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Putting the 'people first' principle
into practice
Using human-centred design, the starting
point for L&D must be to experience the
learners' world in their working
environment. Know what their day-to-day
experiences are like. Are there barriers to
learning? Only when you understand your
learners and their needs can you can work
on the content, design and delivery of the
learning.
Pushing pre-determined content is unlikely
to achieve results. Find out what the
learners know compared to what they need
to know, so the gaps can be filled with
learning that's relevant and will make a
difference. Speak to team leaders or topic
experts to learn more about bad practice
and good practice, so you can ensure
employees get the correct skills and
knowledge to convert poor scenarios to
positive ones.
We did this with great success when
designing customer service learning for
AXA Business Insurance's contact centre
staff. The firm's customers were interviewed
as part of this 'people first' approach so
that their needs could be understood, and
L&D sat in on 'live' customer calls.
When it comes to the design, having
ongoing learning that uses a blend of
approaches keeps it engaging and to hand
when needed.
Even the user interface (UI) of your digital
learning has a role to play. It must have
clarity and consistency. For example,
learners don't like icons without labels. And
if they don't know what the icon means,
they're unlikely to engage. Similarly, if
elements of the design keep changing
through the module, the learner will be
wasting time trying to understand and
navigate it. A simple, clear interface is
much more in tune with learners'
requirements.
Finally, we come to the delivery of the
learning. One of the big learner changes is
the demand for flexibility. They want to be
able to access the learning at a place and a
time that works well for them.
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