Keep communication open to motivate CR staff
Positive feedback, corrective measures
Clinical research (CR) directors who hope to improve staff retention and motivation might begin by keeping the lines of communication open with principal investigators, clinical trial coordinators, and the rest of the research team.
For instance, a CR director could meet regularly with study coordinators to review close-out activities for any study, suggests Karriem S. Watson, MD, MS, CCRC, director of clinical research and development in the department of neurosurgery and a research specialist in health sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Watson has spoken about motivating study coordinators at national research conferences.
"We have a dialogue with coordinators," Watson says. "We discuss a laundry list of things from whether a sponsor had a feasible protocol to protocol deviations."
This meeting, which Watson's group holds monthly, contributes to both the overall CR staff's learning curve as well as to improving morale.
"With our department it's important to determine whether a protocol fits with our standard of care," Watson explains. "We're a department of neurosurgery, and our neurosurgeons do not have a lot of time to see patients for visits that are strictly research visits, so the best studies are ones that complement our standard of care procedures."
Corrective feedback to CR coordinators can take place on a continual basis, prompted often by monitor visit reports.
"Correction goes on throughout the trial," Watson says.
"After each monitoring visit there's an excellent opportunity to evaluate the coordinator," he adds. "The monitor lets you know about protocol deviations and whether things are completed on a timely basis."
For example, a coordinator might have had a study participant visit outside of the visit window, so the manager will need to ask why this visit didn't occur within the appropriate visit window, he says.
Take these opportunities to ask coordinators about their work loads, insufficient study tools, unrealistic expectations on the part of the sponsor, etc., Watson advises.
These meetings also are good ways to prepare for the next monitoring visit.
"We meet to go over the previous follow-up visit to make sure everything is in place from that visit," Watson says.
New study coordinators likely need to receive ongoing feedback during the course of a trial.
"We had a new study coordinator who saw two patients on his own, and we met with him to review the flow of activities for those two patients," Watson says.
Watson also provides individual study coordinator evaluations at the time a study is closed, which means that evaluations are more frequent than once a year.
"We review each study at the time of study close-out to determine what the coordinator did well and what areas the coordinator could improve on for future studies," Watson says.
"It's important to seek the coordinator's opinion on what infrastructure could be put in place to ensure better coordination of trial activities," he adds. "For example, some things that occurred may have been out of the coordinator's control and may be more institutional or hospital-related barriers."
When the review or meeting with coordinators includes feedback, Watson suggests managers use their words carefully.
"I start with positive feedback, followed by corrective measures," he says. "I look for an action plan and change in behavior, and if they do it right, then it's acknowledged that the change of behavior took place."
'Nothing personal'
Should an employee begin to act defensive in light of negative feedback, Watson will let the person know that the job environment includes acknowledgement of exemplary behavior, as well as discussion of opportunities for growth.
"I let them know it's nothing personal," he adds. "If someone becomes defensive, then it's time to discuss policies and procedures and make it less about them and more about the policy associated with the behavior."
While corrective feedback is important, it's equally necessary to provide positive reinforcement. Watson makes a point of learning each coordinator's reward style, which is the type of reinforcement that best serves to motivate a particular person.
"I adopted this from the book The Five Love Languages [by Gary Chapman, 1992, Northfield Publishing]," he says. "You need to know what someone's reward language is because some like affirmation, some like tangible rewards, and others like recognition."
For some employees, simple affirmations or compliments will be enough to please and motivate them. For others, the reward might need to be tangible, such as a gift certificate to a local retail shop or restaurant. And for others, the best reward would be public recognition.
"We have a weekly e-letter we do, and identifying a coordinator's success in the e-newsletter is one way to acknowledge it," Watson says.
"You shouldn't assume that one reward style will fit for all," he adds.
Other ways to motivate coordinators involves emphasizing the team and the desire for their feedback and voices.
Let them know they are a valued part of the decision-making process, Watson says.
"Take suggestions from them on areas of improvement," he adds. "Maintain a transparent, informed, and honest and open dialogue in a safe and nonthreatening environment."
Also, even though research sites often are small and have little vertical career movement, they can offer some type of professional advancement for CR coordinators.
"You can give people more autonomy for certain tasks, and you can let them know their own research ideas would be supported," Watson says.
For instance, a research coordinator could develop a research project that involves a chart review, he suggests.
"Or you could offer the study coordinator a title change, such as research specialist or project coordinator," he adds.
Clinical research (CR) directors who hope to improve staff retention and motivation might begin by keeping the lines of communication open with principal investigators, clinical trial coordinators, and the rest of the research team.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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