By: Shawna Simcik

The landscape of talent management continues to radically change and should guide us in how and where to focus our previous human capital dollars, time, and energy to make a meaningful impact in our organizations. One of the emerging trends is the need to integrate learning and development into employees’ work days or workflows. The modern learner and most business demands do not allow for the traditional approach to learning. That is, in a classroom, with a PowerPoint for 8-hours; not to mention that the chances of behavior change after a “fire-hose” approach to training is minimal. Employees simply do not have the time available.

Ten years ago, at ICC, we delivered full-day or half-day trainings in a wide array of topics. Only a few years ago, we began to hear the continual request from clients – “Hey, can you deliver an emotional intelligence training in 90 minutes?” My response was and continues to be, “No. I can raise self-awareness to the concept of EQ in 90 minutes, but that’s it. And any supplier who says they can, is lying.”

In a recent study on human capital trends, Deloitte reports that 85% of respondents cited that a very important issue in organizations is the ability to change the way people are learning. It’s not hard to understand why. Evolving work demands and skill requirements are creating an enormous demand for new skills and capabilities, while a tight labor market is making it challenging for organizations to hire people from outside.

We recognize that reinvention in learning can be a daunting task, especially when your employee training process has been the same way for a long time. The skeptics will tell you that to learn, we must bring people together in a room, around a conference table with a skilled facilitator and PowerPoint up on a projector, but this isn’t always true. If this is the case in your organization, we recommend starting slow. Integrate micro-learning into your programs, and couple this with dynamic in-person facilitation with case-studies, coaching and action learning – remove the trainer at the head of the table and the slide show. Create an interactive environment where peers can build collegial relationships and break down organizational silos. Drive the learning and theory application in a different modality. Effective reinvention along these lines will require a culture that supports continuous learning but is a great way to move in the direction of modern learning and training that impacts the organization!

To learn more about how ICC integrates learning into your employees workflow, contact us at Info@InnovateICC.com, call us at 855-865-4400.