Training for Effective Performance

All staff members need to be appropriately and adequately trained in order to carry out their jobs correctly and effectively. An important skill for a manager is to be able to determine when staff members need to be trained and what kind of training they need.

There are certain types of training which will always be needed. For example, newly hired staff will always need training in the basic skills required for their positions. Changing or expanding a program usually means additional training is needed for existing staff members in order to provide them with the new skills they will need. As a general rule, a staff member needs training if she or he is lacking a skill that is necessary to carry out her or his job. However, formal training is an expensive solution. Managers have to be careful not to regard training as the solution to all job performance problems and should be used only when it is really necessary.

Training can be carried out in a number of different ways, both informal and formal. Informal training consists of such on-the-job instruction as having a supervisor teach file clerks how to file properly or show a new receptionist how to keep the patient log book. Much of what a supervisor does is a kind of training; constructive feedback can improve an employee's performance more effectively than formal training can. After determining that an employee does need formal training, a manager must decide how long a training course is necessary. Formal training courses can last anywhere from one day to several months, depending on the complexity of the skill being taught.

Managers should also keep in mind the importance of "refresher" training to reinforce skills that staff members have already acquired, and to bring staff up to date on any new developments in their field. In addition, bringing staff together allows them to exchange their ideas and experiences and can be a team-building experience. In general, staff enjoy the opportunity to receive additional training, which can serve both as a form of staff development and as a way to motivate staff.

This chapter will discuss how to determine whether a performance problem can be resolved through training or whether it requires a different solution. It will also present the steps necessary to prepare and carry out a formal training program.

To help you determine whether or not a problem can be resolved through training, follow the steps outlined in the "Decision Tree for Training". As you can see in this diagram, training is only one of the possible solutions and is only appropriate when the performance problem is caused by the lack of a necessary skill, such as inserting contraceptive implants or maintaining the minimum level of contraceptive commodities.

To use the decision tree, begin at the top of the diagram and state exactly what the performance problem is: What is the difference between what is supposed to be done and what is being done?

Next, determine whether the problem is important. What would happen if no training were provided?

Tools and Techniques - Decision Tree For Training

Decide whether the problem is caused by a lack of skill (could the person do it if her or his life depended on it?). If the problem is not caused by a lack of skill, then training will not help the situation; the problem is caused by something that requires a different solution. Follow the questions on the right-hand side of the "decision tree" to determine what steps to take to correct the problem.

Even if the problem is caused by a skill deficiency, training will not always be the solution. As you will see when you follow the left-hand side of the tree, the employee may actually have the skill but may need more practice to perform effectively, on the performance may be able to be corrected by feedback from the supervisor. For example, although a nurse's aide learned how to take blood pressure as part of her overall clinical training, she spent the first three months of her employment doing community outreach and has recently returned to clinical work. She has not taken blood pressure measurements since her training and needs to practice, but she does not need further training. In another example, a nurse who had been employed Ministry of Health clinics for ten years has recently taken a job with a private clinic. The nurse's supervisor notices, while supervising an IUD insertion, that the nurse's technique varies slightly from clinic protocol. The nurse has used this skill often and does not need further training. After receiving feedback from her supervisor, she is able to follow clinic protocol.

The manager should remember that even when training has been identified as necessary, formal training may not be appropriate. It is possible that the skill deficiency can be resolved through on-the-job training by the supervisor or by another employee. In assessing the situation, the manager should also consider whether the employee is really qualified for the job and can be trained or whether the job should be carried out by someone else.

Vignette - Is Training Necessary? Case I

Vignette - Is Training Necessary? Case II