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The main goal of corporate training is to achieve real changes in the work of employees. Effective results cannot be achieved without taking into account the emotions and needs of trainees. Modern approaches to learning emphasize the individual characteristics and motivation of participants, which facilitates deeper learning and practical application of knowledge. The success of corporate training largely depends on creating a comfortable and supportive educational environment that takes into account the interests and needs of employees.
Elena Tikhomirova, an e-learning expert and head of the eLearning Center, shared her views on modern learning during the webinar "What Should Modern Learning Be Like?" In her presentation, she highlighted the key aspects that determine the quality and effectiveness of the educational process in the context of digitalization. The theses of her report emphasize the importance of adapting educational methods to new technologies and the needs of learners.
Emotional Design
One of the key approaches to corporate learning in the modern world is emotional design, or the design of emotions, as Elena Tikhomirova noted. It's important to understand that this isn't about creating exclusively positive emotions in students, but rather about fostering comfortable emotional states during the learning process and the overall educational experience. This approach promotes deeper employee engagement in the learning process, increases their motivation, and facilitates better learning. Emotional design in corporate training helps create an atmosphere in which employees feel confident and ready to learn, which ultimately leads to increased work efficiency and company development.
For To achieve successful training results, it is important to conduct audience analysis and adapt course content to ensure it is as relevant and understandable as possible for participants. Experts emphasize that training should be focused on the needs and interests of the participants to create effective and memorable learning.
First and foremost, it is important to understand the sentiments and needs of the audience for whom the training program is being developed. Elena Tikhomirova identified several key questions that will assist in this process. These questions will help better understand learners' motivations, expectations, and preferences, which, in turn, will allow for the creation of a more effective and relevant program. An in-depth analysis of the target audience will ensure the success of the training and increase its effectiveness.
- What do employees think about the training topic? Attitudes toward the topic are the starting point for the instructional designer, the expert emphasized. If students react with distrust or completely deny the need to learn new material ("This is not for me at all. I already know and can do everything"), then this should be taken into account in the program. It's a completely different matter if employees embrace the need to learn ("Great topic, I really want to know how to do this!").
- What are employees hesitant about? This question helps paint a general picture of negative emotions and doubts. If they aren't addressed in the training program, it will be irrelevant. If it's asynchronous learning, where a person studies independently, they are left alone with their doubts and may think, "I have doubts, and no one is working on my doubts." Such doubts can overshadow the entire training experience, the speaker emphasized. Answers to questions about employee doubts can ultimately form something similar to a Customer Journey Map. In business, analyzing the emotions a product evokes in a customer at different stages of use leads to more favorable results. In training, this technology works exactly the same.
- When can or want an employee to abandon training? Essentially, this is work to prevent sudden refusals ("I don't want to go through this!"). There can be many reasons for this: too easy, too difficult, "nonsense," or the standard "this doesn't suit me." Preliminary analysis allows you to anticipate when this rejection might occur and why.
It's important to ask yourself all these questions, as a thorough analysis allows you to better understand the difficulties your audience faces during training, noted Elena Tikhomirova. This, in turn, will have a significant impact on the final product. Conducting an in-depth analysis of learners' needs and expectations helps create more effective educational programs.
Target audiences vary, and each may have a unique emotional reaction to the topic being discussed. You may notice that your target audience is so diverse that it should be divided into two groups and created two separate products. The content of the products themselves may be similar, even identical. However, they may have different introductions, arguments, and ways of addressing potential audience concerns. This allows the product to be more precisely tailored to the needs and expectations of each group, which increases its appeal and effectiveness.
Reading is an important aspect of personal and professional development. It not only broadens horizons, but also helps improve communication skills and critical thinking. It is important to set aside time to read books, articles, and other materials that can enrich your experience and knowledge. It is recommended to choose literature that aligns with your interests and professional goals to make the most of this time. Furthermore, regular reading helps maintain mental activity and improves concentration. Don't forget to share what you read with others by discussing ideas and concepts, which can lead to new insights and understanding of topics.
