As part of my job, I design and facilitate training programs geared toward improving organizational leaders’ social intelligence. I liken this role to that of a film director – I need to build a story, engage my audiences’ emotion and coordinate a series of creative activities to fulfill a particular vision. In my position, it is essential that I innovate, otherwise I risk losing my audiences’ attention and dampening the learning experience. Regardless of the program content, instructional designers can benefit from infusing greater innovation into their training.
When we think of innovation, we typically think of a mysterious and spontaneous process where constrains dissipate and give rise to new ideas. Oftentimes, however, it is the constraints themselves that spawn creative thoughts. Recently, I came across one strategy that helps me innovate in a straightforward, formulaic way. I call it “CRAM.”
Traditionally, people approach innovation by establishing a well-defined problem and then coming up with solutions to it. For example, I might identify that I need to increase learner engagement or explain a particular concept more clearly and then come up with various solutions to address those problems. However, another tactic is to work in the opposite direction – take a solution and find a problem it can solve. Psychologist Ronald Finke found that people are better at starting with the solution and finding problems that it can solve rather than starting with the problem and determining a solution, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. For example, imagine that instead of teaching course content to learners, learners teach course content to each other. What kind of problem does this solution address? Well, it helps participants actively engage with training material and take responsibility for their own learning.
This technique requires training designers to first, create a new configuration of an existing process, product, or service, and then find the problem this new configuration can solve. To create a new configuration for an existing process, product or service, facilitators need to learn to CRAM, according to Bob Eberle’s book, “Help! In Solving Problems Creatively at Home and School.”
Combine – combine two products or purposes.
Reverse – reverse the process or do the opposite of what you are doing now.
Adapt – adapt a product or service to achieve a different purpose or use.
Magnify – magnify or exaggerate certain elements of a product or service.
Once you create a new configuration, find a problem this solution can solve. Let’s use a real-world example to illustrate this technique. You may choose to combine two products or purposes. Perhaps you decide to combine mindfulness with the training topic. You determine that at the beginning, middle and end of every training session, you will have learners consider how present they are. Then, give learners several minutes to do whatever they need to do to achieve the level of presence they need for the training. What problem does this solve? Well, it helps learners maintain focus on the core material.
You may choose to reverse it. Instead of teaching according to the traditional model, whereby you use session time to teach material to learners and then have learners apply what they learned on the job, you may ask learners to learn material at their own pace on the job and then use session time to interact and practice their learning. What problem does this solve? This reversed model customizes the learning experience to each learner – learners can study material at their own pace and get individualized feedback on their application in class.
Initially, you may not come up with configurations that address any problems – that’s fine. Keep using this CRAM method until you do.
Designing compelling and engaging training programs often requires innovative thinking. This technique offers a very specific formula for developing innovative ideas and identifying problems in your learning environment you did not know existed.
