Training Industry Magazine - Content Development 2017 Special Edition - 25

DESIGN COMPONENTS THAT
PUSH THE ENVELOPE IN CREATIVE, INTERESTING WAYS.
the program. Share it with your learners
to build excitement and generate
anticipation for what's coming. And it will
make your team proud. Everyone feels
good, and you've bought time to focus on
the other 90 percent of the work.
One organization implemented this
secret and the video went viral within
the company, all the way up to the
C-team. Talk about building momentum
and excitement.

SECRET #3

You have the opportunity to set a new bar for training in
your organization - go for it.
Any learner can slog through a boring,
one-hour training module. But what
about hours of training that will be taken
over months or years? Boring training is
a non-starter. You've got the budget and
mandate, and done right, your program
can lift learning and development for
the entire company. You're not just
setting a new bar - you're creating one.
So, go for it.
This is your opportunity to design
components that push the envelope
in creative, interesting ways that get
your learners excited, even eager for
the next course. Think of innovative,
multidimensional ways to ensure your
learners are as excited and engaged on
course fifteen as they were on course one.
Speak to your learners in a relevant way.
Appeal to what's in it for them (intrinsic
motivation), and provide appropriate

incentives (extrinsic motivation). Use all
the creative tricks in your learning and
development tool chest: gamification,
video, etc.
Large-scale
initiatives
are
often
undertaken to revamp older, outdated
programs. Leveraging the tools now
available - such as microlearning,
nano-learning, or social learning - seat
time can often be reduced. Combine
that with higher engagement and
better results, and you have significantly
increased ROI, setting a new standard for
the value of learning and development
within your organization.
If your program has created a buzz, your
stakeholders are happy, and your learners
are hungry for the next installment, then
you've done something right. Quick
example: A recent large-scale program
included a "gamified" portal where
learners rise up the ranks from "newbie"
to "master" as they complete courses.
While the final "master" course was
being developed, learners kept asking
when it would be released, so they could
earn this highest rank. Now you've got
totally engaged learners and you are
lifting learning and development to new
heights within your organization.

SECRET #4

Caring, the special sauce.
Working with a vendor and your team
on a large-scale program is a longterm relationship, not unlike a marriage

in some ways. What you are doing
together is challenging, and to foster a
healthy relationship, trust and caring
are essential. You need to be focused on
mutual success. Your job is to help your
team and vendor succeed, so that they
can help you succeed. This may seem
obvious, but you'd be surprised.
Everyone knows that communication
is essential to successful partnerships
(and relationships), but what's not often
articulated is how essential caring is.
Empathy, concern and kindness create
a space where the best of humanity can
thrive - even as business professionals.
When there are bumps-and there will
be some-caring kicks in and everyone
works together to find a solution and
move forward.
Nurture a positive team culture; encourage
everyone to express their feelings,
gratitude and caring. Always focus on
your collaborators' success. You get to set
this tone. Not only will this set the stage
for lasting professional and personal
relationships, it will make everyone's
lives (your team's, your vendor's, your
stakeholders') more enjoyable. And, it will
help ensure the success of the program.
So that's it. Go for it. You've got this!
Erin Krebs is the director of client solutions at
SweetRush, and leads the solution architect
team in crafting effective learning solutions
to meet client needs. Email Erin.

LARGE-SCALE LEARNING PROGRAMS have unique challenges
Find out why the world's most successful companies trust SweetRush with theirs

Brandon Hall 2016
* Best Sales Training Program for Extended Enterprise
* Best Advance in Creating an Extended Enterprise Learning Program
* Best Use of: º Games or Simulations for Learning
º Social Collaborative Learning
º Video
º Mobile Learning
º Performance Support

Training Industry

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Content Development & Gamification

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Contact
Erin Krebs
Director of Client Solutions
info@sweetrush.com
It would make her day!

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