Training Observation

Zaxbys Learning and Performance Improvement department offers the

managers and employees of the restaurants training that is face-to-face and online.
Their online learning management system, the ZLC, has a variety of e-Learning courses
that track the success and completion of required courses that employees must take.
Zaxbys catering program is fairly new and only a few restaurants in the entire franchise
have been running it from their locations. Although, the plan is to have catering training
online eventually, the LPI department currently only offers face-to-face trainings and I
was able to observe the process of creating and facilitating the training.
The session was created for several of Zaxbys trainers to facilitate lessons for
the catering service managers (CSM) to learn the essentials of planning and prepping
catering orders. Initially, the lead trainer held a train the trainer session that simulated
the actual training workshop. There were two train the trainer sessions, then there were
three catering trainings offered to CSMs. There were licensees and managers present
at the trainings.
During the train the trainer sessions, the lead facilitator walked the team of
trainers through what their job would be when they coached the CSMs. Job aids and
other materials were prepared and used throughout the simulation. The facilitator ran
the training session to model the order and flow of the workshop. The trainers assumed
the position of the CSMs and gave input along the way to influence the direction that the
training went and adjustments were made when necessary.

The train the trainer sessions were helpful because it raised the level of
understanding. Having one person on a team create a training course and then pass the
material off to the trainer to facilitate it, can have its disadvantages. However, when the
materials are rehearsed with the actual creator, it can eliminate some of the confusion
from misinterpreting the information. The trainers also have the opportunity to add their
ideas to the course, which is beneficial since they are the ones who will train the CSMs.
The sessions were well thought out. The team addressed all possible scenarios and
secured the roles that each member would undertake during the actual workshop.
There were three train the trainer workshops, where on the final session, the trainers
went through the workshop as though it was the real thing.
The sessions were very systematic. The topic would be introduced, information
would be given on it and then an activity or a game would follow, where the learners
would demonstrate their knowledge and practice the skill they learned. Then another
topic would follow until all of the material was covered and the objectives were met.
The lead trainer demonstrated and modelled the importance of transferring knowledge
from short term to long term so that the learners would retain the information they
receive from the workshop.
Since the catering program is fairly new to everyone at Zaxbys there can be
many opportunities for instruction. Therefore the gaps that I could see were there
because of the fact that the content was new. However, there was a moment where I
saw the managers get frustrated during the training. They were given job aids,
procedure guides, and build charts to help them calculate the numbers during the
preparation of a catering order. It was not difficult for them to pick up, however I could

see that if they had more time to practice they would have felt more comfortable working
with the materials. The time was running out and there would not have been enough
hours to give them the additional practice in this skill area that they were craving on this
day. I would like to create a course for them to practice these skills. They need a
supported environment similar to this training environment to practice planning and
preparing the catering order.