According to Forbes, 39% percent of workers say they are never, or rarely learning.
Learning shouldn’t be just part of the onboarding program when a new person starts. Otherwise to a new hire, it is like drinking from a firehose and more than half of that information gets lost. Instead, learning is about retention of information with continued skill growth that helps to increase engagement while contributing more to the organization’s bottom line over time.
Unfortunately, for people in many organizations going to “training” feels like a punishment, or something they have to do instead of it being something they want to do. Leaders and managers are also not confident in the learning programs in place and their teams lack formal employee development to move to the next level.
Four Key Ways to Help Your Team Learn:
1. Ensure that the training offered is useful
The content covered in training programs must be learner-centric. It should relate to their current or future responsibilities, and include relatable, real-life examples. When the content is specific to the role, the industry and even the organization, participants feel like the training was designed just for them – not some ‘out-of-the-box applies-to-all-industries training hype’.
2. Provide training through different methods
The great thing about instructor-led training workshops is that you can find industry leaders and subject matter experts and have them onsite in a face-to-face setting. Teams enjoy collaborating in new ways and the motivation from this type of session is unparalleled.
Regional workshops or local training events offer many of the same advantages as onsite training and are a great option for individuals or small teams.
eLearning programs offer self-paced, interactive bite-sized pieces that are easily digestible and accessible anytime, anywhere. It’s easy for the learner to review progress, test knowledge, and revisit topics as needed. eLearning tools that are engaging (require some sort of interaction from the learner) have the most effective retention and comprehension rates. Just because an organization has an LMS, doesn’t mean that the content is actually engaging. Far too often, it is nothing more than PowerPoint slide decks and tons of text to read. eLearning helps organizations create high-quality training at a lower cost, empowering individuals to keep improving and be genuinely excited about learning.
A combination of methods, known as Blended Training is the best of both worlds. It combines various methods to accommodate different learning needs, reinforcement of the concepts, and ensuring that the proper habits are formed.
3. Reinforce a continuous improvement culture
The third cornerstone of the Four Cornerstones of Success® is Perseverance. It’s about individuals investing in their own personal development and operating in a steady state of uneasiness.
4. Practice and Coach
It doesn’t matter if it is pro, college or high school. It doesn’t matter if it is on grass, turf, ice or a court. There is not a team out there that will step on a field without a playbook, without preparation, without practice--without building a “system of reinforcing activities” to drive the desired behavior 100% of the time.
Every single player has a role and that role is designed for optimum performance to aid in the overall goal of WINNING!
In a recent article, I Don’t Have Time for That!, my colleague Joel Schaffer explains why it is important to make time for these skill-building areas and if you’re not, then you aren’t making time to drive superior performance. Deliberate practice and coaching are the keys to success.
How will you help your team next year? If you’re not sure where to start, did you know that you or someone on your team can go through the entire Butler Street Sales Effectiveness eLearning program for less than $600? Companies that offer eLearning have generated more than 25% higher revenue per employee. How could you afford not to? Register now