Have Your Set Up Your RTO Team For Success Or Stress?

SOLUTION #1    INDUCTION IS A VERB, NOT A NOUN

I believe induction is even more important than recruitment.

This is because I know many RTOs don't have a good recruitment process. Often it's rushed and because you're trying to fill a gap, the same old questions are asked eg
• what are your weaknesses and how do you believe you'll manage that here?
• you've got TAE and industry experience. Great when can you start?

Often there's no testing of knowledge and experience in the interview process so you don't see how accurately a person enters data into an LMS or how they would present a training session or conduct an assessment.

These skills are either assumed as good or something you'll work on, if needed, during the probation period.

But without a structured induction program which involves training them in how to do their job at your RTO, regular meetings to see how they're going and providing the necessary support to ensure they're a right fit for your culture; you'll get to the last day of probation, have a quick meeting to see if they're happy to stay and unless there's been major personality issues, you extend the employment contract.

It's only later on when you discover they don't have the skills they said, there are issues between them and your team members, or they're struggling to do the work because of your lack of documented systems, training and support.

And now there's a problem which is more complicated to solve rather than if you'd sorted this out in the probation period.

So develop a structured Induction Program for each position in your RTO which includes weekly catchups on Friday to make sure your employee feels welcomed and supported in their new role.

P.S If you don't have these tools or need some help with this, then check out my RTO GROW Program which gives you the training and templates you need to get this job off your list quickly and easily.

FRUSTRATION #2    GOALPOSTS KEEP CHANGING

I wonder if you've had similar discussions at your RTO.

You know what we could do. Let's add Cert III, IV and Diploma of Childcare to our scope, even though we know nothing about the sector, have no one to train it, and it has no linkages with our current expertise in Forestry. But there's funding available so there must be a need so let's put all our energy into that whilst we're also training our forestry students, even though we're at maximum capacity.

Unfortunately, I hear this story too often in RTO Land, even with some of my coaching clients and members. And it's then we have the conversation about what is the purpose of your RTO and who really are your ideal students which isn't 'everyone'.

Staff who are already overloaded cringe when they hear these ideas because instead of it meaning a change of focus just for the short term to grab a truly financial opportunity; it results in additional work rather than stopping one project or tasks to do something different.

Is it any wonder this is a huge frustration of staff?

They just want to do their job and do it really well. But instead of consolidating it with clarity and documented procedures to make their lives easier. too often the great ideas take over common sense which results in more and more changes and yes work!

And in a time of great change, this lack of focus can be the breaking point.

SOLUTION #2    RESIST THE SHINY OBJECTS

In last month's blog, I suggested 2022 was the year to really look at your Business Model to see if it is financially viable and sustainable, beyond just this year.

Now I hate to break it to you but if you haven't realised this already; you can't have it all, do it all and help everyone.

It's a fallacy which is no longer real and the quicker we all start to realise it, the quicker we will run less, stop more and take the time out needed to think... to determine what's truly important and how it can be achieved.

Staff are craving clarity and consistency so stop jumping at shadows and resist the shiny objects which are usually distractions rather than opportunities.

Decide once and for all what training you're really good at - which is where you have the networks and the database of customers who love what you do and will pay.

Then invest your valuable time and energy into doing what you do .... even better.

FRUSTRATION #3    STOP ADDING TO MY LIST

This final frustration leads on from the last one.

It's easy to say 'X will do that' because she's a go getter who just gets on with it and seems to easily get everything done on time.

But everyone has a tipping point where goodwill and teamwork (I want to help this business because I love it) changes to frustration, anger and sometimes resignation because they can't do any more than they're doing. And yet more and more is being asked of them – with no consideration of the stress they're already under.

And in case you didn't know, multitasking doesn't result in more productivity. It results in less as mistakes and stress increase through the distractions of notifications, the pressure to do more with less and a crowded and noisy brain which is working overtime.

SOLUTION #3    CAN IT REALISTICALLY BE DONE?

If you truly want to set your team up for success rather than stress, then instead of adding tasks to an already overwhelming To Do List which will never be completed, you have to ask these 3 questions first:

1. Does Tamara have the capacity, on top of their existing workload, to do this extra task, work, project etc?

2. Does Tamara have the capability to do this extra task, work or project; or does she need additional training from someone within the RTO or externally? All of which takes time away from doing their current tasks.

3. If Tamara doesn't have the capacity and the capability to do this task, work, project; then do we have the finances to get additional resources to do this?

Usually the answer to all 3 questions is No so why then does it still get added to the list instead of being parked as a good idea that will be looked at again when (and if) we have the capacity, capability and/or finances to complete it?

The reason is people say the word Yes more than they say the word No.

So until we start to consider the price of saying yes to everything (and there's always a price), we will continue to add to the frustration and overwhelm of our valued team members who are craving more days of success rather than stress.