When it comes to eLearning, the way you approach content delivery is paramount. Video has long been an essential part of the learning process for corporations. Today, you have a multitude of options for creating video content. Some companies, for example, host their videos internally and supplement them with streaming videos from popular platforms like YouTube or Facebook.

Audio is more important than you realize.

Active videos are more engaging than passive ones.

Interactive videos may include features like:

These are just a few of the options you might consider when developing your videos.

If your lighting is murky or dull then that’s exactly how your learners will feel. On the other hand, if you use dynamic lighting and make sure the visual elements are sharp and clean, then your learners will be more attracted to what they see on the screen. Some lighting issues may be addressed in postproduction, but it’s certainly a factor to consider before you begin shooting.

Optimizing for the appropriate devices helps

How will your learners be accessing the material? If many of them will be viewing the videos from a tablet or mobile device, then the way you shoot the video might be different than if they were viewing them on a large desktop computer. The more optimized your video is for the appropriate device, the easier it will be for your learners to access it.

Did you write your script from the perspective of a human or a corporate robot? There’s no faster way to put your learners to sleep then to make your video script sound like a boring corporate trainer. Use their language. Make them feel like you understand them and their feelings.

A few ways you can make your script more human is to include some personal details or stories. Act like your video is on a “date” with the learner and your job is to make a good first impression. Don’t be afraid to treat your video script more like a personal exchange than a didactic treatise. Plus, if you’re able to throw in just a little bit of humor then your engagement levels will go much higher.

Music lights up several different parts of the brain at once, so it makes sense that the right choice of music will capture your viewer’s interest early on. However, if you decide to use cheesy out-of-the-box stock material then you might just turn them off out of the gate.

Consider what music might be appropriate for the material you are delivering—even if it’s only in the intro and outro of the video. If you can add a sense of drama, mystery, excitement, or curiosity into the audio aspect of your video production then your viewer will be pulled in to what you are doing easier.

There’s no question that video production matters when you’re creating your eLearning material. While you don’t need to hire Industrial Light and Magic, you will need to keep your learner in mind when you create their videos. Keep them excited and give them something that shows you value their time and they will appreciate it and be much more likely to retain the material you are teaching in the long run.

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How video production affects student engagement

Preparing your L&D budget is no small undertaking. Sometimes it can seem like you are going out and fighting a battle every time you attempt to justify it to the higher brass! However, if you perform your due diligence and truly take a strategic approach to the budget, then you are far more likely to get approval for it.

Here are a few ideas that will help you make the process more effective:

Before you prepare your budget, you will need to identify exactly what the macro and micro objectives are within your learning strategy. You should put together a document that identifies key deliverables, short and long-term objectives, and most of all, the return on investment. You should be able to clearly articulate how this program will pay for itself over and over again.

Research is a huge part of the process when you create your budget. First you'll want to have a look at what's going on in the industry and where other organizations are allocating funds. The truth is you don’t have to look far—you can do a tremendous amount of research these days with a simple Google query.

You also want to look at what your own internal numbers look like. Where have you needed funds the most in the past? Where did you fall short of your target before due to financing obstacles?

For each one of your line items, you should ask yourself how much of a direct impact it will have on the bottom line. If you are acutely aware of profits and the processes that drive them within your Learning Department then you'll know which items to “zero-in” on.

When you create your research documents, make sure that you highlight the industry standards so that you can compare where your organization is right now versus where it should be in the near future to maintain a competitive edge.

The "powers on high” that have the authority to approve or deny your requests will want to know exactly how you came up with each item within your budget. This means you will likely need to justify your requests and provide the data that backs up your findings. If you can't explain why a budget item is the number that it is, then you will be fighting an uphill battle that you will likely lose. Again, it's a good idea to focus on explaining the return on investment so that stakeholders feel confident in handing you the money.

Your budget should be oriented towards measurable results and there are a few metrics that you can use to measure your success. Cost-per-learning-hour is one of the easiest to start out with. Following that, you should look towards outcome-based metrics, like improving employee satisfaction scores, reduction in compliance issues, sales growth, and so on. If you stay focused on the numbers that provide a way to measure your success, then you will be able to better understand and justify the financial resources required to obtain them.

Before you complete your budget you should spend some time evaluating opportunities that may have been overlooked in the past. What changes are happening in the industry right now that could affect your people? What new developments are taking place to improve eLearning deliverability, for example? Are there new tools and resources that can cut down on costs?

