لطفا منتظر باشید ...
Gaining the Support of the Training Department
The support of the Training Group would seem to be a given, as most e-learning initiatives certainly are sponsored by and evolve from the Chief Learning Officer and their staff. In truth, however, there may be a significant amount of both overt, and covert, resistance to progression down the e-learning path. This resistance may stem from a number of different factors:
Deep-seated experience with, and belief in, a classroom training orientation
A professional skill-set focus on training administration and logistics for classroom training
Resistance to change in organizational structure and reassignment on the part of existing training professionals
Fear of technology and resistance to traversing a new and highly challenging learning curve
Perception of lack of value-add from e-learning initiatives (similar to the management discussion above)
Feelings of ownership and association with existing non e-learning programs
All of the above can culminate in a substantial fear of job-redundancy, and a lack of empowerment in the organization Assuming that the rest of the department will be energized on the same wave of enthusiasm, e-learning proponents sometimes overlook activities and information that can help more reserved constituents feel more comfortable with e-learning initiatives, such as:
Launching the e-learning initiative within the training and development department with an exciting demonstration of the potential of e-learning experiences and the new technologies your organization can utilize
Providing access to a curriculum of e-learning design and development tutorials and modules for those training department staff not experienced in these skills
Piloting a mini-version of the e-learning initiative within the training department, from the concept through to the marketing and communication associated with it, and solicitation of feedback from the group prior to full-scale rollout
Investing the time to map existing training department capabilities and skills to the new skill set required by proposed e-learning initiatives; for example, expert classroom instructors typically make excellent live e-learning facilitators, with minimal additional training in the requisite technologies
Whatever the source, a lack of support on the part of the training organization can severely impact the success of any e-learning initiative. These individuals are the ones who need to be the most ardent supporters, and not cautious observers. In their enthusiasm to promote e-learning initiatives to the rest of the organization and top management, e-learning advocates and visionaries sometimes neglect the due diligence, marketing, and change management strategies that are needed within the training organization prior to any external rollout to ensure solid backing and support. Perhaps the best, and most effective approach to solidifying training department support, is to maintain a focus in the overall Learning strategy on the importance of the blended learning model (see Chapter 4). E-learning initiatives alone are rarely 100 percent effective, without at least a backbone framework of classroom and live e-learning components. While the trend in the industry is certainly a substantial shift to a wealth of capabilities in e-learning, there will most certainly always be a need for more traditional approaches, and it is important to accommodate those skills in the training department strategy to be fully successful. In the next chapter, we will look at the application of the blended model for learning design, which deliberately applies the best delivery mechanism of learning to the goals and objectives to be achieved.
Lessons Learned
Align major e-learning initiatives with organizational strategy and business goals.
Be creative in demonstrating value of e-learning initiatives; Evaluate the impact on the "Top Line", as well as the "Bottom Line."
Reinforce the role of the Chief Learning Officer in the corporate investment planning process.
Identify demonstrable success factors for your e-learning initiatives and be sure you have a well-supported measure for each factor.
Ensure you have the right resources and tools to reach your goals; Do not over commit!
Consider a high-visibility, highly strategic pilot initiative for your launch into the e-learning arena.
Build a strategic partnership with IT and leverage the skills of both groups to make your e-learning technology choices a success.
Communicate, communicate, communicate-at all levels in the organization; Celebrate successes and communicate them at all levels.
Emphasize the importance of the training department in the rollout of the overall learning strategy, and clearly define the role of e-learning in that overall strategy.
