Many employees dread training. Whether it’s a day-long breakout session, or training or e-learning that they must complete on their own time, poor quality training can be time-consuming, boring, and valueless. Great training should not be a task your workers dread. Learning – when it’s done right – is exciting, boosts engagement, and can significantly develop employees’ skills.
How do you provide training that motivates employees and helps them reflect on personal pain points? First and foremost, you need to choose the best delivery method. Ideally, a scenario-based learning activity that fosters an emotional connection and resonates with staffers.
Scenario-based learning (SBL) uses interactive scenarios to support active learning strategies such as problem-based or case-based learning. What are the types of scenario-based training you should consider for your employee development strategy? Below are five scenario-based learning methods that could transform your training and make learning more impactful, effective, and enduring.
Simulation Training
With simulation training, employees immerse themselves in tasks and compliance policies. They get to experience all the emotions without any of the risks, as well as improve performance behaviors and habits that limit their potential.
Video-Based Learning
Videos give employees a visual example to follow. Scenario-based videos feature a compelling story. For instance, the main character has to deal with a coworker conflict. How would employees handle the situation to build a better team dynamic?
Problem-Based Training
All scenario-based learning experiences involve a real-world problem. But this strategy narrows the scope. Employees must focus on a specific issue that hinders workplace productivity and use all their lateral thinking skills to come up with different solutions.
Branching Scenarios
Immersive branching scenarios are so popular because they’re interactive and feature built-in feedback. Every decision brings employees down a different path, which leads to repercussions or rewards. Using branch scenarios, employees are able to test their instincts. This is especially helpful when there can be more than one right answer to a scenario.
Gamification
Gamified scenarios include levels and other game mechanics. For example, staffers earn badges for achieving the most favorable outcome. Or they move up the leaderboard, which fuels friendly competition. You can even develop serious games with engaging stories to boost employee motivation.
How to choose the right training for your organization
Corporate training is an investment in your team and your company’s future. In 2019, companies spent $370.3 billion globally on employee training. How can you make sure your investment will pay off? By choosing the right type of corporate training for your organization, of course. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
Perform a skills gap analysis
To choose the correct type of training, you need to start by performing a training needs analysis. Define what skill sets are most valuable to your organization, and consider what skills your company may need in the next 5-10 years. Evaluate the skills of your team against those you will need to guarantee that you’re offering relevant training that your employees will value.
Set clear objectives
To make sure your training program is effective, you also need to set clear objectives. What do you want your employees to learn? Leadership skills? Company policies and procedures? At the same time, don’t forget to align your objectives with your business goals, mission, and company goals.
Accommodate employees
You can’t choose the best corporate training program without considering your employees. Have you thought about their preferred methods of learning? What about their schedules? Like we saw earlier, younger employees prefer independent learning. If your team is mostly remote, online learning may be the only way to go. You may even discover that you need more than one type of training, as employees have different learning styles.
Scenario-based learning programs are very useful to impart decision-making skills. They help learners identify why some of their decisions are wrong and the consequences of such decisions in a risk-free environment. They promote critical thinking and present real-world contexts that facilitate good learning.
Want to know more about how to use scenario-based learning to engage your employees and transform your training? Contact us today to discuss the potential for learning that gives your team the knowledge and experience to perform their best.
