Last week, I had written about the need for and the factors driving a different approach to training within the life science industry. In the article, I had pointed out the reasons why we need to think out of the box if we want our training to be effective. In this article, I am going to share a few tips/suggestions on how you can begin to rethink your training programs.
Irrespective of the stage of product lifecycle you are at & the type of organisation you are (virtual, CDMO, CRO, traditional manufacturer), a training program is essential. Like a business plan, a training program serves to guide the organisation on those training topics that will complement business goals. So how can you do this? Here are some suggestions that can support you in creating a training program.
- Include a training plan for senior management - Often times, a formal training plan for the senior management is lacking in organisations. If training is planned, it mostly revolves around soft skills and leadership elements. While these are core for a senior leader, when it comes to the regulated industry, it's important that the leaders are trained on QMS elements, risk management, ESG, business continuity, planning & organisational change management. These topics form the foundations of all operations within the organisation & a lack of awareness on these, leads to poor execution plans.
- Break the HR & training department silo - As I had written last week, expectations of the new generation workforce around personal development, learning & skilling is very different to what it was a decade ago. Meeting these expectations requires a fine balance between people management & technical skill development. For this reason, it is essential that HR & training managers collaborate & have shared responsibilities for the company's training programs. Do not create independent HR & Operational training calendars/plan. Create a single one that complements each area.
- Use your system tools to identify training needs - Implementing KPIs/quality metrics & conducting periodic management reviews are a part of all regulatory organisations. Most senior management teams see these as another compliance tick-box, thereby undervaluing their usefulness. The information derived from review meetings & trend reports can help identify newer areas of training e.g. if there have been several customer feedback comments on delays in batch deliverables, maybe a session for supervisors on project delivery challenges & solutions can be useful. Another example - if your organisation is looking to install a sterile fill/finish facility in a year's time, introducing training on Sterile operations or contamination control 6-8 months in advance can be a proactive way to begin up skill existing staff.
- Use technology as a tool - The way humans learn has always been a mix of methods. A one size all does not work effectively. It is for this reason that you need to adopt technology (AR,VR, AI chatbots etc.) to make the learning experience more personalised & engaging. There are many tools out there that are relatively simple, inexpensive & can be implemented without complex validation or regulatory expectations. But it is also important to remember that for the experience & learning to be really effective, human support will still need to be a part of this process. So factor in mentoring, coaching, one to one debriefing sessions too.
If you are virtual company, the above suggestions may seem unrelated to what you do. However, even as a virtual organisation, you need a basic training program. Your business operations are different - less actual of hands-on manufacturing/testing and more about collaboration, project management, regulatory processes etc. So a training program for your staff on topics centred around these requirements is still useful to have.
I hope these tips guide you in looking at training in a different light & how with minimum immediate investment, you can still begin to restructure the way you train your employees. I would love to hear about any innovate methods you have introduced in your training programs at work.
If you want to chat more about this or brainstorm about your organisation's training program, pls feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].
#training #qualitymanagementsystems#compliance#lifesciences#pharmaceuticalindustry#biotech
