In the cannabis industry, well-trained employees could be the difference between a successful business and one that under performs. Front-line employees aren’t just the face of one business. Depending on how much interaction the customer or patient has already had with legal marijuana businesses, they could be the face of the entire cannabis industry. Not only can well-trained employees keep customers loyal, they must also keep businesses compliant with legal regulations. When faced with training new employees, be sure to do everything in your power to train them well.
These 10 essential components of good training will help ensure that you’re covering all of the information necessary to both serve patrons, and protect the business.
These should be developed before any curriculum can be designed, and are essential when developing assessments. Make sure learning objectives identify specific knowledge or performance behaviors that can be measured. For example, “List and demonstrate the procedures for accurately checking an ID prior to allowing entrance,” or “Identify and explain point-of-sale additions to a customer based on their purchase.”
This is an outline of all the content you’ll be using in the training, plus any supporting information. The map usually includes a sequence of topics, the important points of each topic, learning objectives, references, and classroom materials and activities. Use the map to create an agenda for distribution and to guide your presentation.
You may want “all eyes” on you as you speak, but adult attention spans often don’t allow that degree of focus. Instead, a participant guide distributed before the class enables everyone to follow along, take notes next to relevant topics, and stay alert throughout the training. The guide also serves as a reference to reinforce learning long after the class is over.
To assess performance objectives, be certain that participants can demonstrate what they’ve learned. When teaching new material to all employees, make sure they have the same base or foundation knowledge to build from. Consider using pre-assessment several days before the class to identify topics that require more emphasis. Always make sure both pre-and post-assessments cover all learning objectives.
If concepts are presented with different types of stimuli – visual, auditory, and kinesthetic – participants will learn better. Instead of standing up and showing slide after slide of uninspiring bullet points, make use of images, illustrations, audio, video, interactive multimedia and physical items that everyone can examine. Remember that not everyone is going to grasp concepts in the same way, and novel stimuli is a great way to keep people engaged. Keep trainings varied and exciting!
Stay tuned next week for the rest of the 10 Essentials for Successful Training Sessions. In the meantime, let the Cannabis Industry Institute do the heavy lifting… As curriculum development experts, we’ve created engaging online, onsite and in-person training courses specifically for the cannabis industry. From Metrc POS training to growing and state-specific Responsible Vendor Training – we’ve got what you need to streamline training for elevated customer service.
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