One of my favorite business practices is one that unfortunately doesn't get utilized enough in the industry - ride-alongs. The importance of a ride-along ranges from team building and bonding to quality control, and here's why:
Team building - Having a new hire do a ride-along with a veteran may seem like a basic training technique, but the importance of the ride-along is not only to train the new hire, but to promote bonding among team members. Suggest some topics of discussion to help get the conversation going between ride-along participants.
Awareness - Try a day in another person's shoes - ride along with them! This practice is ideal for new managers to see how each individual department handles their day-to-day duties and learn the ropes in a hands-on environment.
Quality control - Schedule monthly or quarterly ride-alongs with your technicians and Comfort Advisors to check for consistency in the field, as well as places for improvement among individuals and company policies.
Doing a ride-along doesn't always have to mean your employee is either in trouble or training someone. Erase the stigma of ride-alongs and reinforce the importance of team building, quality control, and role awareness among peers.
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