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DO YOU BELIEVE THESE STAFF TRAINING MYTHS?

REBECCA L. JOHNSON, C.P.O.T., C.O.T., C.O.E.

I HAVE heard many reasons why doctors do not invest in advanced staff training, instead deferring to give staff members only the information needed to do the job. In this article, I address and debunk common the reasons I’ve heard.

1 “WHAT IF I INVEST IN TRAINING AND HE OR SHE GETS ANOTHER JOB?”

OK. But, what if you don’t train him or her and he or she stays? For instance, my neighbor had two dogs kept inside a gated yard. One was a beautiful and energetic black Labrador, the other an old Basset hound. The Labrador’s name was Daisy. I know this because every time the gate was cracked just a tiny bit, the Lab bolted, causing the owner to walk the street yelling, “Daisy, get back here.” The Basset hound was quite happy to stay on the back porch and wait for his next meal.

The lesson in this example: If you have a “Daisy” (an employee who is anxious to learn and to grow) and you keep him or her in a spot of no growth for too long, he or she is likely to bolt at the first opportunity. Also, if you maintain a fear of losing good employees after training them, soon all you will have left are the no-name Basset hounds happy to get a paycheck for the least amount of effort.

2 “I DO NOT HAVE TIME”

Training will save you time, as you will have less mistakes, less patient complaints and more confidence to delegate tasks. If you do not enjoy training, arrange for a vendor rep to help, for example a frame or lens rep.

3 “I DO NOT SEE AN ROI FOR SENDING MY STAFF TO EDUCATION CONFERENCES”

This can be true if you do not set your expectations prior to the conference. Have your employees take different classes, chosen by you or the office manager, based on skill and interest. Then, require each attendee to give a presentation to fellow staff members on what was learned. Also, to make the most of this time, consider setting up a schedule of vendors for employees to meet at the conference.

4 “MY STAFF IS NOT INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE THAN THEY NEED TO KNOW TO DO THEIR JOBS”

I find this hard to believe. It may be that there are a few staff members who feel they know all they need to know and consider training a waste of their time. If they really do know everything, then they should be training the rest of the staff! If not, and they are using this as an excuse not to learn more or to take on additional responsibility, I would consider that the employee may have become complacent, and it’s time for a crucial conversion. OM

MS. JOHNSON is the founder and president of Eyetrain4you and the executive director of business services for GPN. Email her at Rebecca@GatewayPN.com, or visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment on this article.