By Shelley A. Gable
I’m currently working on an eLearning module intended to
support an organizational culture change initiative. To be clear, the eLearning
module isn’t viewed as the primary catalyst for the change; rather, it is one
of many components supporting the larger initiative.
The goal of the cultural shift is for employees to respond
to certain types of situations in a particular way. The eLearning module will
introduce employees to a framework for analyzing these situations, and then
promote certain types of responses to those situations.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had conversations with
colleagues from inside and outside of the organization to brainstorm approaches
for this module. Below are some of the themes from those conversations, which
seem applicable to any change initiative.
Emphasize behavior and expectations. Many eLearning modules
designed to support a culture shift end up largely informational and
philosophical. While this type of content can be appropriate to include,
training must translate cultural philosophies and/or frameworks into day-to-day
behaviors and workplace expectations. Neglecting to facilitate this translation
for learners can leave the content feeling too abstract to act upon.
Paint a picture of “tomorrow’s” workplace. How will
the work environment look and feel different as a result of the culture change?
Rather than answering this question with a bulleted list, let learners see the
answer through stories and demonstrations. For example, create a story with
dialog between characters, in which learners can clearly see elements of the
change demonstrated in the interaction. Another approach is to craft a “day in
the life,” first-person account of a workday, in which aspects of the
narrator’s experiences demonstrate elements of the culture change. Consider
including images, audio, and/or video, to help convey emotions within the
stories. These illustrative approaches can help convey the goals and benefits
of the culture shift and inspire learners to work toward it.
Promote transfer by preparing learners for post-training
reinforcement. In the module I’m working on, learners will engage in
topical conversations with their managers and/or teams after completing
training. We intend to inform learners of this during the module and pose
questions to help prepare them for those conversations. The aim is to foster
richer conversations by nudging learners to reflect in advance and go into the
conversations with formed ideas.
Create a unique and inspiring experience. If the
eLearning module feels like “just another WBT,” learners might not perceive it
as a convincing catalyst for change. If you have a standard template you typically
use for eLearning, consider setting it aside and attempt to start with a blank
slate. What kind of experience do you want to create? What tone do you want to
set? What types of interactions, images, and effects can get you there?
Creating an eLearning module that feels different not only helps capture learners’attention, it can also help convey that the organization is serious about
change.
Have you created eLearning to support a culture change
initiative? If so, how did you approach the recommendations above? What else
did you consider?
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