TEAM MANAGEMENT
pet groomer with her hands pressed to her temples
Your Practice’s Cure for the “Training Headache”
By Louise Dunn
W

e all know the benefits of a well-trained team. We all make an effort to incorporate training into the fabric of the business—from training a new hire to training on a new procedure or process. And we all become frustrated with the headaches caused by the need to train. That’s why it’s important to identify and fix the weaknesses in your training program to make the headaches go away.

SWOT Your Training Program

The SWOT acronym (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threat), although commonplace in most business discussions, is sadly underused in the training arena. Why do a SWOT analysis on a training program? Well, for some it may be because the practice is experiencing high employee turnover, is in a hiring phase due to expansion or perhaps better control over training costs is needed. For many, merely alleviating the headaches caused by a subpar training program is the driving force. The key is to examine all factors leading up to the training session to mitigate anything that has the potential to create a headache.

It is vital to have a clear understanding of when the business needs to conduct training. Sure, a new hire or a poor performer comes to mind, but is there a strategic business plan for other critical situations? For example, the following:

  • Change in technology (e.g., telehealth, new equipment)
  • Change in business practice (e.g., Fear Free protocols, chronic condition care, treatment protocol)
  • Change in company policy (e.g., job duties, laws/regulations, remote work)
  • Slow-down or growth in the business(e.g., economic changes, personnel changes, client demographics)

The business side of running a veterinary practice must communicate with the management of the personnel. If the business is considering a change, the team needs to be prepared (i.e., trained) to perform any new responsibilities. That’s why it’s important to SWOT the critical parts of the current training program, including:

  • Applicable job duties (per all of your job descriptions)
  • Documentation during the training process
  • Feedback & communications
  • Training resources
  • Training methods
  • Scheduling
  • Preparing those who will do the training

When it comes to failure of a training program, it is like a three-legged stool; weakness in one leg will result in a collapse. The point of failure may be the person receiving the training due to lack of interest, information overload or an inability to connect their personal learning preference with the training method being used. The person conducting the training could also be the culprit due to competing priorities, lack of interest or poor planning. Or business/management may be the weak leg because of limited budgeting, lack of resources, poor planning or neglecting to follow up.

Performing a SWOT analysis requires taking a hard look at any failed training attempts to pinpoint areas of weakness and missed opportunities. However, it should be balanced with a look at successful training, focusing on what worked well to determine if/how it can be repeated.

The swot acronym (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threat), although commonplace in most business discussions, is sadly underused in the training arena.
Common Causes of Training Headaches

When a patient is presented with vomiting and diarrhea, what are we trained to do? Assess the condition and treat the symptoms while determining the root cause. Well, the same applies to training headaches. The actual root cause of the headache or failed training program often turns out to be something that could have been prevented if steps had been taken early in the process. Consider these common causative factors of training headaches:

  • Hectic schedules/competing priorities. You know how it goes—an emergency comes in, not everyone will come in on their day off, people won’t stay after their shift is over, a backlog of phone calls or chart documentation needs to be completed….there is always some reason that prevents people from attending a training session.
  • Different learning habits. There are four or five different generations in the workforce and even more diverse learning styles within the team. While some people learn well by reading, others do better by seeing. Collaborating with colleagues is one of the best ways to learn because it allows team members to work towards a common goal, brainstorm and share knowledge.
  • Lack of engagement. There are several reasons why an employee is not interested in participating in the training program; maybe the topic is not relevant to the employee’s job, or perhaps the employee does not see the “why.” Of course, competing priorities and different learning habits may also be playing a role and should be considered.
  • Information overload. It is challenging to squeeze in an hour-long lunch-and-learn session with the team, coupled with all the material that is packed into that hour-long meeting, and you have a lot of information with no time to “digest” and ask questions (let alone inhale lunch at the same time).
  • Untrained trainer. The person who is conducting the training session must receive information on how to deliver consistent training sessions, provide and receive feedback, and track post-training performance. We are not all born teachers.
  • Lack of planning. This is pretty self-explanatory, but more information about this is in the following section.
  • Costs. Limited budget and training resources will make it difficult to deliver material and conduct a post-training assessment of the success of the session.

Some steps can be taken to treat the common causes, but there will never be a one-and-done fix. Since each training session involves different personnel and different requirements, there will always be a need to identify critical issues before starting the training session.

Create a Win-Win-Win Training Program
Once the areas of strengths and weaknesses have been identified, it is time to create a training program that provides a sturdy three-legged stool upon which to sit. To accomplish this, organize the training program, taking into account the known strengths, what weaknesses need to be shored up and where opportunities can be utilized by following these steps:

  1. Identify the needs. This includes the needs of the individual, the business and the person/supervisor doing the training.
  2. Identify how to evaluate the success. Communicate in advance how success will be measured (e.g., completed checklists, passing scores on tests, performance evaluations, business KPIs).
  3. Identify what will change. Communicate expectations such as performance improvement, acquiring a new skill or knowledge, or opportunities in the services offered by the business.
  4. Identify the impact on the business. This could include improved patient care, client service, business metrics or team performance.

In order to properly organize the training process, the following will need to be included:

  • Agreed-upon KPIs (metrics, evaluation scores, test scores, etc.)
  • Assigned personnel (trainers or subject matter experts)
  • Training processes (virtual, web-based, group or classroom, on-the-job, gamification, feedback, etc.)
  • Resources and tools (manuals, materials, SOPs, internet access, rewards & recognition, etc.)
  • Expenses/Budget (wages for the student and the trainer, materials)

For the new hire, assessing their current knowledge and acclimating them to the culture of the practice will have different requirements when compared to working with an existing team member in need of improving job performance, or when compared to training the team on a new procedure. Training is not the same across the board, although the template to organize each training program will be similar. It is in using an organized template that alleviates some of the headaches associated with training, as crucial steps are not missed.

The person who is conducting the training session must receive information on how to deliver consistent training sessions, provide and receive feedback, and track post-training performance.
Monitor the Results
Look back on creating the win-win-win, identify how success will be evaluated and communicate it to the trainer and the trainee. Knowing the rules and how the training “game” will be scored prevents penalties and fouls. Once again, measuring results will depend on the focus of the training, but can include the following:

  • New Hire. Consider using quizzes, regular huddles/debriefings to discuss progress and incorporating a “see one/do one/teach one” scenario with the trainer.
  • Performance Improvement. This is similar to the new hire but there is a performance history, so follow-up evaluations should show improvement (with visual confirmation by the trainer/supervisor).
  • New Technology, Business Practice or Company Policies. Track behavior changes, chart audit trends, charge for the new service and conduct team surveys.
  • Business KPIs. Monitor client bonding and satisfaction, employee retention and satisfaction, and new service metrics.

The veterinary industry will always have new medications, new treatments, new equipment and new procedures. It is a profession that provides opportunities for learning and personal growth. Since we know we will need to continue to conduct training of our team members, it is important that we formalize the process, address any headache-causing issues before getting started and enjoy the fruits of a successful training program.

Louise Dunn headshot
Louise Dunn is a renowned award-winning speaker, writer and consultant. She brings over 40 years of in-the-trenches experience and her business education to veterinary management. Louise is founder and CEO of Snowgoose Veterinary Management Consulting. SVMC works with veterinarians who want to develop a strategic plan that consistently produces results. Most recently Louise received many awards including the WVC Educator of the Year numerous times and VetPartner’s The Life Time achievement Award in January 2016.