In order to get ahead in the world of business, most companies will have to stand out from the crowd and do something different. More often that not, this will involve bending the rules in someway, albeit legally and legitimately. However, the same goes for training. Even though there are various best practices in place and long-established procedures that most organisations will abide by, a lot can be said for thinking outside of the box and breaking traditional taboos. In many respects, there are no rigid rules or regulations associated with training. After all, it is fair to say most businesses will do anything they can to increase the expertise and adeptness of their employees. Even so, the vast majority of companies will go back to conventional classroom teaching and old-fashioned mentoring in an attempt to educate employees. Unfortunately, more and more of today’s workforce are rejecting this approach and require fresh impotence to learn. With this in mind, here are some training taboos you should seriously think about breaking.   Concentrating on skills rather than behaviour Even if you have a competent workforce that possesses a great deal of knowledge about the business and their job role, there is always room for improvement. Usually, businesses believe that in order to improve, members of staff will need to increase and enhance their skillset or expertise. But for numerous organisations and employees, this couldn’t be further from the truth. It is often far more beneficial to concentrate on bringing about a behavioural change in order to boost your personnel’s on-the-job abilities. It isn’t fair to try and change the personality of your employees, but rather evoke an adjustment in attitude. For example, retail staff could learn to treat a member of the public coming through the door as an advocate of the brand rather than just another customer. To this end, training should also attempt to boost the unique traits of each and every individual too. So, if you were in a call centre, naturally introverted employees shouldn’t be forced into making sales, rather retrained to become a customer service representative instead.   Giving employees time off work for training With various training courses, employees will need to leave their desk or post and sit in a conference room for hours on end in order to learn. In some cases, members of staff may even need to leave the workplace altogether and travel to a location several miles away. However, training that takes place in a location far removed from an employee’s natural setting can do more harm than good. It is easy to feel uncomfortable and tense in an unfamiliar place, which isn’t helped by the fact that fellow attendees will no doubt share the same opinion. As a result, employees won’t be focused on the teaching materials and might not gain much from the experience. Even if they do, it can be incredibly difficult to apply this newly acquired knowledge when back at work. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be this way. Through the use of technology, members of staff can participate in online courses or distance learning modules at their desks during quieter times of the day. In addition to feeling at ease, employees will be much more confident when it comes to retaining and applying new information too.   Enlisting the services of a training provider This might sound like a controversial taboo to break, but there is method behind the madness. In fact, taking control of your own training might be the best thing you ever do. There is little to no doubt that the vast majority of training providers are brilliant at what they do. In fact, for certain industries and organisations, they will be considered indispensible. But that doesn’t mean to say every business needs their expertise to upskill and train staff. Again, technology holds the answer. Through learning techniques like spaced repetition and gamification from Wranx, you may never need to send your members of staff on a training course again. You can come up with the themes and topics you want your employees to learn about and these science-driven teaching techniques will do the rest. As soon as your members of staff demonstrate a solid understanding, they will be provided with a new set of materials to learn about. What’s more, spaced repetition and gamification keep employees motivated and intrigued thanks to the element of competition.   Testing your employees at the end of training Evaluating the success of training is absolutely essential. However, waiting until a course has been completed before performing this step is a big mistake, as you won’t be able to monitor employee progress or rectify any mistakes that occurred. On top of that, failing to deliver feedback to members of staff could affect their chances of learning too. Employees will need recognition for their achievements and support when things aren’t going to plan. If you consistently measure progress, you should be able to notice differences in workforce behaviour as soon as each and every individual moves forward. You may also want to implement skill-based metrics, such as conversion rates at different stages of the sales process. Through the use of technology, measuring and testing your employees becomes a lot easier too. This can take the form of regular quizzes or impromptu feedback forms, which don’t take long to complete but will provide invaluable insights into employee learning.   Why breaking training taboos makes perfect sense Even though some forms of training have been around for several years now, the world of business is constantly changing and evolving. For this reason, breaking a few taboos is somewhat essential. You don’t necessarily have to change the subjects or skills you want to teach, but concentrating on employee behaviour, allowing staff to stay on-the-job while learning, taking advantage of modern technology, and testing every step of the way can bring about various far-reaching benefits. Share this post with your own audience

