Team Training Done Right by Flint Geier

by Flint Geier

• Communicate the “why” and expected benefits to the patients, practice and team. For example, explain that the training company was referred by a colleague who has seen great success in terms of improved patient experience, practice growth and employee satisfaction. Be sure your people know you don’t think what they’re doing now is wrong or that their performance is subpar. Emphasize that you’re committed to training that will continuously improve what they’re already doing well, and identify ways they can work more efficiently as a team to deliver better patient service while making their jobs easier.
• Set expectations for their open-minded attitudes going into the training, their engagement in the process during training and their commitment to do their best to execute what they learn.
• Map out and schedule a quarterly—better yet, annual—training plan on the practice calendar, not just one training day. To do otherwise is like going to a personal trainer once and saying you’ll schedule the next session once you notice results.

• Don’t think of it as an investment in a single training day but as an investment in the team.
• Opt for on-site, face-to-face training over virtual. COVID-19 required new ways of training for awhile, but too many people continue to be lured by the convenience and lower cost of virtual, even though the outcomes aren’t nearly as beneficial. Learners are deprived of hands-on experience and in-the-moment application and practice of principles, which help build new habits that create results. Instead of working through exercises at the time, the required thought and action is deferred and often does not occur at all; if it does, retention is less. Team members also miss out on human connection and interaction with the trainers, which fosters real engagement. On-site training is well worth the additional investment because the critical action piece is incorporated, not just the information piece.
• Hold training as early in the week as possible, and never on a Friday. On Fridays, people are not only distracted by the upcoming weekend but won’t have the opportunity to immediately apply what they’ve learned, significantly affecting retention. Monday training lets them begin to build momentum that same week, driving even stronger commitment that leads to immediate results.
• In addition to setting up expectations in advance, have an execution plan for afterward—including goals, action plans, implementation schedule, tracking systems and clear accountabilities. Without these in place, human nature will have everyone naturally revert to their old ways, because they’ll cease to think about the new ways and won’t be held accountable to execute what they learned.

Flint Geier, the director of Scheduling Institute’s 5-Star Certification Program and a keynote speaker, motivates independent practice doctors and team members to achieve personal and professional growth. For a complimentary practice growth analysis from the Scheduling Institute, visit fivestarchallenge.com/dtown.