A Learning Journey Map is a visual representation of a learning path that helps understand how users or students interact with the educational process. This tool allows you to identify key points, needs, and expectations of learners, as well as identify opportunities to improve the learning experience.
To create a Learning Journey Map, you should start with research into the target audience. It is necessary to collect data on the stages that a learner goes through, from recognizing the need for training to applying the acquired knowledge in practice. It is important to consider the emotions, thoughts, and actions of students at each stage of their journey.
Once the information has been collected, you can visualize the data using graphic elements. This will help make the map more visual and understandable. It's important to include key interactions such as receiving information, participating in learning activities, and evaluating results. Using the Learning Journey Map allows educational institutions and organizations to optimize curricula, improving learning quality and student satisfaction. This tool can also be useful for developing new courses and programs, as well as for evaluating the effectiveness of existing learning approaches.
Fear is a natural manifestation of human nature, which creates certain challenges for those developing educational programs. Educational specialists regularly encounter various phobias and anxieties among students. There are many types of fear, and there is no universal solution for overcoming them. For successful learning, it is important to recognize and address these fears and develop strategies aimed at reducing and overcoming them. Effective interaction with students and creating a comfortable atmosphere can help overcome these emotional barriers.
During the webinar, Elena Tikhomirova shared her experience working with fears in learning, which arose when interacting with an adult audience. The main problem was that the participants, who were reaching 60-70 years old, experienced a fear of failing. They were afraid that after trying something new, they would not be able to cope and their failures would become known to others. This fear became a significant obstacle that was difficult to work with.
Emotion design involves supporting the overcoming of fears, and each person requires an individual approach. The expert identified several of the most common cases that illustrate this process.
- "I can't do it," or the fear of failure. The most effective method of combating this is to provide practice as early as possible, at the first opportunity. This can be in the form of small tasks, but the more the employee tries and applies new knowledge to real cases, the sooner they will realize that they are succeeding. This will not so much be a "knowledge transfer" as an indicator of progress, especially if the student is encouraged and shown that initial successes will develop into successful changes. And, according to Elena Tikhomirova, it is necessary to begin combating this fear at the very beginning of training: explain to the employee that they are already on the right path.
- Fear of evaluation. "I am categorically against any form of evaluation for adults. Wherever possible, it should be abandoned. Instead of grading, provide a cause-and-effect relationship. "Wrap it in anything, just don't give a grade, because [grading] is a dangerous thing, a very big fear," the expert emphasized. Fear of grading can also include the fear that someone will find out about a low level of competence. Elena Tikhomirova associates this with negative memories of studying at school or university, since many tend to transfer them to education in general. Fear of changing a habit. This form of fear is inescapable, especially if the student has to relearn something. "We need to talk about this fear. And we must definitely say: we understand that you will have fear. We understand that you have it within the learning process. "We understand that you have it, and we suggest you interact with it in this way," the speaker explained.
It is necessary to take into account any fears of employees, providing them with support and active interaction. It is important to take into account their emotions and doubts in order to create an atmosphere of trust and openness. This will not only reduce stress but also increase the overall productivity of the team. Support from management contributes to the formation of a healthy working environment where every employee feels valued and heard.
Learning Close to People
Elena Tikhomirova emphasizes the importance of accessibility of training, citing the opinion of American expert in the field of corporate training and e-learning Elliott Macy: "We must bring learning to people, not people to learning." This approach emphasizes the need to adapt educational programs to the needs and lifestyle of learners, which is especially relevant in the age of digital technologies and remote work. The introduction of flexible learning formats allows for more effective acquisition of knowledge and skills that meet the modern requirements of the labor market.
The idea of approximation is The idea is that access to training or self-education resources should always be at the employee's fingertips. This can happen through both corporate systems and social media. An important aspect is that information becomes available the moment an employee has a question or needs training. This approach promotes more effective knowledge acquisition and increases productivity.
