You know the
eye rolls. The restlessness. They come just after you announce a training
class. It’s training malaise! And it isn’t welcome in a training-intensive senior
care environment.
Developing a
corporate attitude that welcomes training is just another type of change
management. We’ve all had to learn new policies and procedures, and eventually
they become second nature.
People will
say they don’t have time. Eyes will roll. Management needs to take action. How?
Develop an eCulture
It's great to roll out eLearning, but
be sure that the organization's culture is ready to support it. The most common
mistake providers make is investing in eLearning and expecting the organization
to adapt to it without priming, educating and demonstrating its application to
the staff. Roll out an eLearning program
slowly using marketing and communications to promote its benefits and features.
Hold Managers Accountable
As with any training program, managers
need to be held accountable for staff participation and course completion. eLearning
further complicates the situation, with staff working independently on courses
from their desks or other workspaces. This creates a situation in which
managers are unaware of participation or course completions. By holding managers accountable throughout
the learning process, they will likely become more involved with creating and
facilitating training schedules and encouraging staff to complete their online education.
Essentially, managers should demonstrate the community’s culture for valuing eLearning.
Make eLearning Social
Many online courses simply require
staff to log on and take a course. But some courses merit discussions or pre-
or post-course collaboration with other course participants and even an
instructor or coach. Not only does a social aspect encourage completion, but it
also creates an opportunity for networking, sharing best practices and
immediately addressing course content questions and concerns.
Reward and Certify
Establish training completion goals
that lead to career or financial incentives.
Examine course needs and requirements and establish tracks or module
clusters that encourage staff to complete coursework as a means to achieving a
designated certification, goal or financial incentive. Ultimately, ensure that completing training
leads to a level of recognition.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
The best online training and
record-keeping systems are not worth much if no one knows about them. Even
developing an eCulture won't last if you don't continue to promote the courses,
the rewards, and track the accountability.
Create marketing and communications materials that make staff want to log
in and take courses; do this by demonstrating the benefits of consistent
training and the community’s investment in its employees.
Special thanks to Terri Richardson, Director, Client Success Manager, Care2Learn, for this blog entry.
