Classroom. A staff meeting provides an opportunity to present classroom training to staff members. Sending staff to off-site seminars is also a popular learning opportunity because it allows staff to expand horizons beyond the practice, develop a network of colleagues, and gain knowledge from their experiences.
Internet. This opportunity has grown substantially in the past few years, and many courses are available to help staff members learn their roles.
Shadowing. Following a successful incumbent is a great way to learn the "tricks of the trade." In turn, the new employee should then be shadowed by an experienced employee before doing the job alone.
"A Day in the Life." Staff members can find great value in experiencing life through the patient's eyes. New employees should go through the registration process, have a complete exam or consultation, and observe surgery. This helps them become better acquainted with their new roles and responsibilities while generating empathy for the patient experience.
Coaching. Direct supervisors should coach new employees in their new skills. Making this a part of everyday contact when the employee is first starting in the practice can prove to be invaluable. Regular coaching sessions using "case studies" of real-life job situations are excellent training opportunities.
Mentoring: See article below.
Stretch Assignments. Challenging employees to do assignments outside their comfort zone is a way to encourage learning. For example, if a person has never developed a budget before but is interested in eventually taking a managerial role, the person could be assigned to work with the current manager on the upcoming budget.
Teaching. Preparing to teach others a particular skill or concept requires complete understanding of that skill and anticipation of questions that might be asked. Provide opportunities for employees to teach specific topics to their coworkers. This is superb training for the teacher.
Audio/Reading. The increasing availability of audio downloads in MP3 format can make driving to and from work a learning opportunity. Also, reading articles or books from outside the medical disciplines can give employees new ideas for improving their work.
About the author: Derek Preece is a senior consultant and principal with BSM Consulting, an internationally recognized health care consulting firm headquartered in Incline Village, Nevada and Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information about the author, BSM Consulting, or content/resources discussed in this article, please visit the BSM Café
at www.BSMCafe.com.
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Mentoring: Maximize the Value of Your Experienced Team Members
By Allan Walker
Learning and growth is critical to the sustained well-being of any staff. This is especially true in a challenging business climate that requires everyone to do more with less. Make sure you take full advantage of your more experienced employees: they can provide valuable knowledge and guidance to newer staff members. You do not have to set up a formal mentor program—where an experienced staff member is regularly or routinely paired up with a less-experienced employee to serve as an example and advise them as they advance—but taking advantage of your hard-earned canon of internal knowledge certainly makes sense, especially when more formal (i.e., offsite) training is expensive and time-consuming. 
Your goal is to bring more value into the practice by identifying and providing qualified internal mentors who can use their expertise to help less-experienced individuals master their job responsibilities, advance their careers, enhance their education, and build their networks.
Initially, take time to accurately identify which positions can appropriately be mentored by another team member. Some positions do not lend themselves to a mentor approach, instead requiring direct supervision by an immediate supervisor. In addition, it is critical to determine which staff members have the ability and temperament to serve as mentors. Look for experienced staff who can balance their knowledge with patience and an ability to teach. Not everyone is built to be a mentor. Also, make sure the time spent mentoring by an experienced employee does not hinder the ability of the practice to function efficiently and properly. While mentoring is important, maintaining your quality of patient care is essential.
A mentor culture is a win-win for everyone: those serving as mentors are delighted to be recognized as able to contribute in a unique way, while employees enjoy receiving special attention from a respected and established member of the team who affords them the opportunity to expand their own knowledge base and develop new skills.
About the author: Allan Walker is director of publication services for BSM Consulting, an internationally recognized health care consulting firm headquartered in Incline Village, Nevada and Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information about the author, BSM Consulting, or content/resources discussed in this article, please visit the BSM Café at www.BSMCafe.com.
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