Building a World-Class Team by Chris Robinson
Here is a great framework for building a strong team of instructors from EFC’s executive consultant from Canada:
The Characteristics of a Great Instructor
Always be ready for potential staff. A high belt rank doesn’t necessarily mean a person is going to be a great instructor, neither does competitiveness. Social traits and qualities such as friendliness, likeability, energy and enthusiasm
are more important. Instead of looking for someone with technical skills, look for somebody who likes to meet new people and shake hands, a person who is easy to approach and work with.
Top Three Ways to Train a Staff Member
1. Formal Training. This means scheduled times for sit-down meetings on a regular basis, where you discuss the school’s goals, strategies, plans as well as look at outcomes and get feedback for past or future events. We have formal training for three hours Monday mornings, and one hour on Wednesdays and Fridays. These sessions are mandatory for staff members.
2. Informal Training. We’ve had tremendous success with this kind of training. Informal training takes place when you’re traveling with staff members, at the golf course, or by the poolside. I have had many informal training sessions with Kyoshi Steve LaVallee myself. These meetings are not scheduled, but you’re still talking business, and this ultimately adds value to the business.
3. On the Job. Many of us received only this form of training, and there is still a place for this kind of training. However, now
there’s a master instructor or a head instructor or staff trainer going around pointing out things that new teachers ought to be on the lookout for in order to become a more successful instructor.
Breakdown of a Formal Staff Meeting. Formal staff meetings start with the Instructor’s Creed, which sets the tone for the meeting. After this, we go through the basic layout of the class. Our classes run 45 minutes. We start with our bowing, followed by
a ten-minute board and warm up, three sets of drills (ten minutes apiece), and stretching out for the last five minutes. And we go through our schedule for A and B days. (A days are technique days and B days are sparring days.) This way any new staff member joining us has an idea of how our class schedule is formatted. Then we go through floor responsibilities. We have floor supervisors, who are senior level instructors, and floor instructors. The supervisors make sure staff arrive on time for their shift, are in clean staff
uniforms and bow in and bow out. They also provide gentle reminders to them to be energetic and positive.
The Running of the Class. Ten minutes before an instructor’s shift starts, we have a pow wow. We discuss curriculum, responsibilities and tips for the day, as well encourage instructors to ensure they do not let their personal problems affect
their interactions with students. Floor instructors are in charge of making sure students are wearing clean uniforms, and they run the warm up, with supervisors overseeing the process. These instructors are also in charge of teaching small groups and taking care of small injuries. When floor instructors know what the curriculum is going to cover, they can help set up drills. When things are run this way, parents see there is no down time, the staff is working well together and the floor is running as smoothly as possible.
