Recently I spoke with a senior leader about a survey her organization had administered to its workforce. One of the questions it asked was how the organization could improve its performance.
The majority of respondents said, “Eliminate training.” Explanatory comments stated that the training was useless, boring, irrelevant, repetitive and a waste of time that took people away from “real” work.
On a separate occasion I had a conversation with a talent management executive in a different organization. She shared an experience she had after delivering an e-learning compliance program. The course utilized an innovative, engaging approach to a mandatory training. It resulted in employees voluntarily and enthusiastically discussing the program in the hallways, even after the sessions had been completed!
For over two decades, I have developed e-learning programs. During my conversations with training professionals and leaders of organizations, I’m frequently asked about what differentiates impactful e-learning from check-the-box solutions that deliver little or no value.
While there is no secret sauce when developing or purchasing e-learning, there is one litmus test that always applies.
If you are responsible for the design, development and delivery of training for your organization, ask yourself if you would want to participate in the training you are providing to others.
Is it engaging? Relevant? Current? Realistic? Easy to navigate? Customizable?
If the answers to these questions is a resounding yes—Bravo!
If there is room for enhancement, you may want to consider these three keys to effective e-learning.
Embrace the age old and universal appeal of story. For thousands of years, since cave paintings, people have used narrative to convey their messages. We remember stories because they trigger our emotions– fear, empathy, anger, pleasure, etc. As early as 400 B.C., Plato wrote, “All learning has an emotional base.”
A story in its simplest form is a connection of cause and effect. And that is exactly how people think. It is how we have survived through human evolution. Stories are effective at creating “sticky” learning. Everyone can recall a story they heard or read long ago.
Create truly interactive experiences. Make your learners active participants in the training. Give them opportunities to practice decision making in realistic situations applicable to their jobs. Portray the consequences of different choices. Grab learners’ attention and generate curiosity about what might have happened if they had selected a different option.
Reinforce good choices, remediate poor ones and provide opportunities to experiment with different decisions. And remember, clicking the “Next” button does not constitute interactivity. Mindless page turning through a series of online text screens is rarely effective at influencing behavior.
Harness the power of video. We as humans are hard wired to connect with video. After all, even our dreams are unique “movies” we play in our brains during sleep. Especially in today’s world, video is everywhere. From YouTube videos on our phones to blockbuster Hollywood films with incredible special effects, we are accustomed to receiving both information and entertainment via video. As increasingly discriminating consumers of content, we are drawn to the visual and want to actually see the nuances of what is happening.
We also demand production quality. Phone recorded videos are fine—and fun–when capturing a family birthday party or great moments with friends. But when it comes to training that improves performance, learners deserve the benefits that come from professional writers, actors, directors, and editors that understand both the science and art of creating video-based instructional products.
As a learning professional you have the power to maximize the ROI of training resources—dollars, time and energy. So as you make crucial investments for your organization, put yourself in your learners’ shoes.
