Workforce Push Back on New Learning Methods- Aim High

Adapting your organization to new training trends can be very difficult. If the workforce is a young and using technology in their daily activities, then this adoption will be very easy. However, in many of the organizations we engage, the workforce age range is 18 to 60. The adoption of new learning trends within older, more established organizations will have difficulty. For the sake of training and your company’s bottom-line, don’t give up.

Like our schools, you must make a decision. Do I train to meet the needs of the slowest person in the class, or do I keep the standard high and not let my slowest be my bottleneck to my overall goal. Our schools have suffered for taking the first approach. Let me encourage your organization to take the latter approach to successful learning.

For the workforce that has difficulty in adjusting to online learning trends, such as on-demand, online and webinars, we must create an environment and incentives to move this group forward. They will always pull back from new methods, but your company cannot afford to train in the same manner as it did yesterday.  Why?

1. The speed of change within our industries requires each company to adapt more quickly to change and facilitate training to meet new processes and needs.
2. The cost of face-to-face training is cost prohibitive, but may be necessary in only a few areas.
3. The time it takes to schedule and re-schedule missed training is simply ineffective.
4. The results are equal. The online, on-demand training for adult learners has been determined by the Department of Education to yield similar outcomes as face-to-face training. http://ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/tdlearn.html

So what do you do?

First, look at your audience.  Determine the best method (medium) of training delivery that meets their need and reduces the overall cost of the training budget. I always recommend the “bang for your buck.” Go with developing online training that must reach the most people in a given year’s time.

Second, develop good processes. Most organizations we come into have training developed that has no consistency. If you don’t want to frustrate your employees or users, develop style guides for all developed training. Be sure navigation is simple and the learners know what to expect. Ensure internal and external development teams follow these guidelines. Last, your company needs an owner of this process and I recommend having (or establishing) the Training and Development Department own it.

Third, put in rewards by investing your savings. Create incentives for your workforce on utilizing training in new mediums. You can justify such investments in t-shirts and simple giveaways by looking at the overall time and cost savings to the company.

Fourth, look to your vendors. Many of to tools and products your company uses comes with vendor training. Sometimes it is available in and online format, but many times, it is delivered via webinars or videos. Capture the webinars or repurpose the videos for online use. Last, ask the vendor to allow you to record their next onsite training.

As the Air Force says, “Aim High.”

Mitch