In the last post, I took a 30,000 foot view of the issues with training our digital natives, the Millennials. Here are the first six, of twelve, strategies that I and others are using to better land instruction and content:
Set clear learning objectives – Tell them what you’re going to teach them and why. Effective learning is all about context. Sure, I’ll learn something if you force it on me. But without understanding how it impacts the environment and how my doing it impacts others, I have little investment in the outcome.
Teach them how to think and learn — Take a couple of minutes to explain the big picture. Establishing a clear set of procedures and executing them consistently can result in employees who are more likely to think for themselves. You can also establish an ethic of critical thinking just by simply expecting it. If they’re still struggling, take the time to help employees think through day-to-day challenges rather than answering their questions. Can it be awkward and time consuming? Sure, but most employees adapt to this type of supervision quickly if you give them the opportunity. They’ll eventually adopt this practice and take ownership for resolving their daily challenges.
Leverage their digital habits – Millennials live on their mobile devices. Rather than telling everyone to turn smart phones off during training, include the use of these devices in the class. Send them links. Ask them to research an issue on the spot. Dialog with them about the difference between what you’re saying and what they’re finding on the Web and why. Effective trainers these days recognize that learning is a collaborative experience. Everybody learns rather than just the learners.
Make instruction interactive – In Bismarck, I will be teaching a course entitled Pushing the Safety Button with the Emerging Generation. As a part of this session, I will ask everyone to team up and create a two- to three-minute video clip addressing a safety issue. It will need to be entertaining and to the point. Then we’ll up-load each one and watch them as a group. I am accomplishing several objectives with this: 1) This exercise addresses the needs of auditory, visual and kinesthetic learners; 2) It forces them to think quickly and creatively; 3) It’s fun and funny. (You should see some of the clips people have created in the past.)
Praise smaller degrees of mastery – Millennials have a reputation for expecting inordinate amounts of praise. That said, I think most managers fail to provide enough consistent encouragement to begin with. Make a point of setting more incremental benchmarks. Everyone will appreciate the sense of achievement they feel more often as they learn.
Make instruction mobile – As I mentioned in the previous post, most people do not learn content the first time they hear it. The advent of digital and mobile technology allows us to record an instructional segment, up-load it to a website and allow them to watch the content again and again. Over time, it will not be uncommon for learners to whip out their smart phones when stuck on a procedure, for instance, and be able to go to the company website where they will search on video clips related to the issue and then watch the appropriate one for review.
Visit the next post for even more ideas on training Millennials.