This is a fantastic opportunity to sit down with leadership and your key team members and brainstorm about the opportunities that could be out there. This may change the budget, but it could be the very thing that convinces stakeholders that you are on the right path. Innovation is one way that companies maintain their competitive edge and if you can discover innovative ways to deliver your learning material, for example, then you might have a much more attractive budget in the end.

Prepare a document that discusses worst-case scenarios and alternatives

This goes back to the justifying process that you may need to do. It's a fantastic way to present your argument because you will be illustrating what could happen if funding is not acquired. How might a compliance issue affect the company as a whole? What would the legal costs be?

Always be prepared to talk about the lost opportunities in the financial obstacles that could come about if your Learning budget isn’t met. Some of the results may not be disastrous but they could certainly be cases of lost revenue. If you can articulate these clearly then you will be able to attack any objection head-on and you’ll be much more likely to get the funding you need.

Some might argue that preparing your L&D budget is one of the most important parts of the eLearning process. After all, nothing happens without acquiring the funding to do it, right?

This is a part of the job that requires meticulous research and evaluation, while at the same time understanding how to sell your ideas to stakeholders. So don't forget the “human” aspect of the process. While you might be dealing with numbers, the real test will come when it's time to hold your hand out and ask for the money!

For more insights, subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs.

In this article, we'll show you how to create an effective L&D budget. We'll also share some tips on how to manage your L&D budget effectively.

Preparing your L&D budget is no small undertaking. However, if you perform your due diligence and truly take a strategic approach to the budget, then you are far more likely to get approval.

When talking about leadership, we often make mention of highly skilled public speakers – leaders who know how to motivate and encourage teams with their powerful words. While certainly, strong public speaking skills are highly valued in any leader, listening is also an incredibly important and underrated skill for effective leadership. 

You can probably think of someone you’ve worked with who never really pays attention to what you’re saying – they may appear to be listening, but often have a glazed look or appear lost in their own thoughts. A lot of people, particularly in the workplace environment, are also more interested in thinking about what they’ll say next, than paying proper attention to what’s being said by others.

It can be quite uncomfortable talking to any of these people. And particularly frustrating if the person is your boss! When faced with a manager or supervisor who doesn’t ever seem to really listen, it’s easy for employees to assume their leader simply doesn’t care. Team members can feel unheard, unsupported and unsatisfied in their jobs when working under this kind of management.

Why Listening Skills Are So Important for Managers

All managers have a responsibility to listen to their staff – to understand their individual perspective, provide support and professional development, and act as an effective link between employees and upper management.

As Taylor Berens Crouch, doctoral candidate in clinical psychology says, "if we’re trying to lead people in a direction that they want, it’s absolutely necessary that we understand people’s desires and perspectives and thoughts, and listening is necessary to get that information."

If you’re a manager or employer, you’ll find that being a good listener will turn you into a far better leader. Let’s look at how you can work to improve your listening skills and leadership style.

You probably hear a lot of talk about “mindfulness” and “being present.” But when it comes to listening, presence really is key to mastering this skill. 

To be a mindful listener, it’s important to be aware that your own thoughts have the ability to distract you from really listening. Whenever you feel your brain drifting away into your own thoughts, consciously push them away and bring your focus back to the person in front of you.

Judith Humphrey, founder premier communications firm The Humphrey Group, believes “good listeners have a physical, mental, and emotional presence, and they know how to integrate all three.”

You can take conscience steps to listen with presence by:

Turning your body and head towards the speaker

Putting smartphones or computer screens away

Avoiding crossing your arms or forming any barriers

Saying phrases such as “yes” and “I understand” 

These steps will serve to reinforce your listening, showing staff members that you are paying attention to their words and engaging with their thoughts. Managers who learn how to listen with their whole body, giving their employees their whole attention, have far greater potential as leaders. 

Connect While Listening to Your Employees

When you listen to someone speak and make the effort to connect with their feelings, you are practicing emotional listening. This ability to read nonverbal signs – through a person’s facial expressions, tone of voice and posture – is also connected to greater emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence, or EQ, is a very valuable trait for managers, allowing them to better handle conflict, perform well under pressure, and lead and manage teams. EQ is also very highly regarded in today’s workforce, with studies showing that 90% of top performers have high EQs.

Emotionally intelligent individuals can also expect to earn more, possessing attractive skills for employers in any industry, such as calmness, clarity of mind and the ability to conduct more satisfying relationships. These are all very positive traits for those in a leadership position.

