Technological disruption and changing global conditions present a great deal of challenges in the L&D space, according to Laura Goodrich, co-founder of GWT Next and international keynote speaker.
One of the consequences is that employees may not have time to sit through a lengthy training course.
What’s the solution?
It could be as simple as using ‘mind triggers’ or short video courses to facilitate L&D within the organisation.
“Let’s imagine that you start your day,” said Goodrich. “You have three meetings but you also get an email that says that there’s a mind trigger available for you.
“You can go to those meetings and focus on them since they’re critical, but afterwards you can find a quiet space where you can really focus your energies on that learning.”
Even though the video itself may only be a few minutes long, the methodology actually encourages participants to think on what they have learned afterwards through a number of self-reflection questions.
These can be anything from what the lesson means to their work onto ways in which they can apply this new knowledge, Goodrich said.
“It’s kind of like taking an exit ramp off the interstate. You pause and reflect for a bit, but then you get right back on with what you were doing.”
She added that one of the aims of these lessons is to stimulate conversations in the workplace.
After a group completes the same training and has watched these ‘mind triggers’, they then have a shared experience and can commence dialogues with each other.
“That shared learning experience makes it a lot easier to walk down the hallway, bump into a colleague, and ask for their thoughts on the lesson,” said Goodrich.
With the right learning roadmap, participants can be prompted to have conversations with both leaders and colleagues about the different topics covered.
“People just don’t have the time for longer learning and prefer to be able to have choice. The consumer or the employee expectations for learning are changing,” said Goodrich.
“We appreciate bite-sized learning rather than that firehose type of learning. It’s not about giving people the answers but helping them come to their own answer.”
This method leverages the power of the 10/20/70 learning framework – defined as 10% formal, 20% coaching/collaboration and 70% experiential.
This is because it creates a space where employees can conduct dialogue and take action within the workplace itself, added Goodrich.
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