Video Job Aid: "Alexa's Nutrition Goals: Text conversation between health coach and client" (simulation)
Project: As part of the interview process (for role of Health Coach Educator)- demonstrate an appropriate text conversation between a virtual health coach and a client (this project won me the job!)
Objective: illustrate appropriate coaching conversation via text
Tool(s) Used: Canva
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Infographic: "Member Communications Comparison Chart"
Project: As part of the company's New Hire Training Re-vamp Project, the L&D team was tasked with creating e-learning, revamping existing PowerPoint decks for ILT sessions, and developing supplemental learning (videos, infographics/job aids, assessments, etc.) to onboard and re-train new and tenured Member Services Representatives.
Objective: Every year, during the season known as Open Enrollment, new and returning plan members are sent communications via postal mail for the purposes of member education, resource- and information- sharing, etc.
The objective of this infographic was to provide quick, easily-accessible information to Member Services Representatives regarding what type of communication Renewing plan members receive compared to what New Members receive.
Representatives were able to review this guide before, during, or after calls with members for the purposes of educating the member, and/or to familiarize themselves with the different types of communications members receive, and to recognize and distinguish the differences between Returning vs. New Member communications.
Tool(s) used: Canva
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Interactive Job Aid: "Acknowledgment...Empathy...Action..."
Project: As part of onboarding new customer service representatives, I created a supplemental (to e-learning module) job aid for representatives to create and practice their acknowledgment/empathy statements. Acknowledgement/empathy statements are said to members during inbound calls to resolve complaints and/or inquiries.
Objective: Learners used the job aid to create their own Acknowledgment/Empathy/Action statement that acknowledged the members inquiry or complaint, offered sincere empathy, and a plan of action (resolution). Learners then used the statements they created during calls with members in order to de-escalate situations and ensure members felt respected, valued, and assisted.
Tool(s) Used: Canva
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Interactive Job Aid: "Managing Emotions"
Project: As part of onboarding new customer service representatives, I created a supplemental (to e-learning module) job aid for representatives to create a statement acknowledging their emotion(s), and creating a plan for how to manage emotions during calls with members. This skill was important to cultivate as quality assurance call reviews found that representatives found it easy to become frustrated and impatient with "difficult" members who made offensive statements, raised their voice, etc.
Objective: Learners used the job aid to acknowledge common feelings they have while resolving complaints/inquiries of "difficult" members, including impatience, frustration, offense, etc. Learners then used their identified coping strategies with members during phone calls in order to de-escalate situations.
Tool(s) Used: Canva
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In-Class Activity: A Ridiculous Request! Activity: "The Irritable Member"
Project: As part of the company's Soft Skills Training Series project, I created an in-class activity for classroom trainers to facilitate during live sessions.
Objective: This activity was aimed at building empathy and compassion within Member Services Representatives, specifically during calls with so-called "difficult personalities".
The request: Create an in-class activity that will help to build empathy among Member Services Representatives during calls with members. This skill was important to cultivate as quality assurance call reviews found that representatives found it easy to become frustrated and impatient with "difficult" members who made offensive statements, raised their voice, etc.
Process: To create this activity, I considered how much easier it is to show empathy and compassion to a kind and patient member. But what about a "difficult one?"
After interviewing five tenured Member Services Representatives (5 years of service or more), I gleaned that there are predominantly three different personalities that emerge during calls that are especially challenging for Member Services Representatives to handle with empathy and compassion. From those interviews, I created three different avatars: "The Irritable Member", "The Unreasonable Member", and "The "Demanding Member".
The Activity: Learners were broken up into three groups. Each group was assigned a scenario: Scenario 1 contained a call interaction with "The Irritable Member", Scenario 2 contained a call interaction with "The Unreasonable Member", and Scenario 3 contained a call interaction with "The Demanding Member".
I included only realistic, relevant scenarios (based on employee interviews and my personal review of actual member-representative call interactions).
After reading through the scenario, learners were asked to complete the activity (pictured to the left). In the activity, learners were asked to think and feel from the perspective of the member. This was useful in building empathy within learners as observed by trainers during the session. Trainers reported that learners practically fell over each other coming up with excuses on behalf of the member!
Subsequent Quality Assurance Reviews of representative-member calls showed an increase in calls de-escalated, as representatives demonstrated higher levels of empathy, patience, and compassion with members. Further, subsequent analysis of member satisfaction surveys also showed an increase in member satisfaction compared to satisfaction levels prior to Empathy training.
Tool(s) Used: Canva
Click on the image to the left to view it larger.