The longer a response is delayed, the less likely I am to accept it. This is especially true for audiences that are not highly motivated. Therefore, it is important to stay close to people to increase the chances of successful interaction.
She emphasized the importance of reducing the number of iterations in online training, including minimizing entry points, transitions, and login and password input, as is done in email. It is also necessary to actively work with information distribution channels. Creating a single chat for a company with thousands of employees can be challenging, so it's a good idea to organize separate, topic-based chats where employees can stay up-to-date. Ease of access is key. Elena Tikhomirova emphasizes that many corporate e-learning courses are created in ineffective formats, making them difficult to use as references and quickly access necessary information. Despite animation and interactive elements, the core functionality—the ability to re-access and review material—is often lacking. According to a recent study by the eLearning Center, employees genuinely desire this capability. Effective e-learning courses should provide user-friendly and accessible information, which will help improve learning and user satisfaction. Open navigation and a transparent course structure significantly enhance the learning experience for employees. When the learning process is conveniently organized, employees are more willing to participate. Conversely, if navigation is confusing and returning to materials is difficult, employees may not perceive corporate training as supportive or a source of security. Effective organization of the learning process is key to increasing employee engagement and satisfaction.
Elena Tikhomirova presented an interesting case study related to a product developed by Russian developers. This product allows users to create courses that integrate an extensive knowledge base. Users can independently select which articles to include in a course. As they progress through the course, students navigate to the relevant pages of training materials and then apply the acquired knowledge in practice, based on the selected article. This approach makes the learning process more flexible and effective, allowing each student to tailor the course to their needs and interests.
This is an excellent idea, as users learn to use the knowledge base during the learning process. Furthermore, this system allows us to quickly develop and update courses, ensuring instant access to them. This is especially important in the modern educational process, where the speed of receiving information plays a key role.
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Creating an environment conducive to learning in a company is an important task for improving the efficiency and motivation of employees. Let's consider three successful cases and several recommendations.
The first case is a company that implemented a mentoring program. Experienced employees became mentors for newcomers, which not only accelerated the onboarding process but also facilitated knowledge sharing. As a result, overall productivity and job satisfaction increased.
The second case concerns the implementation of regular training seminars and master classes. The company organizes meetings with experts, where employees can not only gain new knowledge but also ask questions and discuss relevant topics. This creates an atmosphere of continuous development and engagement.
The third case demonstrates the use of online learning platforms. The implementation of an e-learning system allows employees to take courses at a time convenient for them. This significantly increases the availability of educational resources and helps each employee develop in their chosen field.
To create an environment that inspires learning, it is important to consider several tips. First of all, it is necessary to maintain a culture of openness and experience sharing. Creating a safe environment where employees can share their ideas and mistakes promotes growth and development. It is also important to encourage employee initiative in learning, giving them the opportunity to choose the topics and formats of training.
Thus, creating a learning environment in a company requires a comprehensive approach and constant attention to the needs of employees. By implementing successful practices and supporting a learning culture, you can significantly improve team engagement and effectiveness.
Change Triggers
Training alone is not enough to achieve change. Employees are adult professionals who may be busy with their main jobs and do not always perceive training as a priority. This is especially true in cases where educational initiatives do not have an official status in the company. Therefore, it is important not only to offer training but also to actively motivate employees to change, guide them in the right direction, and show how new knowledge can be applied in practice to improve performance.
Triggers can manifest themselves in various forms. They can be short and sharp, causing sudden changes in state or mood. They can also be long and gradual, creating a steady pressure on the emotional or physical state. Often, such triggers are accompanied by a feeling of discomfort or anxiety. When observing them, it is important to consider the context in which they occur, as well as the possible causes and consequences. By analyzing the shocks, you can better understand their impact on behavior and decision-making.
- "Close" Training
Training plays a key role in the professional development of employees. The faster they acquire the necessary knowledge and skills, the more effectively they will be able to solve problems and challenges that arise. This creates a positive momentum for their work and contributes to the overall success of the company. Fast and high-quality training provides employees with the tools to successfully perform their duties.
