Why do some staff training initiatives fail to deliver lasting results, and how can optometry practices ensure development aligns with business goals and measurable outcomes?
After more than three decades in the eyecare industry, training educator Tracey Bannister has seen firsthand how easily training efforts can lose momentum.
“Over the 33 years I’ve been training staff, I’ve noticed that some things are just not sticking,” she says. “You do a training session and hope that knowledge sticks and there’s results still six months down the track.”
It was this pattern that led her to develop The Performance Framework, an online six-module course designed to help practice owners move beyond one-off workshops and build systems that support long-term results.
Bannister began her career in eyecare at 18, completing a four-year apprenticeship and later qualifying as an optical dispenser and trainer and assessor. She has worked in practices, delivered retail and business qualifications, and owned an independent practice, Emerald Eyes Optical, in Melbourne’s Mount Dandenong Ranges. In 2025, she sold the business to focus on training.
The Performance Framework reflects what she describes as “a build-up of all of the tools I’ve developed over the years based on the evidence I’ve seen and the results”.
A turning point came when she undertook her formal training qualification. “That’s where I learned more specifically about training needs analysis and lesson plans,” she explains. “There’s no point in putting together a training plan if they haven’t done the training needs analysis first.”
Delivered online, the course requires participants to complete each module sequentially. As they progress, participants complete templates and download resources, effectively creating their own customised training blueprint.
Bannister identifies three common challenges in practice training. The first is the gap between knowing and teaching.
“The people that are passing on the knowledge to the staff members have their skills and the knowledge that they want to pass on, but they don’t know how to do that to ensure the information has been received on the other end correctly.”
The second relates to perceptions of value. “There’s a lot of myths out there that scares people off from spending the money on training their staff, thinking it’s not going to work anyway.”
The third is practical. “They don’t actually have the right tools, and they don’t know what those tools are that can help them with this journey.”
Bannister has observed that training is often based on assumptions, whereas a structured training needs analysis sits at the centre of her model.
“A lot of the time you’ll find that when training is delivered, it’s based on what the manager thinks the staff need. And there’s nothing worse than trying to teach someone something that they already know.”
She notes that when this happens, staff disengage: “That staff member then feels like, ‘Oh, they don’t know what I know and what I don’t know.’ Or they think, ‘This is a waste of time’.”
Retention is another focus. “My main aim is to reduce turnover and bring more respect back to being an optical dispenser,” she says. “In my day, we stuck around in the industry for a very long time, but these days it might be a couple of years and then the dispenser moves on.”
Bannister recently brought together staff from two stores from a major optical chain for a joint training session. Alongside structured development, she introduced peer-driven recognition initiatives. The High Five Award invited staff to nominate a colleague each month, explaining why they deserved recognition. “Every month, each staff member was observing another staff member and then sharing a win with the team.”
She also introduced the Einstein Award, allowing team members to nominate a leader who had supported them. “It was for the team to vote – which of these leaders supported me the most this month?”
According to Bannister, the results included a reduction in staff turnover and improvements in individual KPIs.
“That made a huge difference to the morale and therefore the turnover, as well as the increase in sales.”
While the framework is grounded in optical practice, Bannister notes it can extend beyond the sector. The principles remain consistent: identify business goals, conduct a training needs analysis, implement structured lesson plans, and maintain accountability over time.
For practice owners considering whether the framework is suitable for their business, Bannister encourages direct contact. She invites readers to visit The Performance Framework website, email or call to discuss their specific needs.
Her objective remains practical and long term. “Instead of doing a training session and then hoping that knowledge sticks, the framework ensures that that happens,” she says.
More information
Visit https://www.traceybannister.com/, phone 0417 553 476 or email info@traceybannister.com.
