Investing in staff development is essential for organisational success. Employees' skills and knowledge boost productivity, innovation, and performance. Prioritising continuous learning enhances individual capabilities and fosters a culture of adaptability and resilience.
I enjoy helping small to medium-sized teams, including mission-driven for-purpose organisations in healthcare, reach their full potential. I focus on targeted staff development initiatives that match their unique objectives and values. Why this niche? Well, I really understand the unique challenges these teams face. Plus, working with smaller groups lets me dive in deep, getting to know their needs, culture, and goals inside out. This means I can craft super tailored and effective solutions that hit the mark.
I understand that every organisation is unique, and so are the challenges they face in nurturing the skills and capabilities of their teams. My approach is centred on close collaboration with my clients – to identify their specific staff development needs and aspirations, enabling me to develop and deliver tailored solutions to directly address these needs. Whether it’s a face-to-face workshop to enhance leadership abilities, or an online seminar to foster better time management, every staff development initiative is crafted to deliver tangible results.
My teaching approach prioritises interactivity and engagement. I prefer to foster dynamic learning experiences that encourage participation, discussion and hands-on activities to maximise understanding and retention among learners, rather than traditional didactic methods or passive ‘death by PowerPoint’ presentations.
While each client interaction is unique, the teams and organisations I have worked with also share some common challenges.
Education and training have always been my passion and a primary focus throughout my professional journey. After qualifying as an optometrist in South Africa, I embarked on an 11-year tenure at the University of Johannesburg, where I began as a lecturer in contact lenses and eventually became the university’s youngest head of department. This role allowed me to shape the educational experience for aspiring eye care professionals.
My commitment to education led me to Australia, where I assumed the role of Director of Education at the International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE). Here, I spearheaded the development of a globally recognised distance learning program for contact lens educators and managed the IACLE Accreditation Exam – the only internationally recognised measure for assessing the contact lens knowledge of eye care professionals.
Following my tenure at IACLE, I transitioned into blindness prevention, dedicating four years to overseeing the development of refraction and primary eye care courses that have benefited over 14,000 eye care providers worldwide. Subsequently, I took on the role of Manager of Curriculum and Assessment at The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO), further advancing my dedication to shaping educational initiatives within the healthcare sector.
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