Implementing Change: You Know the Why, Let’s Get to the How!

So you need your people to do something differently. Whether it be a change in process or a realignment with company values, getting people to think and act differently is difficult. This is why communication needs to be the foundation of any organizational change.  By communicating why the change is necessary and beneficial, employees will be much more willing to shift their behaviors. After employees understand why they are making a change, training serves as the how, making it possible to deconstruct old thoughts and habits and construct new ones!

However, how the training is created and delivered matters. In order for employees to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to change their behavior, they need something that is customized to their specific needs.

Take for example the employees that work remotely or are always on the road. When these employees need training, they need to be able to access it on the go, away from their office or a classroom. This means that the training needs to be created and delivered in a mobile-friendly way so that they can access it wherever and whenever. It also means that the training should be broken up into smaller pieces, so they can get the information they need quickly.

While training preferences may vary from person to person, there are a few content needs that remain crucial to all.

If you want people to change the way they think about or do something, your training should do these three things:

 1) Pull People in With Engaging Design!

Long-term knowledge can’t always be gained from staring at New Times Roman on a PowerPoint slide. In order to hold the learner’s attention long enough for real learning to occur, training content needs to be visually appealing. Consider different ways to deliver information like a motion graphic video or an animated infographic that use strong, well designed visual elements to increase memory retention and relay concepts faster.

 2) Tell a Story!

It’s in our nature – people love a good story. Stories have a way of captivating an audience’s attention by encouraging them to imagine themselves in completely new scenarios. Instead of scanning through training materials to find key points, stories pull readers in on a very personal level.  They also bring readers to the exploratory “what would I do in that situation” question that ultimately leads to reflection and long-term learning.

 3) Serve as a Fun and Interactive Experience!

Having learners go through copious amounts of training content without ever measuring understanding and proficiency is a useless (if not cruel) exercise. Learners are motivated by measurable, incremental improvements and results. Short quizzes and gamified training experiences are a great way to challenge learners and amplify the desire to improve.

Using training that engages people through stories and design is not optional for organizations that are really trying to change the way their people perform. The problem is that this is often much easier said than done. It takes time, talent, and a deep understanding of the people the training is being designed for to truly create an engaging experience. If your organization is ready to open the door to customized training and improved performance, contact us!