5 Ways to “Distinctify” or Reinvigorate Your Learning and Development Programs

Have you heard this one before? To get better, you’ve got to be better. What’s that even mean? Well, I’m not really sure, but I thought I’d take a stab at it as it relates to employee training. 

Let’s start with the concept of “the same ole same ole” – keep doing things the same way, and you’re not being better. You’re being repetitive, or worse yet, your stymied. Stuck in that old groove and unable to achieve the escape velocity required to start you on a path to getting better. If you’re training your people the “same way you’ve always done it” then you’re not being better, and in fact you’re losing ground

How about that “employee first work environment” – looks great on the corporate posters, but are you really improving the environment if you’re not improving the employees? Culture starts from within and if you’re not changing the way people think, not changing how they perform their jobs or not providing them a way to participate in more active learning, are you really improving culture? So, are the new bean bag chairs and your Happy Lights really helping you to be better?

OK, the first two were a bit harsh, but we’ve all been there. What about this – you really want to be better, but you’re not confident in the next steps. Here’s a suggestion, don’t just focus on your employees, live a day or two in their jobs. See and feel how they get work done. Get live feedback from them directly at their work station.  What would help them out? Don’t just teach them how to do something, show them using video. Don’t let them read What to do from a manual, help them create the linkage from what to why. Understand from their perspective how they could get better by having better tools and ways of working that help them be better, immediately.  

Five Ways to “Distinctify” or Reinvigorate Your Learning and Development Programs by Shannon Poser : Learning Solutions Magazine

"Reinvigorating your learning and development programs is critical to their success. As your industry advances and evolves, you should revisit and revitalize your training approach to ensure you are providing the best service possible to your team. Designing and implementing a comprehensive training program that is both effective and easily executed can be complicated..."