Effective training is essential for workers to understand what has to be done and how to execute it, which is a fundamental need of every firm. Richard Stup, who has been working with farmers on staff development for over 20 years, believes that training is an essential component of managing a well-led team. Training is vital for new workers and team members who may be taking on new or increased responsibilities.
To create a positive training experience, farm owners should choose the best individual to teach them, taking into account their work expertise, passion in the task, and willingness to assist a newcomer. Farm owners should also break down linguistic barriers to deliver training that is actually effective.
Good training begins with the trainer’s preparation, which includes giving out the justification (why) for the task and defining what the employee wants to be able to perform after the training is over. Active, engaging options include practicing the activity in a controlled setting, discussing it with someone else, or selecting the best option from a list of possibilities.
When it comes time for training, Stup suggests using the “tell, show, do, review” cycle. Explain to the employee what they will learn and why it is essential, teach them what to do, and have them complete an assignment that demonstrates what they learned. Evaluate if they learned the assignment well enough and, if so, congratulate them. If not, praise the things that went well while providing criticism on the areas that were missed. Repeat the process until they have a firm handle on the whole work.
Investing in effective training can benefit both workers and the company in the long term, since doing the task correctly saves time and effort compared to an untrained person missing critical stages and needing to be redirected.
