Fall is Here: A Good Time to Consider Your Company's Educational Needs

Nov. 1, 2006
NAMA In sight

How often in the middle of a busy day do you stop and wish you just knew how to do something better? "If only I understood this technology better," or "If only I could motivate my workers," you might think to yourself. But if you're like most of us, the thought evaporates almost as quickly as it appeared, given all the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Where to go, how to pay for it, how to find the time are all questions that for all too many firmly close the door on the subject of education.

But where can a busy executive go to learn more about such a wide array of topics?

EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

The NAMA Executive Development Program at Michigan State University is designed to help busy executives just like you hone your strategic thinking and management skills and learn more about virtually every aspect of successful business operations.

The program is offered in conjunction with the nation's oldest and most prestigious business-based hospitality school, MSU's The School of Hospitality Business, and is designed to help participants build critical strategic thinking skills, learn to be more effective leaders, and sharpen their ability to make decisions effectively.

The topics covered during the 5-day session help attendees master everything from integrating today's technology and better understanding the competition to developing action plans and business strategies to strengthen the business.

The highly specialized NAMA MSU program tracks the same curriculum courses you would find at traditional schools, including finance, marketing, supply chain management, technology and negotiations strategy, but at about half of what you would expect to pay for similar programs. The next session will be offered in January, 2007.

Successful business leaders also understand the importance of educating employees, not just with initial, new hire instruction, but with ongoing, advanced training. Education not only enhances the skills of your workforce, but can help empower and motivate workers, too. It can solidify your reputation with clients and demonstrate that you care about the professional development of your employees.

SUPERVISOR TRAINING PROGRAM

NAMA's newest education program, the Supervisor Training and Development program, is a resource that can help you train your employees. Designed specifically for newly appointed supervisors and managers in vending, coffee service and onsite food management, the program is designed to equip newly appointed and experienced supervisors and managers with tools, goals and training to become effective team leaders.

This new program is an intense exposure to the strategies and skills critical for a successful leader in today's fast-paced world. Some of the topics covered are: decision-making, time management, communication, personal selling skills, leadership, negotiations, working with customers, safety/security, food handling and an accounting overview.

Many sessions are interactive and mini cases are incorporated into class discussion.

DON'T FORGET EXPO SESSIONS

In addition, a wide array of top notch educational sessions is always offered at the Expo to help you address the most pressing problems of the day. This year's attendees to the Expo can learn about everything from category management and keeping clients forever to trendy ideas for onsite foodservice and managing for improved profit.

Making a commitment to education probably seems to be an overwhelming task, and many might say they simply can't take the time away from other pressing company business. But in the end, those leaders who make the investment in educating themselves and their employees will see their investment pay off in much higher levels of long-term growth and success. The bottom line is that a better educated leader who in turn cultivates better educated employees is better positioned to ensure the future growth and prosperity of the business.

Dean Gilland is the vice president of membership and coffee service at the National Automatic Merchandising Association.

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