talking about transition. Objectives Of Training And Mentoring Program The objectives of this training program would be to bring the current staff back together as a working team. Part of the challenge for them is that decisions are being made without their knowledge of what is going on. They are having problems in the company and they are afraid of losing their jobs. In fact, some of the sales team has already been marked to be fired because of their lack of experience. The training that they need is important because it will need to bring them together again, and move them from their old way of selling to a solutions based selling team. There is a difference between what they did before and what they are asked to do now. The challenge is that some of the force, though they are good workers, is being evaluated to be fired based on skills that may not be needed in solutions based selling. Also, though some are not as skilled as others in customer service, they should have an opportunity to learn. The objectives will be as follows: 1. To train staff in the concept of solutions based selling. 2. To provide them with tools they will need to use solutions based selling. 3. To pair them with mentors from EnviroTech who already understand the solutions based selling and who have done well with this process. 4. To help them begin to integrate their knowledge into a new team framework. The training will also be customized to the needs of the sales and marketing staff because they are the ones who will be the sales team. The training will be delivered in a workshop format both online and off line and it will cover several topics around solutions based selling including effective sales communication, presentations, how to negotiate when dealing with pricing, how to handle and close sales in this new service, and how to hold effective customer consultations. The training will also be designed to help the employees of InterClean begin to make the transition from their old way of doing sales to the solutions based selling method. We will also help the current sales team understand how what they already do has some elements of the solutions based selling method and how they work together. They will understand how to use this new method to sustain revenue even though this method may take a little longer; in the long run it will retain customers over a longer period of time. Performance Standards A 360 degree feedback instrument (or similar instrument) will be conducted before training begins. It is important to know how each employee stands on several issues and this feedback instrument can tell them because it uses more than their supervisors for information; it also uses coworkers and customers. This could give them a better idea of where they stand on the various new skills that are needed. This will also give supervisors a clearer perspective of how each employee fits into the structure to date. The CEO will set up specific performance standards from the feedback that he gets about where the employees are at this time. It is important to note that a performance standard is difficult to set up before the CEO gives feedback and the assessment is done because this is a new program for the company and it is one that the CEO has decided to use. Delivery methods The training would be delivered in several different ways. The first aspects would be delivered in a face-to-face classroom style in order to start employees on the right track. They would be assigned groups and these groups would work together to achieve specific goals that were set out by the training. Some of the training modules would have online components that they would have to complete before moving on to the next module of training. As an example, they would get a presentation on OSHA standards, and then go to a website that had previously been set up for the training, in order to Content for training and mentoring Before training begins, all employees would have taken the 360 degree assessment and had feedback about it. This would set the training up in a different light because employees would understand the need for this training. Module 1: Introduction Employees are broken into small groups --Definition of training objectives and how the modules will work --Definition of Mentoring and what it will do --Definition of Marketing and Selling -- then and now --The Art of Selling --The Psychology of Selling --How selling relates to the bigger picture --First small group activity --Move to computer to give a chance to understand the modules as they are set up for the training. This component will be interactive and where there are questions and answers employees will be able to get immediate feedback as to whether they answered questions correctly. Module 2: What is Transition? --Definition of Transition --What it means for a corporation to go through transition? --The different components of Transition (Based on William Bridges work). --What transition means to InterClean and EnviroTech --How transition affects the company and the worker --Coping with Transition --What to do if you are fired during the transition (Resources) Several small group activities will be used to get employees thinking about this situation. Assignment of computer module Module 3: Mentoring --What is mentoring? --What makes a good mentor/mentee? --Why is mentoring important? --Resources to learn more about mentoring Module 4: Solutions Based Selling (S.B.S). --What is selling? --What is the process of S.B.S. --Communicating in Sales using F.R.A.M.E. -- Selling Benefits vs. Telling Features Finding out N.E.W.S. (Needs, Expectations, Wants and Situation) --- Matching N.E.W.S. with Selling Benefits and Value --Questions --Assignment for Computer module --Assignment of Mentors and mentees Module 5: How Solution Based Selling Fits with Sanitation and OSHA --Emerging issues in sanitation --Environmental regulation of cleaning and cleaning systems --OSHA Standards as they apply to Sanitation and Sanitation Systems This will be the most intense part of the training and someone will be brought in to do this portion that is an expert or very knowledgeable in this field. Computer module assignment and small group activity related to this section to be done out of class. Module 6: What have you learned? --This module is a wrap-up session and would go over main points of what was learned. ---There would be a variety of resources available that would give employees an idea of --online courses they could take if interested in furthering discussion. --Any questions that still needed answering would be answered if possible --Close Time-Frame The entire training would take a week; however it would be a good idea to have the consultant help in the implementation of the work that was done. This time frame would fit into the 180 days in order to comply with the needs of the CEO. It would be better however if this was extended to the 270 days that was suggested by this consultant. Evaluation Methods And Feedback There will be feedback forms created to be distributed at the end of each module and at the end of the training. The feedback forms in each module will be used to tweak the next module. Also, online assessments will be used for the OSHA information and the specifics of Modules 2 and 5. Alternate Avenues For Those Who Need Further Development A list of online courses and local MBA or community college courses that are relevant to the training will be presented to employees in areas where they need more assistance. The consultant will remain available throughout the 180 days to help with any future needs for employees and the counselors will also be available throughout the transition. Word Count 1,846 References Career Bridge International (n.d.). Mentoring Programs. Retrieved August 29, 2008 from http://www.careerbridge.com.au/Mentoring-org.htm. Consultative Selling. Train the Trainer. Retrieved August 29, 2008 from http://www.training-classes.com/programs/00/87/8720_consultative_selling.php. Lawson, Karen. (2006). The Trainers Handbook. Second Edition. CA: Pfeiffer. Qualtrics.com. (2007). How to Create an Employee Satisfaction Survey - Employee 360 Feedback Survey. Retrieved August 28, 2008 from http://www.qualtrics.com/surveys/360-feedback-surveys. Structured Training. (n.d.). Value Based Selling. Retrieved August 29, 2008 from http://www.structuredtraining.com/solutions/open_courses/value_based_selling_o pen_course.html/. The Institute of Engineers Singapore. (12 - 13 February 2007).Workshop on Solution Based Selling For Sales Engineers & Engineering Managers. Retrieved August 29, 2008 from http://www.ies.org.sg/event_view.php?event_id=73. Read More