When starting a new learning and development department many organizations have a hard time determining where to start. Who is the right person to lead the initiative, how much will this initiative cost, how to work with 3rd party vendors, and how to prioritize which learning or program should come first?
When prioritizing learning and learning elements, the first thing organizations needs to focus on are the major learning gaps in processes. Once the organization can follow a standard operating procedure on how to do certain task to reduce the risk of accidents or errors then the organization can focus on revenue generation programs such as sales. After revenue generation programs have been implemented, then the learning team can focus on support programs like account management. However, this order may change depending on the organization need. For example, if the organization is in fear of loosing several customers, the learning and development team will need to prioritize account management and customer satisfaction over sales training. It really depends and a good needs analysis can determine the order in which learning programs should be focused on.
When developing learning programs there are several elements that can be created such as in-person learning, eLearning, job aids, etc. The focus on the learning and development team should use the KISS method. Keep it simple!
Once the needs analysis has determined a problem, start off with a simple job aid. Check to see if the processes are being followed. If the processes are not being followed, determine if it is a learning issue or the process needs to be re-evaluated.
The next step is to create a simple video demonstration if possible or a simple eLearning.
The next step is to create a more complex eLearning depending on the subject and the size of the gap.
To supplement the eLearning, organizations can implement an instructor-led training or an instructor-lead training with a Q &A to discuss scenarios in the eLearning and collaborate with other individuals from the same department and other departments.
The goal in these examples is to go from the easiest and least expensive learning element to create to the more difficult to create and more expensive learning elements that are more time consuming with resources.
In the end, the organization might use a combination of these elements to drive learning.
Once the training is completed, it is essential to test the learning. Can the learners do what is required of them or are they still struggling? The learning team or knowledgeable managers, need to give feedback. The learning team and managers need to listen to the learners to still determine pain points.