November 27th, 2010 by Robin Green

As I suggested in last week’s blog, failed training initiatives–which squander organizations’ time and resources–are often due not only to the quantity or length of the training, but also to their texture. I touched on a few phenomena related to the quantity of training and their effect on employee turnover as well as performance management. But how can LMS training texture make or break your company training program?

Although you’ll surely want to expose your employees to hands-on training via simulations and other LMS online tools, you probably have a great of deal of information to share with trainees. In the transfer of all this information is where empathy and texture/resourcefulness figure in.

First, empathize with your employees. What are their daily schedules and routines? Do any of your employees have lengthy train, auto, bus, or bike commutes to work? Do any of them work out at the gym, enjoy jogging or cooking? Knowing about your employees’ hobbies is not only key for good management and building trust between management and employees, but it can also help you to design training that fits easily into their day-to-day lives.

Second, be resourceful. One medium that fits like a glove into everyone’s daily lives are podcasts and other audio information. Audio is a fantastic way to deliver large chunks of material. In particular, podcasts are simple to create, produce, and share with learners, and don’t require any special hardware to listen to them. LMS online training platforms like Coggno include a simple Apple Podcast Producer as part of its pack of user-friendly course creation tools.

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Coggno.com is a premier LMS platform.

November 17th, 2010 by Robin Green

Part of successful performance management is your ability to empathize with your trainees and be realistic in the kind of LMS online training administered. When I say “kind” of training, I don’t necessarily mean considerations like which LMS platform you choose, whether or not you utilize previously established training methods, the options of online or in-person or a mixture of both, or any other basic decisions regarding training. What I mean is the style, form, texture, and resources your training employs, and what how these choices are reflected in the day-to-day training activities.

There are many causes of failed training initiatives, which are obviously a huge waste of organizations’ time and energy. Many of these causes are related not only to the quantity or length, but also the texture of the training.

Let’s face it: management often has a difficult time in gauging the appropriate amount of time to devote to training. One common mistake is to skimp on training. It’s rushed through, and ultimately the manager figuratively shrugs his shoulders and concludes that employees will learn the particular skill or topic on-the-job. However, managers should keep in mind that training IS on-the-job. Training is a critical part of employees’ work experience, which delivered effectively, can make an enormous difference in performance, greatly ease the task of performance management, and save an organization an enormous amount of time and money in employee turnover.

Do you expect trainees to read a large quantity of material during the training? One of the most prevalent reasons for failure in longer training sessions is the fact that they don’t fit into the trainees’ schedules and busy lives. For this reason, take the time to investigate the brilliant but simple-to-use texture-lending training tools offered by online training platforms, such as video and audio tools, which can provide the large quantity of information you need to relay in dynamic and convenient ways.

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Coggno.com is a leading provider of premier LMS platform.

November 11th, 2010 by Robin Green

How can you create a positive atmosphere in your workplace and provide LMS training that is effective, stimulating, and prompts  a sense of “flow” that boosts performance?

In Csikszentmihalyi’s studies, he found that one major preoccupation that prevented people from enjoying what they are doing is how they appear to others, or what others might think about them. As Doctor Phil has said many times (love or hate him, he has some great things to say about human behavior), one thing that unites humankind is the fear that we don’t measure up. Everyone feels this way at one time or another, and the kind of workplace and training that are present in a person’s life have a great deal to do with the strength of this feeling. It can affect performance in ways that managers don’t even imagine. If a worker feels underestimated, unchallenged, or bored, he or she is unlikely to perform to the optimal capacity.

Achieving a sense of flow in one’s work involves rising above such constraints. What are the elements of the flow? First, feeling totally involved or focused, which is due to natural curiosity of the result of good training. Second is a feeling of inner clarity; knowing what must be done, and an awareness of how well it is going. The third element is a knowledge that the activity is doable, and that one’s skills are adequate. Fourth, timeliness (ignoring ego and time) and fifth, intrinsic motivation; the flow becomes its own reward. Most elements of the flow are direct results of strong LMS training, which helps not only to boost performance, but employees’ satisfaction in their jobs and their lives.

Coggno is now offering a free trial for performance review training creators on its learning management system. Create online training for free, whether it be for internal use, for inclusion in Coggno’s E-learning Marketplace, or for outside syndication on hundreds of websites.

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Coggno.com offers world class LMS platform.

November 5th, 2010 by Robin Green

Motivating employees and ensuring that they are satisfied and fulfilled in their tasks isn’t an easy managerial task. How does one create a sense of dynamism in the workplace or in an LMS training program?

In 1991 Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote his groundbreaking book “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience,’ in which he described the work he had done on the “flow” and human motivation. The idea of flow is like the state of being “in the zone” or “in the groove.”

Flow is a feeling of total absorption, fulfillment, and skill during which the person forgets normal and/or temporal concerns such as the ego, food, and time. It’s the optimal state of intrinsic motivation, in which the person is fully engaged and immersed in what he or she is doing, as if playing a sport or reading a good book.

In the “flow,” people feel completely involved and focused. A state of ennui, boredom or depression is prevented by being in the flow.  So is the agitation of anxiety.

How can you prompt your employees to achieve this state at the workplace and enjoy more thoroughly the tasks that they are doing?

One way to instill this state is to prevent your employees’ workflow from becoming stagnant. Refresher training via a learning management system (LMS) or other online learning platform is a great way to keep tasks dynamic and changing.

Another element that will impact employees’ sense of engagement and satisfaction in their work is training that is effective, interactive and comprehensive.

How does the job connect to the other parts of the organization and how do the tasks assigned to each employee fit in to the larger scope and organizational goals? Create your own online training customized for your business using a learning management system that allows you to include an overall scope.

Coggno is now offering a free trial for training creators on its learning management system. Create an online course for free, whether it be for internal use, for inclusion in Coggno’s E-learning Marketplace, or for outside syndication on hundreds of websites.

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Coggno.com is a leading provider of world class e-learning education.