Mini-analysis: Denise Myers

The topic I have selected is training restaurant employees on the preparation and implementation of new menu items and promotions. Typically, this type of training is delivered using a series of live instructor-led sessions, beginning with regional leadership and filtering down to the frontline employee. Currently, the initial training sessions at the upper level of management require attendees to travel to central locations and learn about several new menu items at once. This delivery method is expensive and does not allow learning to occur in a timely manner, just before the knowledge is required.

For this project I will redesign the format for these sessions for delivery via Adobe Connect, or similar application. I will then design a sample training session for a specific new menu item using this new format.

To analyze this training problem, I reviewed training materials used for live instructor-led sessions in the past, and interviewed two instructors and an SME for the new menu item for which I will design a specific training session.

I asked the instructors to describe the typical training program for new menu items including the audience, learning objectives, physical environment, instructional methods employed, time and materials.

Following is a summary of my learnings:

1. The audience consists of over 200 franchise owners and area managers of company-owned restaurants. These individuals are culturally diverse, but are over 90% male. As a whole, they are generally very busy and all about the bottom line. Their focus is doing whatever they can to increase sales and reduce costs at each of their restaurants. For this reason they are highly motivated to learn the content presented in these training session on new menu items and promotions.

2. The objective for theses training sessions is to simply how to prepare the restaurant for the new item or promotion. This includes ordering ingredients and supplies appropriately for the sales expectations at each restaurant, updating restaurant systems, training employees on handling new ingredients, preparing new menu items and suggestive selling techniques, and finally, conducting audits to ensure proper implementation of the new item or promotion.

3. In many cases, when new food preparation techniques are involved, the training session takes place in a kitchen environment. Otherwise, the training is conducted in a conference room setting.

4. Currently the instructors primarily utilize lectures, discussions and demonstrations to teach the content. An opportunity for Q&A is required.

5. The instructional time for each new menu item or promotion is from 10 to 60 minutes in length, depending on the complexity of the implementation required. Currently, a typical training meeting includes up to 15 training sessions.

6. The instructors distribute printed handouts that are created from standardized templates including a guide for Restaurant Managers, a guide for the front-line employees, various job aids, and forms to track training and observational assessments of proper implementation.

7. The specific new menu item of focus includes several new ingredients, a new food preparation technique and requires updating of restaurant systems.

I will use this information to design a training meeting that is concise and efficient, focused on the objectives required to deliver the item/promotion, increasing sales while controlling costs. The training program will require the use of a video demonstration in addition to on-line review of text-based information. An instructor will deliver the training session via live web meeting, with assistance from an SME who can monitor text-based questions from the participants.