Corporate learning has fundamentally changed, and it’s killing traditional Learning Management Systems.
That’s a good thing.
People have a need to learn and develop like never before. We’re working in an era where machines, automation and artificial intelligence have the ability to outshine some of our human talents and compete for our jobs. That doesn't have to be as scary as it sounds. It just initiates a change in how we respond and react – beginning with how we learn.
Historically, corporate training programs have been about checking boxes. It’s been about proving to a manager or an association or a board that you have consumed the information you need to succeed and can regurgitate it when called upon. It’s a one-time, forced experience that isn’t much of an experience at all. When that type of learning was acceptable, that’s when a traditional LMS was acceptable. The problem was, it wasn't working.
Those days of box-checking and experience-less learning are over. Today, learning has to be continuous, meaningful, engaging, and interactive. Today, your average LMS no longer fits that bill.
Learning will keep us human
As the world becomes more saturated with chips and bots, there is an increasing demand for humans to be more human. Our understanding has to be deeper, our forward progress has to be faster, and our skill sets must be more agile.
Humans are living longer, and in turn, are spending more time in the workforce. In order to stay relevant in their jobs, people must be prepared and equipped with the tools they need to reinvent themselves time and time again.
As challenging as this can be, focusing on the social aspects of being human will be important. Skill sets that set us apart from our robot counterparts like management, customer service, and engagement will become a high priority.
Learning needs to be efficient and effective
In order to achieve a high level of learning and development, people need to have a steady stream of larger learning sessions reinforced by intermittent microlearning opportunities.
Back in 2017 Josh Bersin wrote about how people need a combination of Micro- and Macro- learning experiences in order to be successful in the long term. Employees need training to deal with the “right now” problems. They need microlearning opportunities that deliver immediate education in bite-sized, actionable pieces.
Those microlearning opportunities must be augmented with larger macro-learning opportunities. Like full-length courses, immersive events, and other learning experiences that take the learner from “beginner” to “advanced” through a natural progression.
Learning must be delivered as an experience
Lackluster corporate training programs and LMS platforms are no longer acceptable as proper education for a person who wants to keep up, much less advance, in his or her career. More and more companies are providing their people more opportunities for professional and personal advancement. If you aren't one of those companies, your people will leave you for a competitor who does invest in learning and development.
People are accustomed to intuitive design and interactive content. They are used to picking up skills through video tutorials and live webinars. They want it to be interactive and they want to engage with their peers. Employees are no longer willing to go through the check-box-ticking motions required by an under-achieving corporate training program. They require real, meaningful education that translates into tangible learning results; results that level-up their lives.
Learning has fundamentally changed for the better
Employees today are more willing than ever before to learn and grow. But their expectations of the programs that will take them through that journey are off the charts.
The traditional LMS platforms centered around check marks are becoming obsolete and meaningless for training. Today learning is more than digital. It pushes past what’s been considered modern and has entered into multifaceted experiences that incorporate all of today’s best technologies rolled into one. It’s mobile, self-guided, collaborative, and adaptive. More than that, learning has become a must-have for corporate cultures.
Without a modern approach to corporate training, organizations and their people will be left in the dust. The time is now to say goodbye to traditional LMS and welcome new corporate training programs that pack a powerful punch.
Imagine if corporate learning wasn’t a box to be checked? Imagine if your people showed up for work every day seeking out new information? That’s when the question changes from “How do we educate our people?” to “What do we do with all of this talent?”
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