Some new tricks to deliver Corporate Compliance Training

In general, compliance means conforming to a rule, such as a specification, policy, standard or law. Regulatory compliance describes the goal that organizations aspire to achieve in their efforts to ensure that they are aware of and take steps to comply with relevant laws, policies, and regulations.

Training (Business dictionary version) ‘Organized activity aimed at imparting information and/or instructions to improve the recipient's performance or to help him or her attain a required level of knowledge or skill.’

Compliance Training with better outcomes and discussions

Wow, this is beginning to sound like fun…not….

Now tell me, how do you make the first thought, your learner audience has…. “I must do this xxx course, action it now, or get that into my calendar, finish that course just as soon as I can – I can barely wait…”

My first question to self is, “why would I?” Then of course the WIFM question – “what’s in it for me?”

You could answer, to keep your job here, however, I really don’t think that will hold sway, attract the right people, and motivate the right results. Aside of any generational views, reluctant adherence to enforced rules is a negative perspective, that will undermine the business culture.

If you are facing challenges to get Compliance Training completed – you need to metaphorically stare at a blank learning design page for a while. After some sparks and synapse has occurred, you may arrive at a better idea or delivery model for this type of training.

If of course you already have some amazing delivery practices and ideas – please add thoughts in comments – there are thousands of L&D, HR Teams, Business leaders and learners out there, that need your help. Help me to help them…

I’m not an L&D, learning designer, so won’t tread into that space, so from here I’m posing big picture thoughts and ideas on what could be done to change the picture a little.

My first question is “why does Compliance Training have to be in one Course, Series of Courses or a Curriculum” – with good learning analytics, could we not take a notional path to delivering Compliance Training (et al) in a series of differing methods and ways to encourage, engage and deliver it to our learners, in small, almost subliminal chunks?

I only ask this, because compliance course completion, is not the real outcome.

It is the application of the compliance learning, rules and skills in the right way, to the industry applicable standards, that is, the desired outcome

We know we can track and record all learning inside and outside the organisation using Experience API (x-API) - all learning components, and sub-components created, and from whichever learning event they were delivered to the learner audience. So, maybe this is a pathway to get this done.

Use xAPI to track, record, reporting and individual learning analytics

If we think in those terms, a microlearning course could be one way to set a compliance level expectation, support subsequent learning and follow-up with spaced learning techniques, to embed compliant processes into long term memory and therefore daily use.

If we use a range of techniques to break-up the delivery of a long cumbersome course(s) –

microlearning could be an efficient course delivery support method. Not going to do the whole job I know, however if we progress the thought into range of sub-components - video training elements, workshops, sub-courses, training events and we use our preferred method to validate that understanding (quiz, test, whatever your industry compliance calls for), supported by microlearning, we moved along that notional path a little.

Some of the compliance training must be a clear and precise, statements of understanding and delivery with check-points validated and certified. I doubt we will get away from that – what I’m thinking is how we minimize that challenging section, and surround those onerous learning chunks, with less intrusive aspects to learn, check understanding, validate and use skills and learning in real world applications.

We could for example construct an ‘Action Based Learning event/activity’, incorporating those mandatory elements that must be learnt into a relevant physical activity or event.

Activities, that are tracked and managed - Action based learning via x-API so they all begin to form a cohesive view of an individual’s compliance learning pathway.

Add individual targeted and focused Action Based learning to Compliance Training pathways

Using this technique compliance could include external learning, certification for professional standards, learning conducted outside the organisation, included into the overall Corporate Training plan. Tracked and managed as any other Corporate learning element or event.

The final summary of this thinking is, a single long compliance course could be broken-down into multiple components and delivery methods – ‘tracked and managed as a whole’:

· Video learning – course components, task observation, recorded learner responses (all mobile compatible)

· Microlearning – individually targeted, precise and single element focus

· Face to face course(s)

· Workshops

· Webinars

· eLearning course(s)

· Action based learning events/activites

· Plus, add your own ideas here…

Taking this pathway to a logical outcome would mean, for all employees subjected to compliance standards within your business, you would be able to tell which employees have completed what % X Course (sub-component) of the total Compliance Training required.

Achieving reporting across all tracked compliance components. Meaning a differing approach to compliance training completion is then possible;

“…just do this part, and we are done…” could be a much nicer, more meaningful approach and conversation.

Like to connect about this and other ideas, lets's talk

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John Driscoll

AgylisANZ

info@agylisanz.com

+61 (0)8 8311 3713

Level 3 | 97 Pirie Street | South Australia | SA 5214