t is widely accepted that all employees—from the newly hired to the seasoned professional—benefit from training; however, training sessions often end up lower on the veterinary practice priority list. But what is the eventual outcome of not training the team? Chaos, inconsistencies, team-member turnover, medical mistakes, loss of revenue, etc. So why do we have so much trouble doing it?
For some practices, they can’t afford to have people “off the floor” and away from work, as time is limited and there are competing priorities, like emergency cases. For others, there is a lack of money, training resources or individuals to conduct the training (i.e., subject-matter experts). Or, could it be that some are just doing it wrong?
Doing it wrong? Training is training, right? There is a difference…training is not learning.1 Your team can sit through a training session and not learn what they need to perform their job. Think about your last lunch-and-learn training session. How much did the team retain? Did you need to go back and review the material again? This is an example of a failure to learn because the training session was not done the right way.
Research has found that people retain 10% of what they read and 20% of what they hear.
Instead of setting up training sessions, encourage continuous learning by creating pathways that allow each team member to take control of their learning. Enable the new hire to go back and review specific skills or knowledge. Provide a way for team members to grow their skillset without needing a formal training day. Learning pathways utilize the techniques of microlearning and asynchronous instruction to provide opportunities for team members to grow and develop at their own pace—without making them suffer through a training “dump” of information during lunch.
Learning Pathways
- Make training more flexible, on-demand and virtually accessible.
- Explain the “why”—the team needs to see how the training benefits them.
- Try micro-training formats which utilize short videos, checklists, and graphics to provide valuable and relevant content.
- Enable collaboration and feedback from colleagues.
- Create a central knowledge base where the material is archived and available for on-demand review.
- Include mixed modalities such as articles, videos, podcasts, infographics, blog posts, eLearning courses, etc.
- Prioritize recent content, especially for our rapidly changing profession.
- Provide documentation for the personnel file upon completion either through a short quiz, a sign-off when a skill is performed or the awarding of a badge.
Think of the learning pathway as the old office library of books and professional magazines upgraded to a higher standard. It still involves curating relevant material (e.g., practice SOPs, employee handbook, etc.), but it also incorporates PowerPoints, videos and web-based resources (e.g., blogs, webinars, newsletters, etc.). The material is available via online access so the “student” can independently learn the material, be it a refresher or to obtain new skills and knowledge.
There should also be a social element connected to the pathway to encourage knowledge-sharing among the team, allowing for regular updates as team members experience situations, and opportunities for asking questions. You can consider designating “go-to” team members for different topics (i.e., subject-matter experts). As a final step, the pathway should offer practice exercises and documentation for use in personnel files.
For example, a new hire can begin the learning process by accessing a folder via the online portal. There they can read the employee handbook, learn more about the hospital, complete paperwork, understand safety protocols and submit any questions. Now, instead of the practice manager doing all that on the new hire’s first day, the two can discuss any questions and concerns, or the new hire can receive guidance and feedback from the manager.
From there, the pathway can provide educational goals just like your phase-training schedule—only now, instead of a notebook filled with paper, it is online. For example, perhaps the CSR phase training begins with telephone skills or check-in procedures. In addition to your training handbook and checklist, video and webinar resources are added to your training material in an online format.
There is so much information “out there” that it can be overwhelming, but there is opportunity to delegate and develop others on your team. For example, assign the surgery nurse the role of updating resources and materials related to surgery. Or, a CSR may curate videos on how to deal with demanding clients. Your team is now actively involved in gathering material, reviewing it, getting it approved and placing it in the learning pathway for everyone to use.
According to the Harvard Business Review, creating content is replaced with curating content, incorporating information from different sources and in different formats to build a learning pathway.2 For some of the information, there is no need to reinvent the wheel—you just need to find it online and incorporate it into your training resources. However, it’s important to evaluate the current offerings from several different sources as you build different pathways.
For example, some providers of web-based learning resources are ACT Online Training, Fear Free Certification Program, AVMA PLIT web-based training modules on safety, AAHA Learning, Cat-Friendly Veterinary Professional Certificate Program, various corporate e-learning modules (e.g., Zoetis, PSIvet, Merck, etc.) and more.
Training doesn’t have to be time-constrained and boring. Learning is exciting when it is easy to access, relevant, current and engaging. Take the time to understand the needs of the business and each team member, identify where there are gaps in skills or knowledge, get the team involved, curate the resources, create the pathways and let the learning begin!
- The Difference Between Training and Learning. Advanced Business Learning. https://advancedbusinesslearning.com/2016/07/20/the-difference-between-training-and-learning/
- Zao-Sanders, M. and Peake, G. (2022, February 3). Creating Learning Pathways to Close Your Organization’s Skills Gap. The Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/02/create-learning-pathways-to-close-your-organizations-skills-gap
