With ever-changing technology, we can shift employee development from a one-time event toward a more dynamic effort that provides consistent opportunities for growth. By using more data and more insights, your team’s training can offer real improvement.
But what do we mean when we say more “dynamic training?” In this post, Chris Mason describes it like this, “No longer to do [managers] have to get it exactly right on one try… but instead know they can try something—get feedback and learn—and then try something better in short, rapid, more agile cycles.” Feedback makes this whole process run, and you get no better feedback than from data and democratization.
Integrate Data
The buzzword Big Data (with capital letters) has gained a lot of traction over the past few years. It refers to the amount of information that all of our connected devices and applications can share. Not only can we track completion rates of training lessons, but we can now see how long someone was in their lesson, where they took it, and a host of other data points. With data like this, we can create a more dynamic training experience. DataFloq’s post on data integration explains its use:
Looking at corporate training results, data analytics can spot key skills employees are lacking. That way, employers are able to identify and fix missing links within their training. Big data is easily analyzed on macro and micro levels to enhance personal and business results.
This macro- and micro-level tweaking provides the information we didn’t have access to before, and these changes to traditional training create truly dynamic and engaging training experiences.
Encourage Democratization
Crowdsourcing might be the first thing you think of when someone mentions democratizing training. It’s a similar thought, but democratization means adding insights from the people who know that information best. Our COO Connor Burt interviewed Anthony Onesto on this topic:
I think you absolutely democratize so that [leaders] can take a look at the skills gaps and has an ad-hoc way of pulling in skills and training as needed. I absolutely think that’s the way it goes: There’s no longer this centralized view of content, but content is actually widely distributed.
Democratizing training allows everyone in a company, from the leaders down, to identify gaps in training and knowledge. If a specific way of using Salesforce isn’t documented, the sales rep who uses it the most should put together a Lesson on it. This level of attention to the process keeps everyone on the same page, but Learners shouldn’t feel like they’re on their own to create Lessons. Chris Mason explains this:
Our message of democratization is never “you’re on your own”—quite the contrary—it’s more so, “we’ve designed tools to support you first and foremost, so try them out and get started, and your managers, leaders, and HR team will look for additional ways to help along the way—but don’t wait on anyone—you are the best driver of your own growth, performance, and career.
With democratization, a dynamic training program is always changing with influence from many people. Lessonly excels at building dynamic training programs. Admins receive all the data they need with our Gradebook, and our Lesson Builder is easy enough for anyone to use.
Take a tour and see how you can build dynamic training. Sign up here.
