Episode 1154 – The Campions’ Guide to Training a Stellar Team
Meet Nathalie Campion
Mike Campion introduced someone very special on this episode, none other than his wife, Nathalie Campion. With Lindsay on a much-needed vacation, Nathalie stepped in to keep things lively. Mike shared how much he admires Nathalie and promised this episode would be a bit more flirty than usual. Nathalie, who goes by “Moms Love Guns” on Instagram, is here to help, not to sell anything. She’s simply lending her perspective, and people seem to love it when she’s on the podcast.
Training Troubles
Mike tackled a common issue: training. He sees this problem repeatedly among cleaning business owners. Training can be tedious, overwhelming, and often ineffective. One big mistake is trying to train the wrong person. Mike used a funny but insightful analogy about dogs—some are just not trainable beyond a certain point. The key takeaway? Spend more time finding the right person, someone who shares your core values. Training someone who doesn’t align with your values is a losing battle.
Core Values Matter
Mike emphasized the importance of shared core values in both personal and professional relationships. He and Nathalie rarely argue about fundamental issues because their core values match. He used this to illustrate that when employees share your values, they need less training and are more likely to perform well naturally. If you and your employees don’t see eye to eye on the basics, no amount of training will make them good workers.
Attitude Over Experience
Nathalie jumped in with her perspective, highlighting that attitude is everything. She pointed out that experienced cleaners might not always be the best employees if they’re stubborn or unwilling to learn. On the other hand, someone with the right attitude can be trained easily. For cleaning, hiring for attitude and training for skill is the way to go. Many people mistakenly equate experience with a good employee, but that’s not always the case.
Real Training Tips
Mike wrapped up with some practical training tips. He argued against lengthy manuals and complex training materials, especially for small teams. Instead, he suggested a hands-on approach: showing new hires how to do the job, watching them do it, and then spot-checking their work. This method is effective for both cleaning and administrative tasks. Mike stressed that believing in the repeatability and scalability of the task is crucial. Training should be simple, hands-on, and aligned with core values.
In essence, the podcast underscored the importance of hiring the right people and focusing on core values over rigid training protocols. With the right mindset and approach, training can be straightforward and effective.