Compliance and Ethics training requires behaviour change for it to be considered effective and make a visible impact in an organisation. A large majority of Compliance training is considered dull, linear, and tedious; this has not placed Compliance training in a positive light.
A well-known Compliance Officer reflected on how this reputation of Compliance training needed to shift: “Our training is referred to as a “check-box” exercise and a necessary evil. It needs to shift to inspiring and for our people to feel part of a common mission.”
In a recent project, we surveyed a large group of learners to understand what some of the components of an engaging training session consisted of. There were two dominant requirements:
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- The training needs to be specific to actual on-the-job challenges being faced.
- The design of the training needed to incorporate day-to-day tasks and activities.
TIP 1 – CHOOSE A LEARNING DESIGN THAT ALLOWS FOR PRACTICE AND FEEDBACK.
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
– Benjamin Franklin
Adult learners want to have focused relevant training, which gives them the tools to be more empowered in their work. A suitable approach for this is an immersive scenario whereby learning is first experienced in a simulated scenario and then acted upon (decision-making) – feedback and reflection lend to key learnings.
The learner is central to the story and can apply their knowledge to challenges embedded in scenarios. Cognitively, a learner tests their ability in selecting the best option or becomes aware of gaps in their knowledge. Feedback loops connect the experience to key learning points, this also ties into a motivational factor of wanting to improve.
TIP 2 – GATHER VALUABLE, ACTIONABLE DATA TO TARGET YOUR COMPLIANCE ISSUE WITH THE RIGHT INTERVENTION.
Often training is the “go-to” for areas of high risk or failure. A common and dangerous assumption is that content results in behaviour change and ultimately addresses the issue.
Organisations are complex systems with multiple factors impacting Compliance failure. Before spending time, money, and scarce people skills to roll out a training program – conduct a thorough assessment of the root cause. At G2C we have adopted the approach of Action Mapping, helping us to collaborate with our clients to dig beneath the surface and understand the multiple causes of a Compliance failure.
Action Mapping unpacks and questions what the highest priority pain point is and whether it is influenced by the environment, motivation, culture, or lack of training.
TIP 3 – PROVIDE ON-DEMAND ACCESS TO ANSWERS.
How often this week have you Googled a question or wanted to learn more about a subject of interest? Don’t limit the learning experience to just formal courses, find quickly accessible tools for reinforcement and refreshment of knowledge. Tools such as cheat sheets, frequently asked questions, and if you have the technology meta-tag your courses and information for easy searchability.
Another tip is to always provide feedback to questions in courses even when they are answered correctly. The discovery process is powerful! Some of the most impactful learning moments are driven by curiosity and the search to complete our understanding.
At Game2Change Learning we understand how to apply these and many more practices to elevate your learning from a tedious and yet critical requirement to one which can contribute to strategy and become an empowering experience for your people.