Abstract
Team based approach is considered to be one of the main concepts that may lead to positive developments in an organization such as increased productivity, high levels of efficiency in operations and reduction in the cost of operations. The San Francisco General Hospital is contemplating to use the team based approach in order to attain these objectives. Therefore, the organization has to embrace specific training programs such as on the job training technique, the instruction training technique and the job rotation techniques. Despite these techniques being associated with different training issues, effective measures can be put in place to ensure the objectives of these training programs are fully attained. The training issues associated with job rotation training technique can be addressed through developing a detailed job rotation program that can be beneficial to not only the new employees but also the already established employees. Proper implementation of team based approach by the healthcare provider will enable the organization to meet the objective of increasing the productivity of its employees while reducing costs incurred in its operations.
Many organizations focus on increasing productivity of their operations while reducing the costs incurred in the operations with an aim of maximizing returns. This objective can be achieved through embracing the team based approach, which is associated with different training issues. San Francisco General Hospital is contemplating to use a team based approach to increase its productivity and reduce the costs of operation. This approach will play a big role in improving the effectiveness and cost efficiency of this medical care (Werner & DeSimone, 2008). The use of team based approach will enable the health care providers to work as a team in identifying the patient’s needs, communicating their findings with one another, and making sure that all the aspects of the patient’s health are closely and collectively monitored.
The implementation of the team based approach in an organization requires adequate training of all the employees in order to equip them with the necessary knowledge required to perform their specific duties within their work teams. In the process of training the healthcare providers within San Francisco General Hospital to embrace team based approach, various training issues may be faced thus requiring the organization to devise new ways of dealing with these issues. The most convenient training method applicable for this organization is the on the job training because it enables the health care providers to put in practice whatever they have learned in the operations of the hospital. This method can be accomplished through different techniques such as job instruction training, job rotating and coaching (Belbin, 2012). All these techniques have some challenges which need to be addressed in order to ensure that maximum benefits are gained from the training process.
The on the job training programs are conducted on the trainee’s workstation whereby they receive training and couching on the job by the trainers or the supervisors. This method is considered to be very informal with no structured plan for facilitating the program. This leads to training issues such as increased error rates, very low employee productivity and decreased training efficiency thus failing to achieve the objectives of the team based approach (Werner & DeSimone, 2008). Another training challenge faced in the job instruction training technique is the lack of proper communication between the trainer and the trainee. The trainer need to interact very closely with the trainees to identify their training needs and what the already know in order to design the most appropriate training program.
The job rotation training technique can be also used by the hospital to train its employees on team work skills. Job rotation will enable the healthcare providers to make observations on their own rather than receiving instructions by engaging in a series of assignments in different departments within the hospital for a specified period of time (Werner & DeSimone, 2008). However, this training technique may have some contentious issues because it is only appropriate for new employees to enable the supervisors gather information about the unique abilities and skills possessed by new employees. For already established employees in the hospital, the adoption of the job rotation technique may be inappropriate because the employees tend to have established specialty in a specific department in the healthcare facility.
The organization needs to devise efficient ways of addressing the training issues faced by San Francisco General Hospital in its endeavor to embrace team based approach in its systems of operation. The training issue of informal structures and unstructured training programs can be addressed by making the training programs more formal and designing a well-established structure to guide the entire on the job training programs. The formalization of the training program will help in reducing the error rates, improving the employee productivity while reducing the costs incurred in the training process (Belbin, 2012). The issue of poor communication between the trainer and the trainees in the job instruction training technique is very critical because it may inter the attainment of the objectives of the training program. In order to achieve the objectives of a team based approach, the training process should incorporate a very close interaction between the trainer and the trainees in order to build a strong team work spirit.
The training issues associated with job rotation training technique can be addressed through developing a detailed job rotation program that can be beneficial to not only the new employees but also the already established employees. Many job rotation programs are meant for the new entrants in the organization despite the need for rotating employees in all departments necessary for all the employees (Bratton & Gold, 2012). Many organizations in the healthcare industry have embraced the on the job training technique, the job instruction training technique and the job rotation techniques to build up team work among the employees. As San Francisco General Hospital contemplates to embrace the team based approach, the need to adopt these specific training techniques arises.
References
Belbin, R. M. (2012). Management teams. London: Routledge.
Bratton, J., & Gold, J. (2012). Human resource management: theory and practice. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Werner, J. M., & DeSimone, R. L. (2008). Human resource development. Stamford: Cengage Learning.
