Use the Shadow-Steer-Solo Model to Train Employees Effectively

Trying to teach one of your team members how to set up an Excel spreadsheet, reconcile a bank account, or store inventory properly in your stockroom?

It’s easy to fall on one of two negative extremes when teaching people new tasks:

Holding their hand for too long and not trusting them to take over the task
Pushing them into the deep end too fast without providing adequate support

After working in learning & development (L&D) for six years, I’ve found a simple but effective model you can use to strike an appropriate balance between offering your team members support while not micromanaging a task for too long.

I call the model “Shadow/Steer/Solo.” Here’s how it works:

Shadow: First, let the other person watch you perform the task. Talk them through the basics while executing a real-world example.
Steer: Now, let them take the steering wheel and perform the task. Stick around to watch them and provide feedback.
Solo: Once you’ve watched the team member execute the task correctly once or twice, you can step away and trust that they’ll perform the work at a high level.

Occasionally, you’ll witness this type of training model in action somewhere like a restaurant.

For example, my wife and I recently visited the kitschy, witchy town of Salem, Massachusetts just before Halloween. One night we ate at a Mediterranean restaurant, and after the host seated us, two servers came over to take our order. The first server stumbled over his words as he made small talk with us.

Another server lurked behind him and stepped in to help when we asked a couple of questions about the menu that the first server didn’t know. This second server exhibited the smooth conversational skills that come with years of speaking to suppering strangers every night.

The second server was training the first one, and they were apparently in the “Steer” stage of Shadow/Steer/Solo.

Restaurants have used training models like this successfully for years. But regardless of your company’s industry, you can use a similar model to train your team members.

The power of this model is its simplicity. The leaders I’ve coached have found it to be memorable, intuitive, and easy to use.

The next time you’re trying to teach someone how to fill out an expense report, create a project plan, or write a sales outreach email, give the Shadow/Steer/Solo model a spin.