The Benefits of Being a Leader Who Listens

Practicing mindful and emotional listening, while connecting with your team members and putting aside your own emotions to feel theirs, will make you a more effective and appreciated leader. This will have great benefits not only for the employees who report directly to you, but also for your organization as a whole.

As Humphrey suggests, “the raw material that you and your company need to move forward together lies in the hearts and minds of those around you.” Strong leaders are able to successfully draw that raw material from their employees, for the greater good of the organization.

So start improving your listening skills today. By listening – really listening – to your employees properly, you’ll make each person in your team feel more valued and connected. You’ll also be working to improve creative and collaboration processes, enhance work relationships and contribute to a more positive work culture.

Improve your listening skills and become a better leader

Gender equality is one of the hottest topics in compliance today. Over the past few years we’ve watched the national spotlight turn to the persistent wage gap, lack of promotion, and other gender issues that Americans are unhappy with. While the United States is miles ahead of the pack in many ways, we still have a long road ahead before gender inequality is completely done away with.

That’s just one reason why access to effective corporate training is so critical. Gender equality issues hold organizations back and can set them up for costly legal issues that hinder growth dramatically. Luckily, as technology continues to advance, so too does our ability to deliver powerful and effective training programs for employees.

Today, more and more companies and employees are embracing the eLearning model and turning online for their gender equality training. Here are just a few reasons why:

Online gender equality training is more cost effective.

Traditional training systems are expensive. Not only are you forced to pay for specialized training personnel, you’ll also likely need to cover classroom rental fees, transportation costs, and physical training materials. Since most corporate training is delivered in large chunks of time, you also have to factor in potential productivity issues.

eLearning solutions are far cheaper to implement. Since the material is delivered to portable devices and desktop computers, there’s no need for your employees to relocate. They can go at their own pace and study the materials in smaller chunks of time—and at periods when it’s less likely to have a serious impact on productivity. In some cases, there’s no need to foot the bill for developing these courses, since there are plenty of effective gender equality training programs that have already been created.

Traditional training programs can be tedious affairs. After the first hour of training, it’s easy for a fatigued employee to “zone out” and miss important details. On the other hand, online solutions can be better customized to the individual learner. If something is missed, then all the learner has to do is access the material from their device and review the section that he or she didn’t catch.

Research has proven that eLearning increases knowledge retention by up to 60% and this means that your staff will be much more likely to adhere to gender equality policies in the long run.

Online gender equality training causes less anxiety. 

There are some compliance issues that can cause more anxiety in learners than others. Gender equality is a complex topic and many learners don’t want to be “put on the spot” about what they don’t know by a trainer in front of a classroom. Online training allows learners to make mistakes and even participate anonymously if they choose. This lowers the amount of anxiety involved in the process and is another reason why the retention rate is so high with online learning.

Online learning is the ideal method for training Millennials. 

Millennials are now the largest generation in the United States workforce and these individuals have grown up with hyper-connectivity as a way of life. They came of age with text messaging, social media, high-speed internet, and unlimited information at their fingertips.

When it comes to training, this is a boon.

Millennials are accustomed to acquiring information through mobile devices and in many cases their primary education was delivered through 21st century technology. Their university experience was certainly more digital-based than not. So when it comes to learning about gender equality compliance, Millennials clearly will prefer an education process that they are accustomed to.

Mobile learning promotes a social learning experience.

Humans are social creatures, so it makes perfect sense that we would respond well to opportunities to learn in a social environment. While traditional gender equality training programs tend to be more lecture-oriented, mobile platforms promote true collaboration between learners.

Online applications allow learners to bounce ideas off of each other, discuss case studies, participate in simulations and take advantage of discussion groups and chat functions. These features help reinforce the material that’s being learned, while at the same time promoting a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect between employees.

The best companies understand that interaction is an absolutely critical aspect of gender equality training. Gender equality is a social issue that requires individuals to internalize the concepts so they can relate to those who are potentially discriminated against. Online training platforms promote discussions that do exactly that.

More and more companies are embracing the remote work model for their employees, in part because it helps with reducing overhead. Even companies with a large in-house staff still have executives and sales personnel who spend a great deal of time “on the road.” This can make bringing everyone together for a training event a logistical nightmare.

Online training, however, can be accessed 24/7 from anywhere in the world. Learners can log on from their iPad on a red-eye flight to Los Angeles, just as easily as they can from their home office in  New York. This is another tremendous opportunity to save time and money on gender equality training.

