When discussions shift to focus on Quality Management (QM) and Quality Improvement (QI), folks can become intimidated and lost in the language. MOST PEOPLE DON’T SPEAK or understand PROCESS jargon. It can be complex, but implementing processes is an important part of quality improvement. If we lose the audience’s attention, they will fill any gaps in their understanding on their own based on instincts and feelings instead of science. As QM and QI experts, we need tricks up our sleeves to keep the audience’s attention and prevent the urge for folks to form partial understandings. Here are tricks I use to help make the learning experience stick.

1. Gamify Learning by having participants problem solve, innovate, or create in small groups. Never underestimate the power of friendly competition and getting out of your chair to stretch and move around! This is especially important following meal breaks when folks are falling into food comas and pay the least attention. 

2. Diversify Examples in your presentations. This allows folks to flex different mental muscles while learning. For example, if you focus on diabetes, ensure your examples include non-diabetes subject matter. Consider discussing improving sleep, diet, exercise and wellness, helping your kids be timelier with their homework… it can be anything that is different enough to cement the learning for your audience. 

3. Facilitate Emotional Thinking when working with groups.  I accomplish this by capturing participant “hopes and fears” at the beginning of the session. For example, ask the audience to write their fears and hopes on a piece of paper or type it on a digital white board. Have them share their thoughts, this small trick opens the door to allow creative areas of focus that emphasize how good QM and QI can help achieve hopes and mitigate fears. This ‘invisible nudge’ goads the audience into being open and receptive to the content – you’re reflecting back to what they most want to hear!

Humans are emotional beings, and this fact shouldn’t be ignored when educating folks about QM and QI. Why am I emphasizing this point, because passions propel people forward and can act as barriers; especially, in passion-based industries like healthcare. The take home message is to use training techniques that are fun, varied, and tap into individual passions. approaches to demonstrate how. In so doing, your QM and QI training will drive individuals’ passion points and mitigate their fears. 

“Seize on the existing energy in the room and find a way to expand on that energy.” – Michael Hager