Even before the pandemic hit, it was clear that L&D had a responsibility to adapt their approach to training, moving away from lengthy days out of the office, to shorter, accessible sessions, focused on clear learning outcomes.
With more and more people now working remotely, this need has increased substantially. And if we want to keep learning relevant and accessible, it needs to flex to the way the majority of people are now working.
Here at PRO, we’ve seen demand rising significantly for targeted development sessions and bespoke, hour-long workshops that tackle a specific key learning area.
It’s why we recently launched ‘6 Conversations’. It’s a skills-based, development toolkit designed specifically for new managers and it covers topics such as ‘How to manage in a hybrid world’ and ‘How to provide great feedback’.
Of course, the dramatic switch to remote working and the ongoing transition to online platforms have been a huge catalyst for the adoption of online training – and it’s great to see that it’s working!
Why there’s nothing new about online learning
It’s true – there’s nothing that new about online learning.
The real shift, however, is the realisation that online training can still be LIVE.
It can include live demonstrations, 1:2:1 practice sessions, small group collaborations, opportunities to share ideas and best practices, as well as offer and receive personal feedback. All the essential ingredients for an interaction that makes great training work, and that has a real impact on professional growth.
Bite-size learning - a win : win for L&D providers and team members
For L&D providers, bite-size learning makes it:
- Easier to react to current trends
- Easier to identify personal development needs
- Easier to create tailored learning solutions
- Easier to provide access to expert trainers and coaches via remote platforms
- Easier to schedule in to the corporate diary
- Easier to maximise value from the L&D budget
- Easier to get team member buy-in and engagement
For team members, it is:
- Better at improving individual skills gaps
- Better at fitting in with the demands of home-working
- Better at flexing around competing work and life commitments
- Better at having an immediate impact
- Better at opening up ‘micro’ opportunities to improve
Bite-size learning is the future of training and L&D
Bite-size learning underpins everything we do here at PRO and it’s easy to see why.
It:
- Provides short, sharp bursts of learning
- Focuses on a single learning objective
- Is personalised to the individual
- Supports colleague collaboration and creates a sense of community
- Helps team members to do their jobs better
- Is easy to access – from anywhere, anytime
- Leverages a collaborative coaching approach
- Facilitates personal responsibility for identifying and bridging knowledge and skills gaps
