Get your heads together
Some tips to get your corporate culture primed for some serious learning.
What kind of resistance are you likely to encounter when you propose e-learning for your team or department? Forty-one percent of the companies surveyed by Forrester Research cited "cultural resistance" as an obstacle to putting online learning to work. To allay employees' fears, take these steps:
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Cite research. Studies show that technology-based training cuts learning time by an average of 50 percent, according to e-learning analyst Brandon Hall, author of Web-Based Training Cookbook (John Wiley & Sons, 1997). Because employees can get the training they need when they need itâ€"not months or years beforeâ€"retention rates go up as much as 60 percent.
- Show them the money. Savings vary, but most companies count on reducing training costs by about 50 percent when they convert from classroom-based training to e-learning.
- Find a problem and fix it. Link e-learning to a real business goal. This tactic worked for IBM, Ford Motor Company, and Rockwell Collins.
- Give the boss a test drive. Many of today's seasoned executives didn't grow up with computers in classrooms. Don't expect your managers to give the go-ahead to Web-based learning unless they've tried it out themselves.
