Beat ‘Analysis Paralysis’: Training Program Improvements that are No-Brainers

Studies are showing that developing the right upskilling and reskilling programs is currently top of mind for many organizations. Training is an evergreen change management strategy to meet the demands of changing markets, talent management, and the need to integrate new processes.

Unfortunately, those same studies are showing that ‘analysis paralysis’ is a major pain point within those same organizations, as teams struggle with ongoing questions about how to make learning accessible, relevant, and of high value at scale. There are also concerns that the learning creation process can take too long, as learners are in need of training to address significant skills gaps created by changing conditions – now.

To meet those goals, companies can do a few things to start their process to update training. You might call these training update items ‘no-brainers,’ in that they’re usually ongoing items that need to be done, can fit into an existing budget or timeline of upgrades, and don’t require a lot of needs analysis to determine their value because the KPIs create easy ROI.

Here are five areas of improvement that can be applied to update most training programs.

Instant Wins to Improve your Upskilling and Reskilling Training Programs

Convert Hard Copies to Digital PDF. First, start with the basics. Has your team fully converted its training materials to digital format? This single step can improve storage and access issues and is the first step to other improvements down the road. Advanced conversion might include creating videos of instructors giving lessons, or demonstrating processes. That way, learners can refer back to materials later.

Update Your Technology. When possible, move to the cloud. Update your Flash to HTML5, if you haven’t already, so that your pages are completely functional. If you’ve done both of those, check your page speed and load times. You can also look into LMS platforms and features that would enable greater functionality, so that you can make use of advanced learning methods such as gamification, experience-based training using simulations, and other social learning and feedback functions.

Begin to Create a Culture of Learning. Simply stated, a culture of learning is one that proactively encourages, supports, and promotes ongoing learning and development for employees. For example, does your team have time for lunch and learn activities? That’s one type of sanctioned activity that helps to promote a culture of learning. Others would be showing employees where to find development activities and giving them time to improve their skill sets if they desire to be competitive for internal promotions. You can reward those that show initiative and demonstrate capability by problem solving. These activities increase motivation and have a positive impact on retention, as employees feel that the company is investing in their advancement.

Contribute to a Culture of Change Readiness. Is your leadership ready to take on new challenges with a willingness to be flexible and adopt new processes to solve problems? You can create agility and change readiness by cultivating the right leadership attitude through training and for training. That might seem like a lift if your organization doesn’t promote that culture already, but just having leadership buy-in to the need for more learning can promote the change readiness you need. Another way to get the ball rolling is to build a process to give and accept feedback into everything. Promote active listening and encourage curiosity as a mindset.

More Helpful Information 

Could you use more information on upskilling and reskilling programs development? Check out this page on our upskilling and reskilling programs development processes, and helpful case studies with additional information on methods that have produced amazing results. Previously, we’ve also shared information you can use to find a training company or consultant and be sure to find the domain expertise you need to develop a successful project.