The best companies in the world are addressing gender equality issues head on. As we move forward into 2017 and beyond, it’s clear that eLearning is the most effective and efficient path to training your staff and maintaining compliance.

Why people are heading online to learn how to improve gender equality

With the month of January now well underway, many employees are preparing to return to work for the new year. For many people, the holiday season is a good time to take a break from work, celebrate career achievements from the previous year and set goals for the shiny new one.

The new year always brings with it a sense of motivation, positive energy and fresh inspiration. There’s something about looking at a crisp new calendar or diary that encourages the shedding of bad habits and a resolution to form new, better habits and improved work processes for the new year. 

This time of year also presents workers with an opportunity to assess their career. Some people, after having some time to reflect during vacation, may wonder if they’re still heading in the right direction. Others may realise they need to boost their career to achieve their goals and get to where they want to be.

Whether you’re deciding to make a big change in your work life, or want to improve your work performance, here are some steps to help you kick start your career in the new year.

Be Real with Yourself About Whether You’re on the Right Path

If you’re unhappy in your current job, the fresh energy of the new year may give you the motivation you need to make a change.

Ask yourself if you are really doing what you want to do with your life? Is your career aligned with your own personal values and authentic self? We spend so much of our lives at work – more time than we spend with our families or friends. It’s important to feel positive about your job and the company or organization you work for.

If your career doesn’t reflect your true personality or sense of self, a career assessment may be in order. Write down where you want to go. Then find out how you can get there. Are there people in your life that you could ask for help or guidance? Having a mentor, or just someone you can talk to honestly about your work situation, can be invaluable in figuring out the answers to these questions and getting started in the right direction.

Talk to Your Manager About Your Career Development

Your manager should also play an important role in your professional development, supporting and encouraging you in your career goals. 

In the new year, ask your manager to book out some one-on-one time, to talk about your career development. A good manager will have a professional development program in place for all team members, to ensure each individual is continuing to learn, grow and develop within their role and the organization.

With your professional development program, you’ll work closely with your manager to define your goals and the practical career steps you need to take to achieve them. Your manager can help you join a professional organization or find a suitable mentor.

With the new year, you might like to offer to take on some new responsibilities, or tasks relevant to the position above you, to show your commitment to achieving your development goals.

Towards the end of the year, when many employees are at risk of feeling fatigued or burnt out, things can get a little chaotic. You may have noticed your work habits sliding as you rushed to meet deadlines, juggle projects and wrap up work for various clients.

The new year presents the perfect opportunity to take stock of your organizational skills – or lack of – and set up some new processes and habits that will make your daily work life smoother. And less stressful!

These days, we’re lucky to have technology to help us get organized. There are many apps available to help workers stay focused and be more productive. Check out our list of top productivity applications that can help you get more done in less time. Find technology solutions that work for you, then stick to them, incorporating them into your daily routine. 

You should also set some time aside to get your CV up-to-date and in order – you never know when a new opportunity may come knocking at your door. Being prepared to step up into a new role, or explore an exciting new path, will make that shift a whole lot easier when the time comes.

Learn a New Skill Through Online Learning

In a recent article, we looked at how you can improve your job prospects with online learning. eLearning is an excellent way to improve existing skills or learn something completely new. If you’re keen to move up within your company or branch out in a new direction, expanding your skill set is an ideal way of setting yourself apart from the competition. You can even use your daily commute to advance your career, investing this time in learning new skills, grow your professional network and keeping up-to-date with industry news.

Through online learning, you’re also being continually challenged and engaged, which is a vital part of feeling satisfied and happy in your job. Whether you’re looking for specialized industry courses, or simply want to improve your interpersonal skills for better work relationships, there’s bound to be an eLearning course to suit your needs. So-called “soft skills” such as learning how to actively listen, or improving your level of emotional intelligence, are very highly valued in the modern workforce, particularly for managers.

Online courses can also help you to confront old fears, helping you to feel more comfortable about public speaking, for example. This year, why not make a promise to yourself to make the most of any opportunities that come your way – accepting invitations to chair a meeting, give a presentation or judge on a panel. Stepping out of your comfort zone, and succeeding, is a hugely rewarding experience and something to celebrate at the end of the year.

Happy new year and good luck kicking your new career goals!

