We’re fans of “blended learning” solutions that make use of different types of training activities. This might include written documents, instructor-led training, on-the-job training (OJT), and more.
The idea is to pick the type of training activity that best suits each training need. For example, maybe you really need the real-time, spontaneous feedback that instructor-led training can provide for one training need. Or, maybe the hands-on practice in the real work environment with an experienced co-worker fits the bill for another training need.
When you’re choosing the right activity type, one thing to think about is “Does this allow me to deliver the same, consistent training message every time?” Something we hear again and again from new customers is that they struggle to deliver the same standard, consistent training message on a given topic to each worker, every time they hear the message.
You can see why this is important. For example, you may have a set of policies that you want to make all new employees aware of during their onboarding. Or, maybe you want each employee in the Production department to perform a particular procedure in the exact same way. Or, maybe you want to make sure the message in your yearly refresher training matches the message employees learned the first time they were trained.
Need some e-learning courses for your workplace? Check out our e-learning course libraries and our learning management systems (LMSs). Or, contact us for more information or to set up a demo.
And hey, why not download this free Guide to Effective Manufacturing Training or this Guide to Effective EHS Training while you’re here?
Why Instructor-Led Training Doesn’t Always Lead to a Standard, Consistent Training Message
As we mentioned earlier, instructor-led training is great for a lot of things.
But it’s not always so great for delivering the exact same training message time and time again. That’s true if only one instructor leads each training, and it’s even more true if you have multiple instructors training employees on the same topic.
What are some reasons why instructor-led training can lead to inconsistent training messages? Well, we’ll list a few below. And we wouldn’t be shocked if you could add some more on your own (hey, that’s what the “Comments” section at the bottom is for–feel free to add on).
- Instructor misspeaks during training and accidentally says the wrong thing
- Instructor forgets to mention something during training
- Instructor doesn’t actually agree with the training message and goes “off-script” from time to time
- Different instructors have different understandings of the same training materials and train employees differently as a result
We’re guessing at least one of these have happened at your workplace. If not, it’s probably easy enough for you to imagine that they could.
Use e-Learning Courses for Standard, Consistent Training Messages
On the other hand, one thing e-learning courses do very well is allow you to deliver the same training message to all of your employees every time they hear it. Let’s list a few reasons why below:
- You can read, review, edit, and approve the storyboard and script before a custom e-learning course is created for you (click to learn how Convergence Training can create custom e-learning courses for your workplace training needs)
- You can create your own e-learning courses and control the training messages they contain (click to see an example of how to create your own e-learning course using PowerPoint and an e-learning authoring tool)
- You can use a learning management system (LMS) to deliver your e-learning course online to your entire workforce, or to selected parts, such as a department (click to learn more about the LMSs available from Convergence Training)
- If you need to change or update your training message, you can modify your e-learning course and deliver a new version through your learning management system (at least you can with the LMSs from Convergence Training)
Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below.
Your Thoughts?
What are your experiences? Do you struggle to deliver the same training message to each of your employees? If so, why? And, what have you done to try to fix the problem? Did it work?
While we like e-learning for many reasons, including its ability to deliver a standard, consistent training message, we like other kinds of training too, and we think it’s best to deliver a blended learning solution. For more about blended learning, download the free guide below.
