The Importance of Cross-training in Improving Team Performance

Running a small business is predictably unpredictable, and cross-training can help insulate you from some of the inevitable uncertainty by building teams with a broad range of skills. Cross-training is the practice of teaching employees to do multiple jobs so they can shift gears and support each other as needed. Very small companies often cross-train staff without necessarily identifying the practice or focusing on it as a priority. Having a limited number of workers requires that each person must be able to do a range of tasks and employees must be able to collaborate.

Cross-training saves payroll dollars because you don't need a dedicated staff person for each type of job. Instead, you have a well-rounded team of individuals who can use their varied skills for whatever purpose is most urgent at the moment, interfacing and filling in for each other. If you get an unexpected big order, you can shift personnel to beef up your production team and if you're behind on quarterly reports, you can give your bookkeeper additional support.

When employees understand what is going on in parts of the business other than where they typically work, they can work together to handle situations and answer questions more effectively. For example, if your warehouse staff works at both receiving and filling orders, a member of the team will be able to figure out why a particular item a customer has ordered isn't currently in stock, and when it will be available.

Employees who are cross-trained are less vulnerable to become bored than workers who perform the same tasks from the time they clock in to the time they clock out. They enjoy their jobs more, and they make better coworkers. They are challenged as they learn and practice new skills, and work becomes more interesting, as they not only work in different areas, but they become empowered to make collaborative decisions about where their time and efforts are most needed at the moment. They can teach each other as needed, taking initiative and drawing on their collective skills to achieve satisfying results.

Cross-training helps build a culture of collective success. When your staff encounters challenges by working together and drawing on their shared pool of knowledge and skills, they build confidence and take real pride in the outcome. As your staff learns to work together using their array of skills, they build trust so they can continue to support each other in new ways in the future.