How best can you support staff development? There are some common principles that should be applied irrespective of the type or format of the development programme. It is good practice to conduct both a pre- and post- review session with any member of staff enrolled on a training programme. This will help ensure clarity of expectations and will help focus everyone's mind on specifically how the learning will be used back in the workplace in support of improved personal and business performance.

In all situations, it is advisable to work through the following process:

1. Identify what needs to be learnt and by when
2. Assess existing knowledge and skill: what the person knows and is capable of. If in doubt ask for an explanation or test their skills
3. Assess the gap between their knowledge and skills. Is it their knowledge, skill, attitude and behaviour or a combination of all three?
4. Identify a potential solution, broken into manageable chunks where possible
5. Identify barriers to learning and what support will be required.

You should recognise that there are many informal ways other than formal training courses of helping people to learn, to help bridge the gap, such as:

• Observing a more experienced member of staff
• Discussions
• Role plays
• Reading
• Being coached on a specific skill area
• Reviewing critical mistakes or mistakes
• Visiting other pharmacies or the local surgery.

Try to support staff development by making use of all learning opportunities that occur in the workplace, many of which are quicker and more cost effective than sending or enrolling people on courses. Use day-to-day opportunities to provide the chance to coach, unearthing ideas through questioning and listening, trying where possible to guide the learner to their own solution rather than always offering the answer.