Imagine this scenario: Your team needs leadership training. How would you train them?
You find a trainer who can conduct a workshop on leadership training. Or, if your company is exploring the eLearning model, you find a vendor who can develop an elearning module on Leadership training. And if you have budget constraints, you opt for a CBT on Leadership training.
With the above solutions you address your need for training in the short-term, but have you ensured that the training imparted is effective in the long run? How can you ensure that the mode of training selected is effective for your group? Is it just one training mode or a combination of all that will be most effective?
At Kern, we provide answers to questions like these. We believe that there is no single solution approach to training. This means that either eLearning or classroom training is not the only way to learn. Learning should be more holistic. It should be a combination of all training modes depending on the learner’s needs and requirements. Kern conducts detailed learner analysis to identify the perfect combination of learning solutions. This ensures that learning is more holistic and not just another event on the HR calendar. If you are investing in training, ensure that you get the returns!
Example
A retail company approached us with the need for a training program on ‘Grooming and Personality Development’ for all its store executives. This company has 50+ stores spread across the country. Earlier, the company believed in conducting classroom sessions and workshops for all its training needs. However, this meant that the sessions had to be conducted every time new people joined. Also, there was also no visible impact of training a couple of months down the line.
Kern proposed a different approach. We proposed that we will evaluate the training need and propose a solution that would ensure effective and long-term learning for all its store executives. Based on the training needs analysis, Kern identified that an eLearning program alone would not be sufficient to ensure learning. We suggested that the training package should include an elearning program, a work shop for store chiefs (who are not our primary audience, but play the role of a mentor to the learners), tests and quizzes to check retention, weekly interventions in the form of role plays to help laggards catch up, posters at the work place to help remember the key ideas, flash cards with crisp messages, audio tapes to play important messages and tips, pamphlets to display problem solving steps, and internal competitions among the store executives to ensure that motivational levels are high. The objective of this learning solution was to ensure that learning was holistic, complete, sustained and the elements of the work environment geared towards making learning effective.
Holistic Learning - Advantages
The essence of holistic learning is that learning is a part of the work environment. It is not just an hour long module or a two-day workshop that learners attend and forget soon after. The objective of an effective learning solution is to ensure that learning happens at a deeper level and is sustained over a longer duration. In such a scenario, the work environment, mentors, the course, the management and training approach, and all the elements in the work environment are used to aid learning.
Most of us rely heavily on classroom training and are sceptical about other learning solutions. There is a lot of bad eLearning and misdirected eLearning that contributes to increased scepticism. However, the truth is that any one mode of training has its share of concerns. For service-oriented businesses, the most critical aspect is people. Since people have different learning styles, a holistic learning solution helps address these styles. A combination of solutions caters to more than one type of learning style. For example, the use of audio tapes helps learners with predominantly auditory learning style. Similarly, group activities and role plays help learners who learn best in a group. And, the self-paced eLearning module helps who are comfortable learning on their own learning.
Remember, keep the needs of the learners in mind and create solutions to cater to that need. As usual, we look forward to your comments, views, and opinions.
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