A good staff can be the holy grail of retail, and it’s even more critical during challenging economic times. If your employees aren’t performing up to your standards (or theirs) a little coaching could be in order. Jewelers of America’s Director of Education David Peters says coaching can -- among other things -- improve performance, productivity and relationships, and help to motivate and bring out more creativity in your staff (and yourself).
Over the next few weeks, we’ll share tips from Peters on how to get the most from coaching sessions with your employees. One of the first steps you should take is identifying learning styles of your employees. Peters identifies three types: visual, aural and tactile.
In reaching these individuals, you’ll need to remember the following about each:
- For the visual learner, seeing is absorbing when it comes to information. They prefer to see or read lessons and work well with text and graphics. These types of learners create mental images in the form of words or numbers.
- Aural learners are better able to process information and instructions that they hear. For instance, this type of learner will usually read instructions or reasons out loud, in order to better absorb them.
- Tactile learners need physical involvement to foster the learning process. They learn best when given the opportunity to work with new information in a “hands on” mode. They also benefit from manipulating actual objects in either a real or simulated environment.
Peters stresses that before you dismiss an employee as being unable to learn, make sure you’ve identify how they can best learn.
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