Effective management consultants, business analysts, and business development managers use strategies to establish solid foundations for their work. Friend, as you create/develop training or development programs, what strategies are you using? Hopefully, you're not thinking learners want - visuals, audio, things to do.
Establishing a solid foundation (strategy) is critical to your program's success. Below are 5 elements of a comprehensive foundation for adult learning.
Immediately developing is the best decision when you have a ton of work and upcoming deadlines.
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Wrong! Nope! Full Stop!
Training and development programs that motivate engagement and long-term skills application have a solid yet comprehensive foundation. I'm compelled to share with you, Friend, the elements of a comprehensive foundation for adult learning.
- Change Your Perception of Where Learning Happens: People are constantly learning in different settings such as: formal (certifications), non-formal (webinars & workshops), and informal (podcasts & self-help). Instead of focusing on traditional formal settings, consider non-formal and informal options to support learning.
- View Your Audience Through a Different Lens: Employees and clients (over 26 y/o) have various motives for learning, regardless of being required to learn, seeking personal and professional improvement, or even pleasure. Understanding and acknowledging their motivation will guide your program development. (more information)
- Stop Entertaining, Instead Start Engaging : I keep talking about engaging because I keep witnessing unengaging. The key is to make the content and learning outcomes meaningful to each individual. Entertainment is a band-aid that immediately fades; whereas engaging your audience will keep their attention and encourage participation.
- Create Content That Will Stick: Never ever do a content dump. Don't present all the information at once, because even if it's a review for some, it can be overwhelming. The brain can only process and retain so much information at a time. Building content from basic to complex and general to specific. With this, don't assume what people know. Always provide reviews of basic/general content so everyone is on the same page.
- Establish Realistic Ways to Practice Skills: Many trainings are engaging and provide easy-to-remember information, but fail to support long-term knowledge and skills application. The key is to create opportunities that reinforce learner comprehension and ability to apply the information. This also goes for skill development, people need multiple chances to practice their skills. (more information)
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