Online courses have become an incredibly popular way for students and employees to advance their education or professional development. Teaching an online course requires different methods from the traditional classroom, so it’s important that teachers adapt or develop their skills to the online learning environment, to make their materials effective and engaging for learners. Let’s look at 5 strategies you can implement to improve your online teaching and make your eLearning course a successful experience for both you and your learners.

Without your physical presence in the classroom, it’s vital that you establish a virtual presence at the very beginning of the eLearning course. Online teachers need to be engaging and supporting students right from the start and for the duration of the course, to maintain an effective learning community.

By establishing your teacher presence, you’ll show students that you’re both visible and available. You’ll also be welcoming them to their new learning community – just as you would in any traditional classroom.

Let your students know what days or timeframes you will be online and how they can contact you outside of those hours.

Engage with your learning community through online posts, forums or social media – when people see teachers putting time into discussions and engagement, they’ll be more encouraged to participate themselves. Through this engagement, you’ll also develop professional relationships with your students and make their experience far more personal and memorable.

2. Create a supportive learning environment

As an online teacher, you have an opportunity to create a supportive online community for your learners.

The best way to achieve this is through encouraging both teacher-to-student engagement and student-to-student interaction. Dr Judith V. Boettcher, PhD and author of A Faculty Guide for Moving Teaching and Learning to the Web, suggests the following strategies:

At the start of your online course, get the ball rolling with a personal introduction post, and encourage participants to contribute their own short bio or introduction to the group.

Create an open forum or discussion board where learners can post to request help and assistance from each other, developing peer-to-peer support.

Set up small groups, similar to traditional study groups, for supportive mentoring of fellow learners.

These strategies will encourage learners to work together as an active learning community, which brings benefits to all individuals involved.

3. Use a mix of learning tools for better engagement

These days, we’re fortunate to have the technology to create virtual learning environments that allow us to collaborate and engage just as well as if we were in the classroom.

As Dr Boettche says, “the variety of activities that are now possible online makes it possible to create many types of effective learning environments.”

The best online teachers use a combination of both synchronous and asynchronous activities, creating a blend of traditional online learning styles with newer, more collaborative audio and visual tools. Working with a mix of activities makes the content more interesting and exciting, increasing student engagement with both the teacher and other learners.

You can learn more about blended learning models in Teaching Online, a short 2-hour course that looks at the differences between online and face-to-face classroom teaching, as well as ways to introduce collaborative learning into your online program.

Feedback is an essential component of all effective learning environments – including online.

As an online teacher, your feedback will help to create an eLearning experience that is informative, engaging, and motivational for the learner. Your feedback should be continuous during the eLearning process, with constructive feedback offered as soon as possible so that students can clearly identify which behaviors or skills need to be improved.

You can encourage group feedback through collaborative exercises, which also helps to promote peer engagement.

It’s wise to acknowledge the importance of mobile learning for online teachers, with students and employees now accustomed to using their mobile devices for learning.

Mobile learning holds key advantages for learners, allowing them to access up-to-date course materials and relevant content anywhere, anytime. With bite-sized pieces of information available to be digested quickly and easily, learners can work through course materials at their own pace, assisting both performance and productivity.

Make sure your eLearning content can be easily accessed via smartphones, laptops, and iPads to maximize your teaching methods. You’ll also be demonstrating to your learners that you’re in touch with the needs of today’s modern workforce and its relevant technology.

With these strategies in place you can feel more confident about your online teaching skills and eLearning materials. You’ll also know that you’re working to create a more positive and collaborative learning environment for your students.

Improve your online teaching in a few simple steps

Even the greatest of leaders are nothing without the support of the people behind them. Getting people behind you is often the hardest part of being a leader, though, which is why doing so is one of the easiest ways to identify a truly great leader. Here are some characteristics that great leaders show when looking for support from others.

Work can be challenging at times and even the strongest of people might sometimes feel as though they should just give up. Showing people that you understand the challenges they are facing and that you sympathize with the difficulties that may be having is a great way to help people connect with you and have confidence in what you are saying.

Finding familiar ground with people is a great way of showing that your empathy is genuine. Let your people know that you identify with their situation. Once people know that they are dealing with a real person rather than an un-feeling robot, it will be much easier for them to get behind you with enthusiasm.

Also, it’s absolutely critical to be humble when speaking with others. After all, as this study has shown, humble leaders are more likely to have committed employees behind them.

Your people will respond better if they know that you have their interests at heart as well as the company’s, so it is always helpful to listen to them whenever you can. Holding meetings at regular intervals will give others the opportunity to pass on their opinions and concerns. At the same time, you should let people know that your door is always open should somebody have something they want to say in private.

