Failing to Cross Train leads to Failure

Failing to cross train leads to failure. Here’s one example. A few years ago my father was in the hospital for an extended stay. It was serious. Although he was cared for by personable and professional staff, there was constant miscommunication. Instructions from the doctor weren’t carried out by the nursing staff, the pharmacist forgot to fill a prescription, and the doctors didn’t read the nurses notes. At one point, my father was moved from intensive care without the attending physician’s knowledge. They moved him back. How does this happen among highly trained professionals? Could it be because they don’t really know each other’s jobs?

I don’t want to misrepresent myself. I know little to nothing about healthcare professionals. All of my experience in healthcare is as a patient. I appreciate, admire, and respect the people in healthcare and the challenges they’ve tackled in the last three years makes them hero’s. Thank you all. Having said that, from my perspective my dad’s stay was a good example of people not working together as best they could.

Cross-training or Chaos? It’s Your Choice

Yes, of course, doctors know what the nurse’s job is and vice-versa. I’m certain any anesthesiologist can quote a radiologist job description and pharmacists know what housekeepers do. But do they understand the day-to-day challenges of each position? Does each department consider how what they do affects the other departments? Do they truly know and understand what the others jobs are? My guess is—probably not.

Not Everyone Can Learn Everyone’s Job

OK, I get it. If nurses were cross-trained as doctors, they’d be doctors, but that level of training isn’t required. Allowing a nurse to shadow a doctor for an hour, making it mandatory for doctors to spend an hour following the nursing staff, asking an anesthesiologist to observe housekeeping clean two rooms all leads to better understanding. It doesn’t have to be hours and days. It only takes minutes.

What about Your Business?

So far, I’ve talked about hospitals and health care professionals but what does that have to do with your organization? How would cross-training affect your business? Cross-training improves organizations several ways.

It promotes camaraderie and understanding between departments which, improves morale, reduces turnover, and increases production.
Cross-training can focus departmental teams on interdepartmental efficiency fostering the development of standardized systems and procedures.
It can be used to cover for absent employees by moving team members where they’re most needed.
It reduces the exposure caused by over reliance of indispensable employees.

Where Do You Start?

It begins by accepting and supporting the importance of cross-training. Too often, management gives lip service to promoting cross-training but does little to implement it because there just isn’t enough time. But is there? In the long run cross-training saves time. The next step is to make cross-training part of new employee orientation. Take new hires on tours explaining how the departments interact. Have them spend an hour in each department that works directly with their department. Commit to ongoing interdepartmental team sharing and training.

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me.

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because, if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out.

Image by Silas Camargo Silão from Pixabay