Give clear time frames
One mistake was made during the rollout of the upskilling programme Digital Now Academy at headquarters: the team was not accompanied through the upskilling journey. An end date was communicated, but not tracked. From the point of view of the GDPR, tracking individual employees’ learning progress is not possible. We have learned from our mistakes, however. The current rollout at Ottobock in other countries foresees a joint kick-off date for each country and a joint recap date for the deadline which accounts for the learning time. Thus, our international colleagues are encouraged to stay on track in order to finalise the learning package within the timeframe.
Repition is queen!
Don’t assume that your message will be noticed, read and understood immediately. A communication mix and regular repetition of the topic is needed so that the message really comes across to your whole target group. Repetition up to five till seven times is key.
Use leaders as multiplicators
Team leaders need to support and prioritise the learning offer, i.e. understand the added value for themselves and their team. They have to push it amongst the team but also , above all, free up time for learning. If you have the leaders on your side, and if they actively participate in the learning offer, upskilling will take off in the team.
Offer group learning sessions
Everyone learns differently and some need a fixed learning slot in the calendar to prioritise learning or to study together. Exchange in joint sessions offers learning transfer, strengthens knowledge and serves as a team-building measure. Learning should also be fun.
Engage learners
Ask the learners what they really want and how you can support the learning process. Provide regular surveys on learning content and ask for ideas on what is missing. This way, the employees feel valued and participate more, because learning opportunities are tailored to their needs.
Test new measures, it’s a process!
Test new learning measures and don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t work at first. It’s a process! With new learning offers, you can test what colleagues’ needs are and learn from mistakes in order to improve the upskilling offer within your company.
Learn from other learning experts
This field of work is new, and you are responsible for the change process in the Learning & Upskilling area. Exchange with other experts helps enormously to learn from best practices and mistakes others have already made.