Be willing to make changes where possible so your people can provide you with valuable and constructive feedback. A workforce that knows you are willing to listen to them when needed will be inspired to get behind you and work towards accomplishing big goals.

You can’t expect people to have confidence in you if you don’t have confidence in yourself and in what you are doing. One effective way of having confidence in what you are doing is by gaining the appropriate knowledge before taking action. Armed with knowledge, you can act with conviction and this will convey to the people that are looking to you for leadership.

Speaking clearly also matters. If you speak with clarity then you will show that you have confidence in your actions. Simply put, speaking clearly about the tasks ahead will let people know that you really do know what you are talking about. When they have confidence in YOU, then your workforce can have confidence in what they are doing as well.

People find it easy to relate to others that have found themselves in similar situations, making anecdotes a very effective way to connect with others. Stories about other people who have solved particular problems or gotten promoted through the ranks can inspire others to do the same and give them lofty goals to aim for at the same time. Much of the method behind inspiring people is to show them that it can be done. Anecdotes are a great way to demonstrate that something can be achieved, and by people just like themselves.

Be sure to use genuine stories though, as making something up can backfire terribly and cause your workforce to lose trust in you. People have a fairly accurate “inner radar” for detecting made up stories.

If you are honest with your workforce, then they will know that they can trust you in the future and trust is an essential part of getting people to follow you. Being honest helps people to accept both criticism and praise, meaning that they are then likely to react positively moving forward. Show dishonesty and people will immediately question the integrity of every subsequent word and action in the future.

On the other hand, it’s important to remember that brutal honesty is sometimes not the best option and a more diplomatic approach might be needed in these instances, particularly in sensitive situations. In sensitive situations, it is best to balance honesty with the need to be considerate.

People like having something to aim for. It allows them to check their progress along the way and see how close they are to reaching a destination. Achieving goals also gives the person a sense of achievement while letting them know that they need to push harder if they wish to achieve even bigger things. Great leaders will use goals to measure progress and persuade their teams to make bigger strides. These goals can give your people a competitive edge and a sense of pride in knowing that they are out-performing others and could be in line for rewards such as promotions in the future.

However, the critical detail here is to make sure that any goals you do set are achievable or your efforts are likely to backfire. You can always re-evaluate the goals further down the line if you think they are not challenging enough for your teams.

How the best leaders use persuasion and influence

How can online community help build team culture, especially for remote teams?

If you’ve read our article on being a successful remote worker, you’ll know that remote work has become increasingly common in the modern workforce, with more companies supporting and encouraging the idea of employees working from home.

As the world continues to grow smaller through technology, geography has become less important for employers. Companies have the ability to hire new talent with the right skills, knowledge and experience, regardless of location. And for individuals, remote working provides the freedom to choose where and when they work, with the opportunity for more flexible hours and a greater sense of autonomy.

We’ve also talked a lot about work culture and the importance of hiring employees that are a good cultural fit for your organization, with many clear benefits for both parties. The concept of culture often comes up when discussing remote work, with some people suggesting that co-located teams have an easier time building culture, compared to remote teams.

How can you successfully build team culture when team members are spread out across different cities and continents? The answer is in making sure you’re running an effective online community.

Create an online community for remote teams

Establishing an online community is essential for building team culture, particularly for distributed teams.

Remote workers in different geographical locations either don’t have a team culture they can be part of, or find they can’t really identify with it. When you’re working from your home office miles away from your employer, it can be difficult to feel like part of the regular office team.

As this article on building community and culture for a distributed team says, “you may be able to chat on video every single day with a remote colleague. But they still may not be a part of the company culture, which plays a major role in shaping the employee’s engagement to the organization.”

By creating an effective online community for remote workers, you can help foster connection, collaboration and culture within your distributed team.

One of the biggest challenges with remote work is ensuring smooth communication. Being isolated from their managers and colleagues, remote workers need to know that they have reliable communication channels to stay in contact with their team. This will help them feel more connected, particularly for those working in a different time zone.

Using a community platform is the most effective way to build cohesion in distributed teams. An online community allows remote workers to interact with each other in a more informal online environment than email. Team members can chat, share ideas and info, celebrate each other’s achievements and team wins – all the things that would happen in a more regular office environment that help build a cultural connection.

