I was reminded recently that having a skill doesn’t necessarily mean being able to teach that skill to others. I was in a group of four people, and we wanted to play Euchre. Two of us were experienced players but the other two were not. The other Euchre player offered to explain the game, then immediately launched into the middle of the rules with a lengthy and somewhat rambling explanation of trump, bauers and lone hands. I could see how confused the new players were so I asked for permission to start over.
I started with: “Each player is dealt five cards… “ (no, that hadn’t been said!) I stated the object of the game and how to score points, then moved on to progression of play, the hierarchy of the cards, trump, bauers, and finally the little twists that allow for multiple points. Within a few minutes we were able to move to an open hand, showing our cards for demonstration and talking through the round. Following that, we put a novice with each experienced player and we were on our way to an enjoyable evening of cards.
Presenting new material in a way that is easy to learn is a skill onto itself. You start with the big picture, then drill down into the details. I call it the layers of the onion. Start with the whole onion, then peel the layers in order until all of the information has been conveyed.
When a businessperson decides to manage some or all of their bookkeeping on their own, their first instinct is often to enlist a person they know such as a friend or their bookkeeper who uses a particular accounting software that sounds suitable. What’s wrong with this picture? Re-read the title of this blog post. Not only is the businessperson risking that they will end up more confused than ever at the hands of a novice trainer, but they will only learn about the particular software that their trainer knows.
Your bookkeeping training plan should be in writing and should be delivered in a first-things-first format. Learning a new skill is hard enough without having to sort and organize the information for yourself-that’s the trainer’s job.
Let’s be honest. Taking on your business’ books is a risk. Correct bookkeeping that yields useful information is critically important to the success of your business. With today’s technology DIY bookkeeping is very do-able, but if you plan to go there, make sure to invest in an expert setup of your software, coupled with professional training and post-learning support to give you your best chance for success.
For a free software assessment and training plan, contact BookSmarts today.