Training isn't just for water operators, and it doesn’t have to be boring – we have video to prove it.
Water operators are required to undergo certain hours of training in order to get required state and federal certification, but all water employees and those who work with the water systems can benefit from training.
Customer service training, for example, can benefit the office workers and even water board members. Board members can benefit from management courses. And of course, water operators, engineers and other employees need training for obtaining and maintaining their certifications.
In the previous eBulletin, we discussed the needs and advantages of training and certification. In this edition, we'll follow a recent training session, which offered more than just a few hours of lecture. We’ll give you an idea of what you might expect in an RCAP training session. We'll describe some of the topics and training exercises, provide a little feedback from the participants and even show you part of the training via the wonder of online video.
Management
We've all heard people give their general assessment on training.
"It's something I have to do each year, and it's OK. At least it's time out of the office."
We also know what they're really thinking.
"Great, another boring day of listening to someone talk on and on at a podium."
Yes, training sessions can be like that, but not all of them. While a speaker at a podium can be expected, there are more benefits to training sessions than just that certificate at the end. Many training sessions offer participants a chance to bond as fellow water systems' workers, to learn from each other and to share ideas.
We recently followed a couple of training sessions given by Tommy Ricks, State RCAP Coordinator for Mississippi. The sessions were held May 12 and 13 in Forrest City, Arkansas, by RCAP Southern affiliate Community Resource Group in conjunction with the Arkansas Department of Health. Day 1 covered General Management, and Day 2 covered Customer Service Management. The sessions provided first-day attendees with six hours of direct training credit for state certification, and second-day participants got six hours of indirect training credit.
The trainees were seated in a horseshoe shape to make it easier to interact with Ricks and each other. They started the day by introducing themselves and the water systems or agencies they represented.
The training session involved three methods of learning – lecture, reading and learning exercises. Each participant was given a training manual and was periodically given time to read certain sections. Then those sections were discussed among the participants, and enlivened by stories from Ricks’ years in the water business and as a lecturer and trainer.
The discussions were punctuated by learning exercises. Ricks provided a problem, and the participants gathered into groups and worked out solutions.
In the General Management session, participants were told about a small, fictional water system that lacked direction. The groups had to come up with a mission statement that would guide the system back onto the right track. The participants can be seen working on this problem in our video. The link is provided below.
The session covered the various aspects of water system management, from capacity development to capital improvements. The group discussed ways water systems can improve themselves including the use of partnerships and by maintaining good relationships with local, state and federal entities.
These three methods kept the training session moving and allowed more interaction among the participants. These same methods were utilized the next day.
Additional Resources
Advanced Management Training video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_wSeQAKUkI [1]
Colorful session
The next day’s training covered Customer Service Management.
A few of the trainees from the previous day left, and a few new ones joined the group. So once again, the day began with introductions.
Ricks then asked the customer service representatives in the room to raise their hands, and several did so.
“Every one of you should have raised your hand, because you all represent your water system to your customers. You’re all customer service representatives,” he said.
Ricks then showed the participants a video about good customer service for water systems. It described various scenarios, including several examples of how to handle irate customers, whether they’re on the phone complaining about a lack of service or on the road complaining because they can’t get around a leak repair quickly. They even showed a customer panicking over reports of various minerals and metals she “heard” were in her water.
The film’s solution was to be polite, courteous, respectful and simple yet honest in your explanations.
The video was interesting, even slightly entertaining (not all customers acquiesce as easily as those portrayed in the film). But it was the next learning exercise that piqued the interest.
It involved chocolate.
The exercise required that each participant get a bag of M&Ms candy. Parts of this exercise can be seen in the video mentioned above.
Participants had to look at the M&Ms as if they were customers, dividing the different types of customers. Perhaps the orange ones represented the irate customers. The brown ones were the happy customers. Green maybe represented those that didn’t pay on time. Different colors, different customers. And while it’s important to understand the differences in the colors (and the customers), the lesson here was simple.
They all came from the same bag, and they all tasted the same.
In other words, whether a customer is irate, friendly, delinquent on payments or right on time, it’s important to treat each customer with the same level of respect and courtesy. That’s not always easy, as some participants pointed out. In those cases, it’s often best to just let the customer vent, Ricks said. But treating each customer with respect and kindness is better all around in the long run.
It’s an important lesson, one conveyed simply with a bag of M&Ms.
M&Ms that were soon devoured, of course.
What do they think?
Training sessions may seem to be a necessary evil, but they hold many advantages for participants beyond meeting state or federal requirements. Many participants at Ricks’ training sessions said they enjoyed the interaction and learned important lessons that can help them in their jobs.
"This information's been great, me being the new manager that I am," said Raymond Means, manager at the Four Mile Hill Water System in White County, Arkansas. Means attended the training session on General Management. He said he enjoyed the exercises where they broke into groups. He had attended other sessions because it added a livelier element to the training session.
Pam Shirley was surprised by the Customer Service Management session, the first one she had ever attended.
“I’ve enjoyed it, and I’ve learned a couple of things that I’m going to put to use,” she said.
Mark Coffman, manager of the Ozark Acres Water Association, said he tried to come into the sessions with “no preconceived notions.” He hoped to take what he learned back to his fellow employees in the water association.
“This is pretty good information to carry back to them,” he said.
Will every training session be like this one? That certainly would be the hope, but realistically, probably not. Training sessions will vary based on the presenter, the information, the sponsor… This is just an example of the kinds of training sessions utilized by RCAP to help water and wastewater systems.
The point is that these sessions may not be as tough to get through as you might imagine. They might even be – dare we say it? – fun.
Training in a nutshell
Why the focus on training? As mentioned in the previous eBulletin, many who work for or with a water system must undergo training and obtain certification to meet state and federal requirements. The federal requirements are based on the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments. The states also have their own regulations.
Training also offers participants a chance to cultivate new ideas to help their system handle customers, maintain the system and carry out improvements.
Such training sessions can be carried out by a variety of groups, from the EPA and RCAP to state and private firms. Some sessions can provide the hours needed to obtain certification. Others may simply offer ideas, but they may not meet the state and federal requirements. Most training session advertising should state whether the session meets certification requirements. If not, it never hurts to ask.
To check further, take a look at the Association of Board of Certification's database of water and wastewater certification contacts, as well as the EPA's Technical Assistance Centers. Both links are provided below.
Additional Resources
Association Board of Certifications
http://www.abccert.org/ [2]
ABC certification contacts list
http://www.abccert.org/certification_contacts/default.asp?stateProvince=All [3]
EPA’s Technical Assistance Centers
http://epa.gov/OGWDW/smallsystems/tacpartners.html [4]