Choosing the right platform for your online community is important. A good Learning Management System (LMS) will provide you with greater customization than using social media, allowing you to control the look and feel of your community and how it functions. Social media channels may also impose restrictions on certain content, unlike an LMS which will give you full visibility and control.

Create engagement between remote employees

Now that you’ve provided your employees with the right tools to connect, you want to build a positive work culture through encouraging team engagement.

Friendly competition (with the emphasis on friendly) between remote workers can help build engagement and a sense of team culture. Collaboration and healthy competition are positive behaviors for work teams, generating cooperation, connection and inclusion. 

Focus remote workers and encourage them to engage with each other by reinforcing your shared vision. When people know that they’re working for managers or employers who share the same goals and values, the geographical distance really doesn’t matter. The best way to foster engagement, loyalty and culture is to connect team members through aligned organizational goals.

Communicate the team’s shared goals through your online community on a regular basis, relating them directly back to team results and deliverables. This will help each individual worker feel that they are part of a greater unit, connected by the same vision.

As Paul Spiegelman, Chief Culture Officer for Stericycle, a global public company with 25,000 employees, says, “a successful virtual culture is more than selecting the right online tools or letting employees sleep in as long as they want… create an environment that allows employees to achieve their personal visions as well as the company vision.”

With a successful online community, you can build a positive, collaborative and fun team culture for your remote workers and organization.

Online community and building team culture

In today’s workforce, a high proportion of workplace learning occurs through informal learning.

In the past, many organizations carried out the majority of learning and development through formal learning channels such as training courses, workshops and seminars. These days, however, knowledge sharing is occurring more organically and through less traditional methods, as employees absorb and share information through social media and online learning communities.

With this shift in learning, employers and managers need to take note of the importance of informal learning, embracing it as an effective tool that can be used alongside their regular formal channels.

Read on to find out more about how informal learning works and what benefits it can bring to your organization.

Learning in general is an ongoing process, with the world around us providing an endless source of inspiration, knowledge and experience.

In this way, the type of learning that we refer to as ‘informal’ is very natural – it’s not something that’s planned, or scheduled. It’s something that occurs spontaneously, as you’re casually scrolling through Facebook, reading an article online, or chatting to a colleague over IM.

In these cases, you didn’t plan to become more educated on a certain subject, or sit down to explore a specific topic. Informal learning just happens as a part of everyday life.

Informal learning allows knowledge to be shared through an organization much faster than formal learning channels, which is advantageous for both employers and employees. 

With social media delivering information both constantly and instantly, employees don’t need to wait for a set training day or team meeting to be aware of company updates or organizational news. From a business perspective, these channels mean knowledge can be disseminated to all staff in an instant, making communication more effective.

As an employer, informal learning can also be a very economical option for your staff’s learning and development. While most companies spend a huge part of their L&D budget on formal learning methods, such as training courses and workshops, informal learning will cost your organization far less as it uses channels that most employees will already be using – such as social media.

Social media channels, namely Facebook and Twitter, are where most workers are turning to informally seek knowledge. In this way, social media platforms can be very effectively harnessed for informal learning.

They deliver instant, relevant and mobile-friendly information to users, making them perfect for informal learning. With social media easily available on the go, individuals can choose to digest information in a way that suits them, absorbing knowledge organically at a suitable time and in a suitable format.

Organizations can use Facebook groups to engage employees in discussions and knowledge sharing, which can be very useful for dispersed teams with remote workers. With Twitter’s instant updates and ongoing commentary, businesses can also provide fast and easy education on new services, products or company information. LinkedIn can also be used for informal learning, allowing users to connect with other professionals for knowledge sharing, relevant updates and industry news.

Blogs are a popular way for many organizations to provide employees with information, instead of the traditional training room or workshop learning environment. With the ability to enable comments on articles, blogs also encourage discussion, feedback and informal learning amongst readers.

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are another online solution that can be used very effectively for informal learning.

A recent article about the use of LMS for informal learning  encouraged employers to look for “Learning Management Systems that support social collaboration tools, such as web conferencing software and Project Management online platforms. These features allow corporate learners to work remotely with their peers and share feedback. They can also send instant messages, upload documents, and address common concerns to form a supportive online learning community. Better still, all of these interactions are facilitated and track[ed] through the LMS platform.” 

Investing in a good Learning Management System is a great way to promote online collaboration between your employees, improving levels of engagement and team work. In doing this, you’ll be facilitating informal learning for your staff, leading to increased knowledge sharing and education across your organization.

