If you’re taking on the paternal role for workplace training and notice that employees are more sullen teens than willing participants, you have a serious problem. Often, the issue with training initiatives isn’t only centered around the content, the delivery system, or even the strategy: It’s the attitude behind the training.
When a training program is just another task to check off the list, it has less of a chance to really make a difference. Putting that training program online for easy access might sound like the solution, but transitioning from traditional training to eLearning isn’t a matter of just uploading content. Instead, a fundamental adjustment in the way your organization thinks about learning and development must occur for the changes to really take hold.
Good Learning, Bad Learning
When looking at solutions for less-than-engaging learning, someone will almost always suggest the idea of eLearning as a solution. As an eLearning company, we emphatically agree (in fact, give that guy a raise!) and think it’s a great way to transition training from a static exercise to an ever-evolving process.
The problem is that making the leap from traditional PowerPoint-based training to eLearning is that most transitions are handled badly. Instead of reimagining current strategies in the realm of eLearning, most organizations avoid adapting content to eLearning delivery, and instead simply upload old training onto a website before proclaiming their work as done.
Making the switch to eLearning isn’t necessarily laborious, but it should take more work than copy and paste. If your organization is open to eLearning, but doesn’t take the time to adapt material to an eLearning approach, employee attitude stays the same. The only difference is that now employees can roll their eyes at home-based training as well as in the office.
Changing Attitudes
If you’re dedicated to the idea of an L&D overhaul in your organization, start by looking at your training methods. Most organizations require three types of training:
- Compliance training. This is the check-the-box, required training that employees must complete in order to do their jobs legally, safely, and effectively.
- Functional training. Functional training revolves around the skills and strategy for employees to succeed in their chosen fields. A sales meeting, for example, qualifies as functional training.
- Talent management. Showing employees their trajectory with an organization–and giving them the skills to get there–falls under the umbrella of talent management.
If the three types of training are so different, then why use the same type of delivery across the board? Instituting eLearning in your organization must involve an in-depth look at current efforts, what’s working, what’s not, and how to best delivery information to learners in a way that is engaging, interactive, and effective.
Without first changing your organization’s attitude toward L&D, your eLearning efforts will ultimately fail. Instead of seeing training as another item on a “To do” list, you must cultivate a culture of learning among employees and supervisors. That way, when eLearning is introduced as a training strategy, learners are excited to experience something new, connect with the material, and even lead themselves on a journey of growth and learning.
