By Nicole Dhanraj
As imaging leaders, we understand the importance of practical training for our staff. But have you ever considered your training methods’ effectiveness and if they resonate with your team? We often let education handle the training, but we must consider whether our department and organizational training methods are effective for our staff because they directly impact our department’s success.
If our staff members don’t feel engaged or motivated during training, they may struggle to retain information and develop the skills needed to perform their jobs effectively. This, in turn, can lead to decreased productivity, lower quality work and potentially negative impacts on our bottom line and becomes a waste of effort with a limited ROI.
So, how can you assess the learning styles of your imaging staff? Here are some tips to help you get started:
Observe their behavior
Pay attention to how your staff members interact with information. Do they click through information without paying attention? Are they curious or nonchalant? Do you find them engaging when there are visual aids, like diagrams and charts? Or maybe they ask many questions or prefer to work independently? Observing their behavior lets you start identifying patterns and preferences and design your training accordingly.
Ask for feedback
Don’t hesitate to ask your team members for feedback on your training methods. This can help you identify areas that need improvement and gain insight into how your staff prefers to learn. This can also work for the material you present in your staff meeting.
Use a Learning Style Assessment Tool
Many assessment tools can help you identify your staff members’ learning styles, such as the VARK questionnaire or the Kolb Learning Style Inventory. These tools can provide valuable insight into the strengths and weaknesses of each individual and help you tailor your training approach accordingly.
Adapt Training and Provide Exposure
Once you understand your staff members’ learning styles, it’s crucial to adapt your training approach accordingly. Let’s say you’re a director responsible for training a new manager in your radiology department. Instead of giving them a book or manual or having them wade through a PowerPoint on their own without an opportunity for discussion, assess their learning style and needs. It can be overwhelming for some people to absorb much information through reading or listening alone. The information may not be retained without opportunities to ask questions or apply their knowledge in a practical setting.
You can adapt your training approach to suit their needs when you’ve assessed their learning style and determined that they learn best through interactive discussions and collaboration. You might incorporate more interactive discussions and role-playing scenarios into your training sessions. For example, you might conduct brainstorming sessions with your new manager, asking them to come up with solutions to real-world challenges that they’ll be facing in their role.
You might also pair them up with experienced managers within the department, assigning them to work on joint projects or tasks that require collaboration. This would allow them to learn from experienced managers in a more interactive and hands-on way while also providing opportunities for them to develop their skills and knowledge.
In addition, you might provide them with opportunities to attend relevant conferences, seminars or workshops to expand their knowledge and skills. This would allow them to learn from industry experts, gain exposure to new technologies and network with peers from other radiology departments.
Avoid Time-Consuming Activities
You may be thinking this will create a lot of work for you. However, one way to avoid making time-consuming individualistic training is to focus on creating materials that can be easily adapted or customized to meet the needs of different learners. Here are some suggestions:
- Develop training materials that can be combined or rearranged based on the needs of different learners. For example, you could create a series of short training videos or interactive modules that cover various topics and allow learners to choose which topics they want to focus on based on their needs. This is especially great in cross-training individuals.
- Provide opportunities for learners to self-assess their own learning needs and choose the training materials that are most relevant to them. These assessments could be done through a pre-training survey or assessment that asks learners to identify their strengths and weaknesses and then provides recommendations for training modules based on their responses. The suggestions can help you when pairing staff with mentors or onboarding new hires.
Provide opportunities for collaborative learning, such as group discussions, role-playing exercises or team-based projects. This collaboration can help learners share their knowledge and skills with others and can also help to build a sense of community and support among learners. This effective team-building exercise can be used primarily on topics such as quality and safety.
Consider using technology to create more efficient and scalable training solutions. For example, you could use virtual reality simulations, online learning platforms or mobile apps to deliver more interactive and engaging training materials. This is an excellent option for new graduates and new hires.
Try Adapting Your Approach!
By assessing your staff members’ learning styles and adapting your training approach accordingly, you can help ensure that your team members are engaged, motivated and equipped with the skills they need to succeed. So, don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things – your staff will thank you! •
Nicole Dhanraj, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, PMP, GPHR, CPSS, CRA, R.T(R)(CT)(MR), is an experienced imaging director.