- Learn List
This is an individual development plan that helps an employee clearly understand the skills and knowledge they need to acquire. Such a list provides a clear understanding of the learning objectives and the necessary stages, which contributes to a more effective professional growth process.
Employee training often comes as a surprise to them. For example, an employee is unaware of a scheduled fire safety course and suddenly receives a notification requiring him to complete an e-learning course within two weeks. This creates a stressful situation, as the employee was unprepared for it and feels they don't have time for additional responsibilities. If employees have access to a list of upcoming courses in advance, they can prepare and plan their time. This not only reduces stress but also increases engagement in the learning process. This approach is an effective tool for upskilling and improving work processes.
- Time for Training
In essence, this represents the "legalization" of the training process within the company. Elena Tikhomirova gave an example of a work schedule: employees should be able to set aside time for training and mark it on their calendar. Corporate training events should automatically appear on the calendar after invitations are sent. The employee can reschedule or decline the invitation, but it will remain visible, serving as a reminder to complete the training and complete the assigned tasks. This approach improves training effectiveness and the development of employees' professional skills, while also enhancing the overall learning culture within the company.
- Reducing the Volume of Material
Optimizing training content is an effective way to motivate employees to learn. It's important to focus on the most crucial aspects of the material, providing only the necessary information. This approach allows employees to quickly recognize the value of knowledge and apply it in practice, which contributes to their professional effectiveness and skill development. Concise and targeted educational content not only saves time but also makes the learning process more productive.
Elena Tikhomirova gives an example of reading books to Illustrate differences in content perception. One book might contain a few valuable insights scattered across hundreds of pages. While such a book may be useful, it often becomes boring, and the reader will quickly want to put it down. In another book, however, each page might contain several ideas or tips that make you want to write down, discuss, or apply them in your life. In this case, the reader's attitude toward reading changes dramatically. Even if the reader pauses, they still want to continue reading, as the initial benefit has already been realized and motivates them not to leave the book unfinished.
- Assistance in Application
Corporate courses often conclude with standard methods such as testing, questionnaires, or issuing electronic certificates. Sometimes the course conclusion is reduced to a simple slide with the phrase "Thank you, you've completed it." For example, in a fire safety course, an employee might feel perplexed: they have learned useful information, but don't know what to do next. Elena Tikhomirova noted that the effectiveness of training can be significantly enhanced by offering participants a simple task at the end of the course. For example, before completing the training, they could be asked to inspect the office and identify any violations or problems. This approach will not only reinforce the acquired knowledge but also improve overall workplace safety.
The expert noted that this process represents an instant transition, in which the material ceases to exist solely on the screen. It begins to take on a tangible form and becomes part of the external world, acquiring a life beyond the digital space.
To effectively absorb changes, especially in the area of soft skills, it is useful to use a level-up mechanism. This involves the gradual introduction of new knowledge and skills. It is important that employees have access to reminders, checklists, or spreadsheets to help them track their progress and ensure they are moving in the right direction. This approach promotes a deeper understanding and reinforcement of skills, which will ultimately have a positive impact on their professional development.
The course shouldn't end with a simple "thank you." It's important to understand what to do with the knowledge gained. If we strive for change, we must create the conditions for it to happen. People must clearly understand what actions are expected of them.
New Approaches to Organizing Training
Elena Tikhomirova identified several key characteristics of modern training that specialists should pay special attention to. These aspects play a significant role in the development of effective educational processes and enable teaching methods to adapt to the demands of the times. It is essential to consider the individual needs of students and use modern technologies to improve the quality of training. The relevance of these characteristics will help specialists create more flexible and effective educational programs that promote the development of skills needed in the modern world.
Training can no longer be based solely on a company's experience and resources, as there is a wealth of high-quality content beyond corporate materials. Previously, the emphasis was placed solely on internal expertise, but it soon became clear that this was insufficient. As a result, a new trend has emerged—the integration of diverse resources into the educational process. This significantly expands the horizons of training and improves the effectiveness of employee training.
