How To Spice Up Your Compliance Training
Compliance training can be very boring and mundane, but it doesn’t have to be. It is provided so the staff in an organization know how to respond when a disaster or event occurs. But, does reading information and taking a quiz mean that staff are ready for when these events happen? Here are 6 steps to spice up your compliance training.
1. Gather Data
Find out where staff are missing the mark so you have real data to use in your training. This way, you have the proof to show staff why this training is needed. Where is your organization not hitting their goals? What data do you have to prove this? If training can help the staff hit this goal, use this data to move the organization forward.
2. Use Scenarios
Once you have the data, create scenarios that show how to respond in these situations. If you had an incident and staff didn’t follow all the procedures, use the scenario (altering names to protect the innocent) as a learning tool to show staff what could have gone better and to remind them of the correct procedure. This can also help the staff involved decompress after an event. They are already thinking about the event and what they or the team could have done better, so it is good to talk through it and help them process it. On the other hand, if you had an incident that staff did really well on, use this as a model for what to do in these situations. It will boost the morale of the staff and give them the kudos they deserve for handling the situation well. Using real life scenarios will make the training more meaningful and memorable for the staff.
3. Ask Questions
Having staff use their critical thinking skills during the training will allow them to transfer this over when a real event happens. The saying “You do what you were trained to do” really applies to compliance training. If you read text and take a quiz, you might not know the proper procedure when the event happens. But, reading scenarios and critically thinking of the proper actions to take can really step up your game.
4. Conduct Drills
Staff need hands-on training in order to get the right reflexes moving. So, conduct mock drills on situations that are more high risk, low volume. These incidents don’t occur often enough for staff to get the right reflexes moving so you need to drill so the staff are learning how to respond. If a fire (or other emergency) does occur, staff need to have the reflexes they need in order to deal with this situation. Thinking about the process can waste precious time and cause more damage than responding in the correct way.
5. Conduct AARs
After the drill, conduct an After Action Review (AAR) to debrief the staff on how the drill went. Ask questions about what went well, what could have improved and what surprises happened. Get input from those people who were at the meeting so they can help improve the process. No one knows better what really happens in these situations than the front line staff. Including them in the discussion will ensure that the process is correct and give them the buy-in they need to promote the process.
6. Review Policy
After conducting this, review the policy to ensure that it matches with what should occur in this situation. This way, the policy is up to date so it is a good resource for staff when it is needed. Also, let staff know when policies are updated so they can review them before an event happens.
Final Word
Every industry has compliance training the staff have to complete. To ensure that the training does what it is supposed to do, make it relevant and meaningful. Tie it to the goals of the organization and use real life scenarios to make the staff think about how they would really respond in those situations. As these situations happens so infrequently, it is imperative that staff know what to do when they do occur.
Following these 6 steps can spice up your compliance training and put more meaning into it for the staff. As the staff are the ones responding to these events, it is imperative that the organization give them all the tools and training they need to be successful.
