'A learning culture begins with close collaboration and engagement' Part 1

 

I recently created a case study that I was asked by a multinational company in Greece for the training and development of Leadership skills, for its executives and employees, delivering close to 800 people.

Starting the coordination through opened and constructive questions with deepened dialogue, communication and collaboration, asking them to share and provide me with material that will give me a more holistic approach, along with their metrics about what they are lagging behind at the same time according to their own findings, which they think should to focus as characteristics that they would like to develop according to the values, goals and directions, as well as at the DEI level, within the culture of their organization, I recognized a great ignorance and uncooperative culture.

Why am I mentioning this, because no matter how big organization you are, if you don't know to reach your goals, if you hesitate to share important information with your partners, even the external ones, when you as an organization have chosen and asked for their services and help, finally you don't have the way to engage and coordinate...which is very disappointing.

Training coordination is a complex and dynamic process that involves mapping, planning, organizing, communicating, and evaluating various aspects of training programs. It can be challenging to manage multiple stakeholders, resources, schedules, and expectations, especially in a changing and uncertain environment

My aim for every of my training programs is to include, always through a teamwork, a wide range of approaches and content, convincing my stakeholders and colleagues that I’m not here just to have their consultation but also to make them be a part of it.

For creating a training program is not just ask questions and make discussions, is very important also to use coaching and mentoring approaches and methods, to deepened and understand more the learning needs, the content and moreover the characteristics of your audience and organization.

Going hand-in-hand for increasing effectiveness that is why I always want to establish clear objectives and strategy, so my partners understand what I need from them, why is important and how as a team we are going to achieve the training goals.

The training industry has seen many shifts over the past few years, especially due to the development of new software programs and platforms. From online learning trends to the rise of alternative training delivery methods, these changes can come with significant growth opportunities, as well as their fair share of challenges. (According to WEF, active learning and learning strategies will be the second most important skill for 2025).

We know that learning requires active involvement, before, during and after the training sessions. This requires a clear understanding of the purpose, scope, and outcomes of the training, as well as the target audience, their roles, skills, and preferences. People prefer to learn in different ways through visual stimuli, verbal interactions and learning by doing (blended content).

Through my knowledge and experience, I know that if you try to teach trainees new information, new knowledge, and new practices at once or in a short period, their minds will blast, and you are not going to receive the required results and income. You must train participants in a spaced repetition for a longer period in short-sized courses to construct it brick by brick and step by step, which is more effective with more successful results.

And connecting learning with real-world practices resonates with learners, as they are motivated and inspired by their ability to apply theory effectively in practice. Even when teaching very complex materials, this method works by giving the learner practical relevance through explanations, using stories that revolve around known real-world examples (other people's interactions, everyday life tasks, etc.).

Very important is that the design and implementation of every training program must be delivered in a more cooperative way because as a L&D lead I want to minimize conflict, disengagement and turnover, while at the same time maximizing communication, collaboration, and engagement inside the workplace, as well as the retention.

Personalization also is key to ensuring that each employee's learning needs are addressed. When companies fail to personalize their L&D initiatives, employees may feel disconnected from the content, leading to decreased motivation and limited application of acquired knowledge and skills. 

Regarding the creation for the Leadership development for the company mentioned above I’ve realized during my conversation that should consider further things and characteristics in the content of my training program to improve the internal engagement and collaboration between executives and employees.

A training program is an important tool from increasing team engagement, workplace culture, till to become a funnel/source of ideas. Organizations must treat learning programs as an opportunity to help them face also what define them, how they must properly function and why make them all the previous important, beyond their products and services.

Also an effective Learning and Development program is a critical component of a thriving organization. The absence of such a program, a "check the box" mentality, a lack of personalization, insufficient focus on leadership development, and promoting employees based on necessity rather than competency are all factors that can contribute to a company's L&D program missing the mark.

When employees are presented with content that doesn't resonate with their specific needs or ambitions, they may perceive the training as irrelevant to their roles or even disregard it as a mere checkbox exercise and they are not going to fully motivated to participate. The enthusiasm to actively engage with the material dwindles, leading to a decrease in motivation to participate in further learning endeavors. 

End of part 1