Modern distance learning systems open up new prospects. They enable the integration of external sources of information, the application of innovative protocols, and the expansion of horizons beyond the narrow corporate space, noted Elena Tikhomirova. This creates unique opportunities for training and professional development, making the educational process more accessible and diverse.
This aspect is directly related to internal expertise. Many corporate courses, especially e-learning ones, often lack information about the experts who participated in their development. As Elena Tikhomirova noted, even the names and photographs of these specialists are often missing. This creates the impression of impersonal educational content and demonstrates a disregard for the work of professionals. Meanwhile, their efforts deserve respect, as they, in addition to their primary responsibilities, find time to share knowledge with other employees. It is important to ensure the visibility of experts to emphasize their importance in the training and professional development process.
Experts emphasize the need to change the attitude toward expert employees. It is important to bring them to the forefront by providing training and feedback from students. Creating role models will be a key element in this process. First of all, it is impossible to organize effective training without the participation of experts. In addition, their experience and desire to share knowledge will inspire other employees, which in turn will increase the overall level of competence in the organization.
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Corporate training: how to develop teachers and trainers from among
Corporate training is becoming an integral part of a company's successful development strategy. One effective way to improve employee skills is to develop an internal team of trainers and instructors. This not only contributes to the development of employees' professional skills but also creates a unique corporate culture.
Creating internal training allows companies to tailor educational programs to the specific needs and goals of the business. Employees with deep knowledge and experience can share their skills with colleagues, which not only promotes professional development but also improves teamwork.
To successfully develop instructors from among employees, it is important to determine which employees possess leadership qualities and are willing to share their knowledge. Training may include training in teaching methods, communication skills, and team management.
An important aspect is creating an environment in which employees are motivated to learn and develop. Management support and opportunities for career advancement play a key role in this process.
Corporate training using internal resources not only helps improve employee knowledge but also strengthens team spirit, which in turn leads to increased overall company productivity. Implementing a system for training internal trainers can be a strategic step toward sustainable business development.
Corporate training specialists should be aware that traditional metrics are becoming insufficient. It is important to analyze not only overall course completion rates and material assimilation through testing, but also the speed of applying acquired knowledge in practice. It is also necessary to evaluate how many employee questions can be prevented through training and how this affects the reduction of uncertainty. These aspects will help create more effective training programs and increase their impact on employee productivity.
These indicators can be assessed using the tools mentioned. Although not all metrics can be fully processed and analyzed digitally, they are important to consider in the work process. The evaluation system should include both quantitative and qualitative metrics to better understand the results.
In modern business, corporate culture incorporates training, which contributes to a comfortable work environment. Various activities, such as classical music, art, concerts, cooking, and sommelier courses, play an important role in this process. Although these topics may seem secondary to professional activity, they have a positive impact on several aspects. Firstly, they promote creativity and thinking outside the box. Secondly, such activities strengthen team spirit and improve interaction between employees. Thirdly, they help relieve stress and increase overall job satisfaction. Incorporating these elements into corporate culture contributes to increased productivity and team effectiveness.
- They instill in employees the habit of learning and enjoying it. After all, the topics are interesting, the speakers are good, and most importantly, there is no pressure to apply everything learned in work. The absence of this corporate "obligation" creates a comfortable environment, allowing you to enjoy the process and relax. This is a very important factor that influences the overall perception of training, emphasizes Elena Tikhomirova.
- They broaden horizons, which helps in solving non-trivial problems. "Third-party" knowledge allows you to generate unconventional content, develop meta-competencies, and accept different points of view.
Most of these tools are not associated with high technology or large budgets. On the contrary, they are simpler and more modest in nature, but they effectively help create a state of flow, where training becomes an integral part of company life and close to employees. This emphasizes the importance of integrating training processes into daily work practices to improve the efficiency and engagement of employees.
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