Can you drive learning results in a distance/asynchronous environment?

 Yes - but you'll need some help!

With remote and hybrid working arrangements a fixture in the post-COVID reality, we as Learning and Development professionals have needed to adapt - and in many ways we have. That said - I would challenge all of us to think simply beyond providing a Zoom link or an eLearning to maximize our results  in this new reality and not be caught in a blind spot or patting ourselves on the back when we need to approach our new world differently..

At ATD 2022 I went to an info session about working remotely (the facilitator's name escapes me! If I find I will add) and the key point that stuck was COVID taught us how to RESPOND remotely but not to WORK remotely. In short - many were lured into a false sense of security because they were able to respond to the outside events affecting them - but when it came to normal business and the resuming of usual practices such as ideation, collaboration and learning - many have been caught by surprise, not seeing the usual response in their key metrics. Many have found the learning solutions we have rapidly evolved in the past 3 years have not been as impactful as we have hoped.

But do not fear! I present a problem but I always come equipped with ideas. Try these tips below to maximize your learning results in distance/asynchronous environments:

• ABM - Always Be Marketing - without a facilitator present (or maybe sand a facilitator period!) your trainees' perception of a positive value propitiation is critical. Advertising, messaging and communicating with your learners to elevate the status of your programs and content sets the tone for a more receptive audience.
• Measure And Share - consider measuring your metrics more regularly so you can understand your audience's needs and, more importantly, pivot to match so your efforts are driving the results you want to see. And when there are success stories - highlight them! Use testimonials, share stats - whichever fits. This dovetails nicely into the ABM concept - shout from the hilltops!
• Engage Support Staff - if you can't be there as a facilitator, connect with those who are! Front line managers, HR Business Partners and supporting staff are critical conduits to facilitate distance learning. In retail there's a phrase we use - what gets told is what gets sold - and if your day-to-day operators are engaged with your stuff and supporting/coaching around your learning elements, this will support your results tremendously.
• Cultivate A Fertile Environment - look outside of training to see how you can anchor it into the day to day lives of trainees. Is training progress shared with front line leadership? Is there a leaderboard/recognition of those who are learning leaders? Can the behavior/performance outcomes of training programs be linked to performance reviews, compensation updates or promotions? The more you can affect the environment and tailor your content to help individuals get where they want to go, the likelihood of you driving your metrics increases.

These are a few thoughts - do you have any of your own? Would love to hear them - share them below with thanks! -Kevin