6 ways to fuel business transformation with microlearning

Change has become the new normal. And it’s no longer a stop-start thing, it’s constant. The disruption has forced organisations to draw up business transformation plans aimed at keeping on top of the changes.

So, what are the transformation triggers? The big ones are the seismic developments in technology, customer demands, a shift in globalisation where emerging economies are making an increasing impact, and the challenges of regulatory compliance.

“What is business transformation? It is the opportunity to define a bold ambition that goes beyond incremental change—the opportunity to rethink your business and operating models to deliver breakthrough value. It involves strategic decisions that affect where you’ll grow, how your organization operates, and what kinds of performance improvements you can expect.” – Deloitte

Transformation pitfalls

Far too many organisations are getting their transformation implementation wrong, with more than half failing to achieve their desired business goal, according to KPMG.

Pitfalls include:

Seeing business transformation as a one-off event
Failing to build in speed, sustainability, agility and flexibility
Reacting to changes, rather than being proactive and ‘owning’ the transformation
A silo culture, where knowledge and information aren’t shared
Not involving all employees in the transformation

The final pitfall is a big mistake.

According to a McKinsey survey, of those firms that failed to engage line managers and front-line staff, only 3% reported transformation success. Employees are the key to sustainable culture change. It won’t happen if organisations don’t take their people with them.

The power of microlearning

To undergo a successful business transformation, a holistic approach is needed. The new way of working must be rolled out across the entire organisation. Microlearning has the power to do this, and more. Here are six ways microlearning supports successful transformation:

1. Result-focused

Results (the end point) are also the starting point in microlearning. Using the ‘Results-First Model’, microlearning design asks, in this order: What measurable business goal do you want to achieve? What behaviours do employees need to learn to achieve this? What knowledge do they require to affect these behavioural changes?

2. Agile

Microlearning fits the modern business model, where the workforce is dispersed, and businesses increasingly utilise freelance talent. It guarantees consistent, cost-effective learning for everyone, regardless of location, via PC and devices. With remote, flexible working predicted to grow, learning that’s not agile won’t be worth the paper it’s written on.

3. Learner-friendly

Implementing microlearning using a platform like Spark meets the needs of the modern workforce. Each employee learns the same ‘must have’ knowledge needed to achieve behaviour change at their own pace. No one gets left behind. The platform sends additional learning content to those who need it, while speedy learners can race ahead unhindered. The ‘practice makes perfect’ learning uses bite-size content and game mechanics that make learning fun.

4. Non-disruptive

Daily learning of 3-5 minutes keeps the knowledge fresh. It fits into employees’ workflow and the knowledge can also be accessed on demand. This is vital at a time when workers feel swamped and when it’s not possible to repeatedly take them away from their work to undergo lengthy training.

5. Ongoing

Microlearning delivers continuous, updateable learning. It’s proactive. It allows organisations to ‘own’ their business transformation.

6. Transformational

Microlearning is carefully constructed to embed knowledge deeply, so that it brings about behavioural change – the key to driving improvements and transforming cultures. It uses learning techniques that are scientifically proven to assist the brain to take in, retain and apply knowledge correctly. These are spaced repetition, retrieval practice and confidence-based assessment.

Perfect fit

Anticipating and keeping on top of change is critical if businesses are to secure growth today and in the years ahead. In the digital era, this is going to need tech-powered solutions.

Microlearning has the reach to engage everyone. It gets people up to speed fast and keeps them there. It keeps the learning going, embedding it. It’s why microlearning is a perfect fit for business transformation.