As great as a program may be, you can't win everyone over.
I was recently reminded that it is essential to have a balanced perspective when implementing learning on a mass scale to people who understand the importance of the learning but have a lot on their minds.
I have been a learning and development professional for 25 years, and I love what I do. It's because I have a strong belief that learning is essential to an organization's success, and that people believe that as well. I like to believe what I essentially tell my family about what I do for a living: I help people do their jobs better. When asked how I do that, my response is, "I provide training programs that are relevant and engaging, and that helps them do their jobs."
Malcom Knowles would be proud.
They get it, but the conversation often will move in another direction because it's just not as exciting for them as it is for me. The programs my team provides are great, and people can't wait to experience them. Right?
Well, not exactly.
My teenage boys, who know that their classes and school are important, would rather be doing something else with their time, such as sports, video games, and parties. That is not much different from my professional world. It would be great if people were anxiously waiting to take my next program, but it is likely that while they know it is important, they have other things on their minds and things to do, such as achieving performance targets, completing long lists of tasks, and maintaining their network.
The challenge
A couple of years ago, I was asked to step into a new learning role in my organization with our integrity and compliance team. The challenge: Make the four-plus hours of mandatory training on regulatory and compliance content—which is dense and complex—relevant, memorable, and engaging. It was a tall order, but I was up for it.
I was enthusiastic right out of the gate. I stepped into a situation where there was a lot of good content and we managed to check off the box, but there certainly was room for improvement. As many of us have experienced with compliance training, much of the e-learning was long (one module was three hours), dense with content, and had limited interactivity. My manager, a key player on our executive team, also was excited and challenged me with making our learning engaging, memorable, and even fun. So, the die had been cast and it was my job to train thousands of people. I was salivating at the opportunity.
We did all the right things and created a three-point strategy that ultimately would empower people to know and use this information the way it was intended, and commit to operationalizing integrity. The strategy was formed by getting insights into what people wanted and how they really apply this content in their day-to-day jobs, and getting leaders involved in reinforcing the importance of "keeping fit" with this information. The strategy comprised the following.
- We gave people easier access to information via well-designed and scenario-based online training in small chunks. We employed intuitive e-learning design by using simple screens, catchy graphics, and friendly audio and creative themes. The programs were 90 percent scenarios and feedback-driven, and taught associates "how to fish" by searching for policy information via our online guide.
- We reinforced knowledge and application by integrating compliance content into other training and meetings, and engaging people through the use of dynamic games. After completing a series of dynamic modules, new hires go through a game we developed, Compliance Cab, which reinforces foundational information. In addition, teams leverage Compliance Cab in their meetings on a routine basis to review policy areas needing reinforcement.
- We provided opportunities for people to shape their culture around integrity by offering a series of workshops focused on integrity leadership (the mini MBA of business ethics). These workshops explore dilemmas that arise, identify how to make choices, and examine team culture.
The strategy is working. People dutifully take the training and are complimentary. "That is some of the best training I ever attended. I didn't expect that from a compliance session"—that's an expression heard many times after going through one of our gaming experiences.
The data I have collected suggest that the training helps them in making confident policy-related decisions, and has increased knowledge on information that may seem rather dense from a content perspective.
With the success come the setbacks
People enjoy and learn from these programs; they are not a simple check-the-box exercise. However, they are not as interested in the programs as I am. Although the participants liked the training, and were very complimentary, they really just wanted to get it done and move on with their day. I still hear frustration about "How much training do we have to take next quarter?" or "How can we reduce the amount that is required?" We also hear that people are expressing concern about having the time to do the training. And, while our data indicate that a higher percentage of people complete training by the due date, fewer are starting the training when it is launched, indicating that this is one of those tasks that people will put off.
I confess! I am having a tough time accepting this. I am overly optimistic. I internalize that as meaning everyone else is as optimistic and, in this case, as enthusiastic about this subject matter. We are learning that people just want to consume the amount of information they are required to take—no more, no less—and experience something interesting that is relevant to what they need to do. Our lesson is that our people have a lot on their plates and we need to keep upping our game to capture their attention. What our people want is efficiency.
It sounds sort of boring. Really, they don't want to take another module that has this cool design and interesting scenarios? They don't want to play another game of Compliance Cab?
We have accepted this with a little bit of reluctance, and are reminded about the increasing competition for "mind share." However, we now see the new opportunity. We have made progress, but we have learned that to keep us on the journey to help people stay proactively engaged, we need to continue to up our game in delivering the content. It's a continuous improvement mindset that is an essential element to driving a culture around integrity and compliance. It's like managing a well-established brand: We need to continue understanding our customers, understanding the environment in which they operate, and tweaking what is delivered.
We know that well-designed and engaging learning can make a difference. Our data suggest it will, so we will keep at it—and ensure that we can deliver this dry, dense, complex, potentially boring content in the most efficient and engaging way.
Read more from CTDO magazine: Essential talent development content for C-suite leaders.
