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Understanding Performance Support and its Link with Improving Productivity
“Performance Support Training” is highly misunderstood. It is often perceived as a magic wand that can solve all organizational issues and instantaneously improve productivity in employees. However, Performance Support Training is the output of a thorough analysis of the existing skill sets and processes in an organization and uses a measured approach to design and deploy workplace learning programs that provide a remedial solution and a catalyst to progress. There is no uniform solution or a template-based approach to assessing the challenges of process improvement and workplace learning. Each organization presents unique challenges to L&D consultants and performance support analysts. Just-in-time learning solutions that emphasize on learning in the flow of work and offer a mentor-trainee approach to workplace learning can help foster learning at the workplace and improve productivity.
This video here encapsulates the concept of Performance Support and the way forward for organizations.
The Advantages of Deploying Performance Support Training
There are numerous advantages of deploying effective performance support solutions at the organization. Some of the key advantages for all stakeholders are:
1. Process Improvement – The overall workflow process improves with fewer interruptions and helps get work done faster. Performance Support training ideally reduces process bottlenecks as it delivers training at the work floor through functional support. Over time, the just-in-time training and solutions help achieve optimal performance and enhanced productivity.
2. Boosts Employee Confidence – It is about the correlation between happy employees, the opportunities to learn at the workplace, and providing interesting challenges, which motivate employees to work better. By deploying employee reskilling and upskilling programs that are linked to performance support training, employees are assured that the organization encourages their progress. Additionally, when their training needs are addressed during the flow of work, employees are far more engaged, exhibit confidence, leading them to seek more, learn more and perform better.
3. Successful Projects – In the context of the modern workplace, an organization’s success is based on the number of projects that have been executed successfully. A project big or small has multiple stakeholders working in tandem. By optimizing workflow processes and providing need-based learning to the relevant employees, organizations can ensure that the projects are completed faster and accurately.
4. Achieve Organizational Goals – A positive approach to learning and growth from the management flows to the entire workforce and fosters a culture of continuous learning. This optimistic approach to learning, skilling, training and working creates a “growth mindset” among the employees. A stable and dependable workforce contributes substantially towards achieving goals and sustaining results.
Challenges in Deploying Performance Support Training
Performance Support Training could mean an overhaul of traditional training at organizations, and hence requires commitment from all stakeholders. Thus, the key barriers to deploying performance support training for the workforce are:
- Acceptance and the willingness to change, improve or refine existing processes
- Duration or time assigned to implement training and see it through various stages
- A strong will and commitment to L&D, beginning right from the C-suite
- Budget allocation for L&D along with spend per employee
- Creating appropriate and specific learning modules curated for the cause of delivering performance support, either in-house or through custom content creators
- Effective implementation and measurement of impact
- Assessments to continuously evolve and improve performance support training.
Tools and Solutions for Deploying Performance Support Training
Now that we have clearly laid down the benefits of deploying performance support training in an organization; we shall look at key tools and solutions to deploy performance support training to improve workforce performances.
1. Mobile Microlearning
Microlearning modules can incorporate videos by SMEs, podcasts , interactive assessments, and much more in a duration of five to 10 minutes. When multiformat learning modules are delivered through a mobile learning experience, the merits are turbocharged and add value to the learning process. Focus on context and delivering the support sought by employees. Mobile-based microlearning scores high on accessibility and flexibility to learning.
2. Learning Nudges
Just assigning a training program to an employee is not sufficient. Remember, employees are juggling their day-to-day work and interruptions while working from home. In such a scenario, a helpful nudge in the form of a message reminding them to complete their learning program can go a long way. It can be through a regular SMS, a Telegram or WhatsApp message, or an email. It could also be in the form of a pop-up reminder that is integrated with the time-tracking software used by your organization. When the employee signs into the software to track attendance, an alert can be displayed on the screen reminding them to complete the training program assigned to them. This article here further elaborates on making learning stick through nudges.
3. Adaptive Learning
Adaptive Learning as a term has been in use for quite some time. It is a lot more than just randomly recommending programs to your employees. The system is programmed to match the existing skillsets of the employees, their current work-role, the skills that they need to complete tasks, and information on future projects to which they will be assigned. The system analyzes these variables and then produces a list of skills that the employees would need to improve their performance. Then the system recommends a set of courses from the existing course library to the employees.
4. Learning Technology
As learning models evolve and we adopt new working models; it is also time to think about offering a learning experience that caters to the varied requirements of employees. An LXP goes beyond the traditional LMS and offers a multitude of features that make learning a truly pleasurable and rewarding experience. L&D experts today rate learning technology as key to deliver effective performance support solutions.
This webinar offers a host of insights on different performance support tools. A must-watch.
Performance Support Training ticks all the right boxes as it effectively addresses the needs of employees at specific times. It provides experiential learning and has numerous immediate and long-term benefits for all stakeholders at the organization.
Are you looking to champion continuous learning and create an effective and sustainable training model? Write to Origin Learning and view our award-winning solutions. Discover high-impact L&D solutions with soaring ROI. Reach us at info@originlearning.com