Most training programs can tell you who finished a course. Very few can tell you who's actually ready to do the job.
In our December Office Hours session, Gretchen Barkis, Chief People Officer at Haven Hot Chicken, shared how her team closed that gap—by redefining what role mastery actually means, training toward it intentionally, and requiring proof before progression.
This recap breaks down what Haven changed, why it works, and how you can apply the same principles to your own training programs.
The challenge: training completion ≠ role mastery
Defining what 'mastery' actually means is a difficult task—it varies by role, location, and even individual. Without a clear system, measuring and approving mastery often comes down to time in role, not what someone can actually do.
Training programs without role-based progression often run into the same issues:
- Team members advancing because they've "been around long enough"
- Managers relying on memory and personal judgment to decide who's ready
- Inconsistent performance across locations
- No shared definition of what "good" actually looks like in a role
When progression is tied to tenure instead of capability, training completion becomes a weak signal. People finish training, but readiness is still unclear.
Haven Hot Chicken set out to change that.
What Haven Hot Chicken created: a four-stage role mastery journey
To replace time-based progression, Haven introduced a four-stage role mastery framework that defines what readiness looks like at every step: Learning, Refining, Owning, and Advising.
Instead of asking, "How long has someone been in this role?" the question became, "What can they consistently do?"
This shift created a clear, skill-based path for growth across roles and locations.
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Stage 1: Learning
Building foundational knowledge through structured training and guided practice. Team members complete modules in "Heatmasters Academy" (Haven's branded name for their Opus training curriculum), then practice shoulder-to-shoulder with certified trainers.
Gretchen explained, "Throughout that training period, whether it's two weeks, three weeks, or four weeks, that's when we say you're in the learning phase. When you can pass your final check-in with your manager, that's when you go to refining.”
Stage 2: Refining
Developing consistency through repetition, feedback, and real-world application. Team members internalize information and practice repeatedly until they become "the ninjas of their craft."
"This is where we're challenging the individuals to internalize all this information and practice, and really get good at it and be consistent at it," Gretchen shared.
Stage 3: Owning
Demonstrating autonomy, reliability, and full command of the role. At this stage, team members execute independently without constant guidance.
"You come to work every day. You know all the tools and resources available to you, you can work autonomously, you can problem solve in the moment, and you could basically function independently," Gretchen explained.
"I lovingly call folks that are in this phase my steady Eddies because they show up. They're reliable. They're consistent. They're the easiest people to schedule because they're cross-trained. They can do everything in the restaurant. They're your utility player on the baseball team. We love them. These are our favorite team members."
Stage 4: Advising
Acting as a trusted expert who supports peers and signals readiness for advancement. Team members at this level can train others, solve problems independently, and think about store goals beyond just their own role.
"When you're in the advising phase, that's when we say you're ready for a promotion because you've demonstrated you not only know the ins and outs of your work, but you're regarded as a trusted expert, not only by your peers, but by your manager." Gretchen noted.
Why this approach works (and what it unlocks)
1. Training Progression Is No Longer Tied to Tenure
At Haven, advancement isn't based on time in role. Every stage of training is explicitly tied to knowledge, skills, or cultural behaviors required to perform the job well.
Time on the job may provide exposure—but it doesn't equal readiness. This removes ambiguity from progression and sets clear expectations from day one: growth is earned through capability, not tenure.
2. Skills Must Be Proven Before Moving Forward
Completing training is not treated as proof of mastery.
To progress, team members must demonstrate skills through in-person manager check-ins at each stage—proving they can actually do the work, not just finish the modules."We don't want to invest time and money and spend our training budgets when somebody can't advance and pass a skill check," Gretchen explained. "It's a good fair, consistent, non-biased way to really assess skill and see if somebody's ready to take it to the next position."
Haven uses Opus check-ins extensively—for skill assessments, quarterly development one-on-ones, and even observations of certified trainers teaching. "We use the check-in tool in Opus for observations. Managers track performance and answer about twenty-five questions to make sure trainers are coaching and teaching using the format we prescribe," Gretchen shared.
If someone can't consistently perform required skills, progression pauses—regardless of how long they've been with the company. This makes mastery measurable and advancement decisions fair, consistent, and defensible.
3. Training is a habit and a ritual—not treated as an extra task
One of the most actionable takeaways from Gretchen's session was Haven's daily training ritual: Clock in → connect with trainer → confirm yesterday's training → complete digital content → practice shoulder-to-shoulder.
By embedding learning into the rhythm of each shift, training becomes predictable—even during busy periods. This reduces missed steps, improves retention, and removes reliance on "we'll get to it later."
"No matter how good you are as a trainer, you're not gonna remember everything that you need to talk about and educate your new hire on. Nobody's that great. There's so much information to share," Gretchen explained. "So the value of doing the digital content is you're gonna get, at a bare minimum, what you need to get to be successful in that job or task that you're learning. If your trainer forgets to tell or show you something, we feel confident they've got it in Opus."
Training sticks when it's part of how work happens, not something bolted on.
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The prerequisite that made this possible: role clarity
Before implementing the framework, Haven had to get clear on roles.
Gretchen shared that the team:
- Simplified role structure
- Clarified responsibilities
- Aligned pay to the actual work being done
This clarity made it possible to define required skills for each role and enforce skill-based progression consistently. Without clearly defined roles, mastery can’t be objectively assessed—or fairly enforced.
What changed on the floor
Gretchen pointed to clear operational signals that this approach is working:
- Stronger, more consistent performance: New hires who followed the full mastery path showed higher confidence and readiness than those trained ad hoc. "Managers who have been vulnerable and honest shared, 'You know what, Gretchen? I followed the training plan to a tee with my last new hire, and they were so much better at their job,'" she noted.
- Clearer advancement decisions: Skill gating made it easier to identify who was ready to own a role, advise others, or needed more support.
- Greater manager confidence: Managers reported more clarity following a defined training plan instead of relying on memory or improvisation.
- More autonomous teams: Team members in the owning and advising stages were better able to problem-solve independently and support peers.
Key takeaways
Haven Hot Chicken's staged mastery framework proves that role advancement doesn't have to be subjective. When you define mastery clearly, require proof of skills, and embed training into daily work, progression becomes measurable and defensible.
The foundation was role clarity—understanding what each position actually requires before trying to train for it. The structure was skill-based stages with named milestones that everyone can recognize. The execution was embedding training rituals into every shift rather than treating development as separate from operations.
Three questions to ask about your own training:
- Can you objectively explain why someone is (or isn't) ready to progress?
- Do your team members know what mastery looks like in their current role?
- Is training embedded into daily operations, or does it happen "when there's time"?
If you cannot answer these clearly, you're guessing at role readiness.
Three actions to take today:
- Define what mastery means for one role - Start with your most common position and list specific skills required at each stage of competence
- Identify one skill gate - Choose one critical skill that must be demonstrated before someone advances to the next level
- Build one check-in into your shift routine - Add 10 minutes to review training and practice with a team member during their shift
What's next: Mastery frameworks like Haven's require clear communication to work—team members need to understand expectations, managers need to deliver consistent feedback, and everyone needs updates when standards change.
Join us for January Office Hours where we'll explore how operational updates and newsletters keep your teams informed beyond training modules.
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