Providing A Gateway to Developing Skills for All Einstein Employees
Natasha Reid, associate director of Einsten’s Learning Network, describes her office,as a “gateway.”
Natasha Reid
“Our aim is to help employees develop skills that make them more efficient and performing their jobs easier,” said Ms. Reid. “So, if you feel you are lacking or need to enhance any skills, we provide a gateway for you to get them.”
From e-mail etiquette to running an effective meeting, or better understanding employment laws, the Learning Network offers a platform through which all Einstein employees can augment capabilities and grow professionally.
Myriad Offerings to Meet Varying Needs
A relatively new division of Einstein’s human resources department, under Ms. Reid’s leadership the Learning Network has provided hundreds of courses to employees at every level and within every department at Einstein since 2009. Each month, Ms. Reid organizes approximately ten classes that are offered in a variety of ways, including e-learning, platform and webinar. These are listed on the HR website and promoted in a monthly e-blast.
Classes range from more general topics, like creating a better work/life balance or stress management, to more specific classes about learning new software systems or brushing up on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA law, important for individuals working in or with those in clinical settings).
“There’s a broad spectrum of options,” noted Ms. Reid, who teaches many of the classes herself and also develops some of the online offerings.
Custom-Built for Success
Ms. Reid also creates customized programs, which are designed to help entire departments on areas such as team building or project management.
“Department heads can reach out to me directly about developing a program tailored to their department’s needs,” she said. “We want people to reach out and ask questions, because that helps us know what it is they feel they need to accomplish their work or to grow professionally.”
Recently, Ms. Reid created a successful series of courses for the division of gastroenterology and liver diseases, aimed at helping itsfaculty and staff form a more cohesive unit following the transition to Montefiore, which brought new people together for the first time.
Bridging Extended Family Members
Yvonne RamirezMany employees who might never interact with one another are brought together through the Learning Network classes. While learning helpful information, “networks” are forged.
One such class where this occurs is a “Lunch and Learn” series that Ms. Reid coordinates with the Einstein Benefits Office and Fidelity Investment Services where employees learned about ways to improve their financial health while eating lunch together.
“Bringing together people from across the Einstein community is even more important now that we’re affiliated with Montefiore,” she said. “While employees from the medical center often took our classes in the past, this year we sought to expand programs that focused on bringing Montefiore and Einstein employees together. We’re a bigger family now.”
“Having a talent development and learning network reflects our commitment to helping Einstein employees succeed, while also strengthening the institution,” noted Yvonne Ramirez, chief human resources officer. “The classes are open to anybody on the Einstein payroll--staff members, managers, postdocs, grad students who are on payroll, faculty, everybody.”
Leveraging the Montefiore Leadership Academy
Since Einstein’s transition to becoming part of Montefiore, Ms. Reid has also worked closely with colleagues in Montefiore’s human resources department to bridge learning network offerings at each institution. In partnership with the Montefiore Learning Network, a series of leadership workshops is now offered, aimed at providing foundational concepts, as well as core, and advanced skills. The partnership leverages joint resources aimed at Einstein and Montefiore working together to achieve their combined potential in enhancing the skills of current leaders and educating the next generation of leaders.
These workshops are part of the Montefiore Leadership Academy, which is dedicated to providing leadership electives that align with and support organizational needs and strategic goals. Each workshop is anchored in research-based best practices in leadership development and is designed to meet the specific needs of employees and faculty members with managerial responsibilities. Leadership Academy offerings include: Making High Quality Decisions, Change Map for Leaders; Building and Sustaining Trust, and Influencing for Organizational Impact.
Course dates and descriptions can be accessed through the Halogen Learning Management System at Learning Network.
Access to Educational Resources
Earlier this autumn, human resources teamed with Einstein’s information technology departments to bring Lynda.com -- a library offering more than 10,000 online courses and video tutorials facilitated by industry experts -- to Einstein. All Einstein staff, students and faculty members have unlimited free access to the learning platform.
To help with learning about Lynda.com, visit the specially prepared web page with information about how to access the service, create a playlist, keep track of your topics history and recent activity, and bookmark your favorite courses, tutorials, and specific points within videos.
“The site’s courses can be accessed via computer, tablet or mobile device, allowing for flexibility in learning new skills or refreshing existing ones, anytime and anywhere, at one’s own pace,” noted Ms. Reid. “You can choose from detailed courses that are two to three hours long and refresher segments that are delivered in five to fifteen minutes.”
“There are countless learning opportunities on the platform,” added Ms. Ramirez. “And we’re excited to provide all of these resources for talent development to the Einstein community.”
Posted on: Tuesday, December 26, 2017