EXCELeration – Getting Up to Speed Faster: The Development of Expertise and its Impact in Healthcare and Safety

Featured Speaker: Gary Klein, PHD Senior Scientist, Macrocognition LLC 

After someone finishes their training, they might have difficulty adapting to their new job environment. In his lecture, Gary Klein, PHD examines why many individuals aren’t “up to speed” when first beginning their jobs, and how they can transition quicker. 

As Klein has observed in fields from petrochemicals to child protective services, many people associate getting “up to speed” with teaching more procedures, adding more plays in their playbook. While procedures have their place, Klein asserts it is dangerous to rely on them solely. He instead emphasizes the importance of developing tacit knowledge to excel in a new job. 

Klein explores the tacit knowledge areas of: pattern recognition and perceptual discrimination through his experience working with nurses treating sepsis-affected infants, judging typicality, and mindsets. He also looks at mental models through his interviews with housewives about stain remover. 

Klein closes the lecture by outlining different methods for organizations to develop tacit knowledge. These include: On-the-job-training, scenario-based training, simulations, exploring what ifs, and cognitive debriefing.  

You can watch the full lecture here. 

This lecture was part of Research and Education Week 2016 at Children’s National. You can find a full list of events for that week here. 

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