Learning & Development from a Distance, During COVID-19 and Beyond

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As of the beginning of April, roughly four billion people around the world had been told to stay in their homes in a continued effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. It goes without saying that the steps we are (rightfully) taking to control this virus have meant massive disruption for businesses in every sector. For weeks, employees of all but the “essential” businesses have been working from home, forcing companies to shift to 100 percent remote work if they want to continue to operate. While remote work was already on the rise before the pandemic hit, many companies that considered the practice impractical or inconvenient are having to adapt.

One business facet that will require serious adaptation is learning and development. As many companies scramble to trim the sails and batten down the hatches, it may be tempting to let L&D fall by the wayside for now in favor of core business strategies. But to do that would be shortsighted as, now more than ever, connectivity, engagement, and leadership growth are critical in steering businesses through COVID-19 and a new normal on the other side.

Rather than cut L&D or talent development efforts during this time, corporate leaders would be wise to take a page out of educators’ books, finding ways to convert face-to-face learning opportunities into virtual experiences, empowering employees and rising leaders to continue developing critical skills from the safety of their homes.

Moving L&D Online

Now, to do this, there are two general approaches. L&D leaders could attempt to mimic traditional learning experiences by converting in-person workshops to webinars or one-on-one coaching sessions to Zoom meetings. And while this will work in some cases, it’s not a perfect solution. As teachers across the world are learning right now, it’s impossible to perfectly replicate the in-person experience online. In attempting to do so, we lose the personalization and depth of insight that make those experiences so powerful.

But there’s a better way, and that’s to provide comparable—or even more effective—experiences by designing programs and adopting platforms that are meant to be delivered online. In other words, rather than trying to shape existing content into new platforms, find platforms that were built to deliver powerful content, no matter where users are located.

Here at Quantified, we’ve been helping businesses do just that with an online communication skills platform.

Global connectivity has led to a rise in remote work and virtual collaboration. We have been dedicated to developing a video-based learning experience platform that provides businesses and their employees with on-demand digital access to the resources they need to hone the most critical leadership skill: communication.

Our platform offers personalized analytics, feedback, and development plans that drive the growth users need to improve their performance  and achieve their leadership goals—and in turn help businesses boost productivity, sales, customer satisfaction, and employee retention.. Our behavioral science-based platform and the learning opportunities it provides are fully scalable, fully personalized, and 100 percent remote friendly.

L&D Is More Critical Now Than Ever

Today, there’s no such thing as standard operating procedure as safety guidance, virus-related health and economic projections, and employees’ needs (in and out of work) are changing daily. That’s why it’s more important than ever to ensure employees’ have access to development opportunities that will empower them with the skills they need to navigate business uncertainty.

But there’s something else a robust, digital L&D offering can provide, and that’s a sense of belonging. We’re all feeling a little isolated and anxious right now, and to the extent that they can, it’s incumbent upon employers to show that they still care and that they’re still invested in their employees’ engagement and growth. If businesses can do that, they’re well on their way to preparing their workforce for the new normal—whatever that may be.

Looking to Transition to Remote Learning?

Quantified Communications can help your organization’s learning and development leaders make the shift to online communication skills training.