When healthcare leaders set out to train staff, it’s important to have a plan to get a return on investment, or ROI from Training
Customer service training only sticks when the training event is seen as the beginning and not the end.
For over 25 years, I have been helping healthcare organizations to create and sustain consistently positive patient experiences. Part of that journey is the hands-on training where all staff learn or re-engage with the organization’s values and accompanying standards of behavior. But contrary to popular belief, the training isn’t the end of the effort, it is the beginning.
To make training stick, leaders must plan with deliberate actions and touch points that will reinforce what was learned at the training. The frontline learners have the responsibility for showing up and engaging in the training. But what happens before and after the training lies mainly with the leaders who will set the stage and reinforce.
Organizational leaders who coach, mentor, model, and manage the desired behaviors are far more likely to see lasting behavioral change long after the training event is over.
For an ROI from Training Be Prepared to:
Coach – Start coaching for the desired behaviors immediately following training. Just like TSA, when you see something, say something. This can be a compliment or encouraging statement or a reminder of what is expected.
Mentor- Helping others to identify their strong suits and develop new skills is a core function of a mentoring relationship. Mentoring can support what people learn in training, but it won’t happen by chance. It happens by consciously entering into a mentoring relationship.
Model – Knowing the values and standards of behaviors is meaningless if leaders don’t model them consistently. Do a self-assessment to see where you need to brush up on your service skills and consciously put your plan into action.
Manage – Managing for service behaviors overlaps with all of the above with additional action steps. You’ll want to be prepared to encourage attendance and talk about successes. Share stories during huddles and publicly praise team members who go above and beyond. Openly discuss goals and the team’s progress. Include behavior-based interview questions in the interview to start setting the stage even before a candidate is hired.
Leaders who coach, mentor, model, and manage for behaviors learned in training sessions are much more likely to realize an ROI from training, especially customer service training.
Whether you’re looking for comprehensive, sustainable customer service training or a leadership development curriculum, Baird can help. In addition to high-quality training tools, Baird provides effective communication support designed to build buy-in. Find out how you can get ROI from every training. Contact hillary@baird-group.com.
Tags: coaching, standards of behavior, training
