In the series Connecting Thread, our experts share learning moments or inspiring experiences. Learning Architect Monika Kaczorowska reflects on the insights she gathered at Digital First 2023, a Belgian marketing conference focusing on the latest developments in digital tools.
And there were some interesting takeaways with regard to training too.
What are important aspects of training with impact? Be brave and experiment with structure and content: mixed activities, practical examples learning blocks to grab and keep attention. In addition, the subject matter and practical application should always be tailored to your participants environment. This way they can use all they’ve learned as soon as they complete the course.
The first takeaway: inspiration can sometimes come from unexpected places. For example, from an industry where you don’t work yourself. Applying their experience, findings or techniques in your own field can be an interesting learning experience. This was the case during the last edition of Digital First. One of the companies that presented there was Optimizely, an international marketing agency. They demonstrated the power of experimentation. According to the agency, experimenting helps boost sales, market new products and enhance learning experiences.
The ‘golden formula’ of experimenting also applies to training e.g. find new angles to explain subject matter, regularly review the structure or approach regularly or implement innovative technologies. Mensura Learn&Connect focuses on generating as much impact as possible when developing our courses.
A second important lesson is that ‘thinking outside the box’ is not the only way to to learn new things. Sometimes you need to look “inside the box”. Sharing knowledge with your colleagues, offers many insights, teaching you to use new tools or tackle tasks more efficiently.
One great example of something we do at Mensura is ‘Conversation Tables’ and ‘Lunch&Learns’. Several colleagues volunteer to get together during lunch and exchange experience and knowledge about a specific topic. This way of learning takes up little time in busy work schedules. It also boosts connection among employees. Just a perfect combination of learning and connecting!
If you think about digital tools you use frequently, you probably end up with quite a list. But are you actually getting the most out of these tools? Personally, I am a fan of OASE, where you can find plenty of short videos with step-by-step explanations of the different options in Microsoft applications (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
Discover David’s ‘aha-moment’ in the next Connecting Thread.
Cookies saved