For a Learning Management System that offers flexible features to suit the needs and preferences of your learners, consider Go1 – an online staff training system where employees can complete courses anywhere, anytime.

Why you need to be talking about informal learning

Communication is an essential part of leadership. Fail to communicate effectively and mayhem could ensue or, at least, people can lack confidence that they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. It is important to let people know when they are on the right track, as well as when something isn’t going as you want it to, because only then can people continue with confidence or redress the issue so that tasks are completed effectively.

It may sound simple, but many leaders lack the skills needed to truly get the workforce behind them and working effectively and efficiently. Below are some of the skills that make up a truly great leader.

Communication works both ways and in order for you to be able to say the right things, you first need to know the right things. Your workforce is on the frontlines of business every day completing tasks, overcoming issues and dealing with other people. If there is something that you need to know in order for you to be able to continue to lead effectively, it is likely that that information will come from the people that are closest to the action.

Hold meetings regularly, whether one on one or in teams, so that you can get feedback from your team to help you keep up with what is happening. Listen intently to the feedback you receive, negative as well as positive, so you can get a full picture of what is happening and what you need to do going forward.

Don’t dismiss people straight away as being pessimistic. Even though they may begin with something that you don’t want to hear, they could also be about to offer you a solution to the problem. It could be that the person that starts to speak with what may sound like a problem for you could be about to make your life a lot easier.

According to psychology today, empathy is a key component of a successful leader. Every task has its own set of challenges, and the people carrying out these tasks will have to overcome these challenges on a regular basis. It doesn’t matter if the challenge is something as ‘simple’ as finding items on a shelf, or as complex as creating advanced accounting spreadsheets, they are still tasks with obstacles that are very real to the person undertaking them. Sharing that you understand the challenges people face and that you share their feelings on them will help them to connect with you and have confidence that they can get behind you.
Remember also that in addition to tasks at work, people also have lives to lead outside of work and life does have a habit of making things difficult for us at times. Emergencies at home do need to be taken care of, heavy traffic is beyond our control, and so on. If somebody is repeatedly late or not performing then there might be an issue with that person, but try to remember that life does occasionally throw something at us that we simply must deal with.

A great leader will also put their ego aside and try their best to work on the same level as their workforce. Let them know that you too once did a similar job and that you are willing to get hands on yourself to help out if you need to. Doing so can also act as inspiration as it lets your workforce know that someday, they too could be in your position if they put their mind to it.

Leadership isn't about dazzling others with your intellect and knowledge. Speak to people as though you are competing in some kind of competition to see who knows the most and there's a good chance that people will just switch off and lose interest in what you are saying, and in you.

A good leader will keep everything simple to help make sure that everybody can understand what is being said. Try to use lingo and technical terms sparingly so you can be sure that your message gets to as many people as possible.

A varied workforce will be host to a plethora of ideas and opinions, and some are likely to be quite unexpected. Even if something doesn’t sound at first as though it will work, keep an open mind and consider it thoroughly because ‘different’ does not necessarily mean ‘wrong’. New ideas are what drives innovation, and great leaders embrace innovation whenever possible

People look to leaders for advice and solutions and this means knowing the job at hand in detail. When it is clear that you know what you are talking about then it is easier for others to trust that you have the correct solution. Regular meetings with your workforce will help you to understand practices and procedures inside out, while occasionally getting hands on can also help you to understand exactly what you are talking about.

If there is something that you are unsure of then don’t pretend you do and give advice anyway. If necessary, delegate some tasks to others in the short-term at least, with a view to learning the task yourself so you can deal with it yourself directly in the future.
Being True to Your Word.

Gaining the trust of your workforce is essential if you are going to be a great leader, so it is important that you are seen to be acting in accordance with what you say. Act in a manner that is contradictory to what you are saying and your workforce will quickly begin to lose confidence in you, making it so much harder for you to lead them.

It is OK to change your mind from time to time provided that you keep people updated, and that they know that the change is for genuine reasons. If you have made certain assurances to some people then you should do your best to honour those assurances the best you can even though circumstances have changed.

Leading is not just about telling other people what to do, that's the easy part. A great leader will be able to not only tell people what needs to be done but do so in a way that they are happy and confident in what they are doing. Under a great leader, a workforce will be not only happy in their role but also inspired to push on, while having the confidence to speak out where necessary. If you share the attributes stated above, you too may be a truly great leader.

Learn the communication strategies used by great leaders

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