Quality System Induction Training for New Employees

rogerpenna

Quite Involved in Discussions
For any presentation to be meaningful - and memorable - it needs to resonate with the attendees. I start off any presentation planning with WHY. WHY should these people care about what you have to say.

Just yesterday, I sat in a meeting with some clinical leaders at a site as they outlined their upcoming Skills Day. This is actually a week of learning for our front line staff (e.g., nurses, personal support workers, and therapists). They are learning (or re-learning) some basic clinical skills - everything from properly charting/documentation to diabetic foot care to medical technology found in homes and so on. It's a pretty intensive time - held over one week, but staff come in for only one day.

The clinical team ran through everything, turned to me with smiles on their faces and asked "Well, did we miss anything?"

"Why?" I challenged them. "Why should our staff come in and learn all this stuff that they hopefully learned back in school?"

"Because it will refresh their knowledge." Was the response.

"So?" I persisted. "If I supposedly know something already, why should I bother coming in for this?"

I was greeted with blank stares.

"You're telling them WHAT to do and HOW to do it, but not WHY. Make me give a d@mn."

"Well, it's part of their job requirement."

"I can get a job somewhere else, if I'm a nurse or personal support worker. There's a shortage. Anyone will hire me. Try again."

"To stay current on your training?"

"Has it really changed? And if it has, why are we waiting so long to get the information out there? Shame on us. I still don't want to come."

At this point, the site leader spoke up, "Okay, I know what Roxane is getting at. It's technical, but we need to find an emotional connection. How do we do that?"

Silence. Then 5 sets of eyes turned to me.

"Tell a story." I said simply. "We spoke before this meeting about a little boy who was given the incorrect dosage of medication because the nurse didn't read the pump properly. You have a station for that particular pump. Why not post of picture of 'little Timmy' (not his real name) and what happened to him when his insulin dosage was wrong? Say how little Timmy felt...and his Mom...and the fear during the trip to the hospital. I presume the majority of our staff went into healthcare because they wanted to help people like little Timmy. Have them think about *him* while they learn about the pump. Make them care. That's your why."

So, you want to make quality and environmental training more interesting? Tell a story. Talk about an environmental disaster - not necessarily your own if you prefer - and how an EMS could have helped address it, manage it, learn from it, and reduce the likelihood of recurrence.

Stories are a powerful tool and an excellent way to help provide the WHY. They are grossly underused in business, maybe because we associate them with children.

that's a great post and example.

it's a little fun however to imagine what kind of stories some industries or services would have to tell their employees to make them emotionally attached. On the other hand, if your primary purpose is not one that would be good to emotionally attach someone (as the medical field, where people want to save lives), maybe a secondary approach is necessary.

"We are Blackwater, the most famous merc... I mean, Private Military Company in the world. We fight wars in Africa, for corrupt generals. Several children may die in the wars we fight. So why should we strive for quality? Because we form little tight friendship bonds in our groups. You doing it "right", with "quality" may save YOUR life and your mates".
 

Randy

Super Moderator
"We are Blackwater, the most famous merc... I mean, Private Military Company in the world. We fight wars in Africa, for corrupt generals. Several children may die in the wars we fight. So why should we strive for quality? Because we form little tight friendship bonds in our groups. You doing it "right", with "quality" may save YOUR life and your mates".

Not really the best example you could have used.
 

rogerpenna

Quite Involved in Discussions
Not really the best example you could have used.

in what sense?

it's just that at principle, a merc company sounds to me like the opposite of of people saving lives at hospitals. As I do not think drug cartels looks to get ISO certifications, maybe I should have used as example a company on a "boring" area?
 

Randy

Super Moderator
in what sense?

it's just that at principle, a merc company sounds to me like the opposite of of people saving lives at hospitals. As I do not think drug cartels looks to get ISO certifications, maybe I should have used as example a company on a "boring" area?

Hey whatever, but as an old merc of sorts I never hurt a kid and some others may not see the humor like you do. Another type of story/example may have been in better taste for the polite folks here.
 

rogerpenna

Quite Involved in Discussions
Hey whatever, but as an old merc of sorts I never hurt a kid and some others may not see the humor like you do. Another type of story/example may have been in better taste for the polite folks here.

ok, from my cultural background, talking good things about mercenary groups is the one thing that would not be considered in good taste.

I do not have other examples them. I guess if you can connect emotionally about the objetive of your job in a mercenary group, you can do it with any other legal job.
 
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Randy

Super Moderator
ok, from my cultural background, talking good things about mercenary groups is the one thing that would not be considered in good taste.

I do not have other examples them. I guess if you can connect emotionally about the objetive of your job in a mercenary group, you can do it with any other legal job.

Between me and you it's not an abstract connection for me, it's a real connection.

We just need to rethink the good ideas we have and ask...Can it be misunderstood?
 

rogerpenna

Quite Involved in Discussions
Between me and you it's not an abstract connection for me, it's a real connection.

yes, but is that connection about the organization OBJECTIVES (like in an hospital, to save lives) or is that connection about your own experience and that of your companions (meaning, do it right and with quality, train and know your think because it may save YOUR life and that of your companion)?

because that was what I was thinking about. The hospital example is maybe one of the easiest, because your objective there is to save lives.
 

Danyboy32

Starting to get Involved
For any presentation to be meaningful - and memorable - it needs to resonate with the attendees. I start off any presentation planning with WHY. WHY should these people care about what you have to say.

Just yesterday, I sat in a meeting with some clinical leaders at a site as they outlined their upcoming Skills Day. This is actually a week of learning for our front line staff (e.g., nurses, personal support workers, and therapists). They are learning (or re-learning) some basic clinical skills - everything from properly charting/documentation to diabetic foot care to medical technology found in homes and so on. It's a pretty intensive time - held over one week, but staff come in for only one day.

The clinical team ran through everything, turned to me with smiles on their faces and asked "Well, did we miss anything?"

"Why?" I challenged them. "Why should our staff come in and learn all this stuff that they hopefully learned back in school?"

"Because it will refresh their knowledge." Was the response.

"So?" I persisted. "If I supposedly know something already, why should I bother coming in for this?"

I was greeted with blank stares.

"You're telling them WHAT to do and HOW to do it, but not WHY. Make me give a d@mn."

"Well, it's part of their job requirement."

"I can get a job somewhere else, if I'm a nurse or personal support worker. There's a shortage. Anyone will hire me. Try again."

"To stay current on your training?"

"Has it really changed? And if it has, why are we waiting so long to get the information out there? Shame on us. I still don't want to come."

At this point, the site leader spoke up, "Okay, I know what Roxane is getting at. It's technical, but we need to find an emotional connection. How do we do that?"

Silence. Then 5 sets of eyes turned to me.

"Tell a story." I said simply. "We spoke before this meeting about a little boy who was given the incorrect dosage of medication because the nurse didn't read the pump properly. You have a station for that particular pump. Why not post of picture of 'little Timmy' (not his real name) and what happened to him when his insulin dosage was wrong? Say how little Timmy felt...and his Mom...and the fear during the trip to the hospital. I presume the majority of our staff went into healthcare because they wanted to help people like little Timmy. Have them think about *him* while they learn about the pump. Make them care. That's your why."

So, you want to make quality and environmental training more interesting? Tell a story. Talk about an environmental disaster - not necessarily your own if you prefer - and how an EMS could have helped address it, manage it, learn from it, and reduce the likelihood of recurrence.

Stories are a powerful tool and an excellent way to help provide the WHY. They are grossly underused in business, maybe because we associate them with children.
@RoxaneB Amazing post. Thank you.
 
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