Regardless of an organisation’s size or sector, employee satisfaction is incredibly important. Although each member of staff will be motivated by something different, whether it is receiving a hefty pay-packet or being of assistance to customers in need, every employee requires fulfilment at the end of the day. But while various companies will have certain initiatives in place to ensure its workforce remain content, several overlook the importance of engagement. In many respects, this should be taking greater precedence than employee satisfaction, as the advantages are extensive and the facts speak for themselves. On a LinkedIn blog post, leadership and employee engagement coach Ron McIntrye, revealed: Engaged employees outperform disengaged employees by 20-28 per cent - "This allows for increases in operating income, customer satisfaction, and revenue growth." Businesses with more engaged employees have 51 per cent higher productivity - "All you have to do is think about when you are personally most engaged then translate that to your people." Engaged employees take less time off, averaging 3.5 days a year on average - "When you couple this thought with a well-developed well-being program for your staff the results could be exciting for all sectors of your business." But if these facts and figures aren’t convincing enough, here are 5 more reasons why you should be talking about employee engagement.   Engaged employees will deliver more at work Even though we have already touched upon productivity, engaged employees can deliver more than just an increase in numbers. In fact, members of staff that are actively involved with their responsibilities will be much more innovative too. This is because they will feel much more comfortable and accepted for who they are and what they are doing at work. Engaged employees will be the first to suggest how to improve the company’s products or where enhancements to customer service can be made. On top of that, innovative employees are much more flexible and willing to make things work rather than giving up and jumping ship at the first opportunity. As a result, you will save time and money on projects that require a little bit of tweaking before succeeding.   Engaged employees will be more loyal If you are constantly coming up with ways to involve your employees in big decisions or giving them control over their own destiny, they will feel much more valued and less likely to leave. Not only can this lead to a more efficient and prosperous business, as members of staff will truly understand the company culture and feel passionate about making a difference, it is also extremely cost-effective. There will be no need to hire, onboard, and train new staff when you’ve lost previous personnel through failing to engage. Loyal employees can also lead to a spike in turnover and profit margins too. Regular clients and customers will appreciate seeing or dealing with a familiar face every time they make a purchase and are also more likely to keep on returning too.   Engaged employees will be better team players People power is incredibly important for most businesses and success often comes down to whether members of staff are pulling together in the same direction. But with a workforce of engaged employees, this is a distinct possibility. Through greater involvement and better communication with fellow colleagues, your workforce will always be on the same page. They can brainstorm ideas together, solve problems collectively, provide assistance when needed or even criticise if appropriate. On the other side of the coin, disengaged employees won’t feel like helping out their peers in times of need. They won’t see the point in contributing if it doesn’t benefit their own situation, leading to a less prosperous organisation.   Engaged employees will understand how the business works If your employees are more involved with how the business works, then they will become more astute and develop a strong set of commercial skills. From understanding what can generate a bigger profit to identifying cost reduction opportunities, this knowledge has an untold amount of advantages. Some managers and supervisors may be reluctant to disclose certain pieces of financial information, but that doesn’t mean to say engaged employees can’t help out from a commercial perspective. Simply explain how their input could make a difference and harness the power of an engaged employee’s innovative mind-set. Even if they are a low-ranking member of staff, you never know what insights or enlightenment you could be missing out on.   Engaged employees will become an intrinsic part of the business In spite of an individual’s career goals or aspirations, if they find a company that appreciates and values their contributions on a daily basis, it will become difficult to leave. Before long, they are an intrinsic part of the business. So, along with greater productivity and more innovation, this engaged employee won’t want to leave and will do everything they can to help the business grow and improve. All the while, they will encourage other team members to contribute too and offer up support or feedback when required. Finally, the business should start increasing its turnover and profit margins, as this engaged employee has learnt all about the commercial side of things from greater involvement. So, it is easy to see why you should be talking about employee engagement. Even though you will have an abundance of other responsibilities to worry about, it is dangerous to underestimate the difference involved and connected members of staff can make. Share this post with your own audience

At a fairly young age, the vast majority of us had to decide what we wanted to do for a career. But choosing certain subjects at school and opting for a specific degree at university is quite a difficult undertaking for most teenagers and young adults. Unless you always wanted to be something like a doctor or lawyer, this conundrum had the potential to create a great deal of stress and concern at an age where having fun was meant to be your number one priority. However in many respects, the easy-going and high-spirited attitude of youth can do wonders in the workplace too. Of course you don’t have the kind of freedom you once did, but by adopting a more laid-back approach towards your career or profession, some excellent benefits can be enjoyed from both a personal and business perspective. For numerous organisations, the idea of having fun at work is never entertained. Some companies are in industries where a serious straight face is required at all times, while others require the utmost focus at all times in order to maintain prosperous profit margins. Nonetheless, even the most formal or uptight environment can reap various rewards by allowing its members of staff to take pleasure and merriment from their working day.   The facts about having fun at work According to research published in the book "301 Ways to Have Fun at Work," there is a direct link between the extend to which employees have fun and: Work productively Deliver good customer service Exercise their creativity Provide innovation within their job role Author Dave Hemsath also goes on to say that he believes fun may be the single most important trait of a highly effective and successful organisation. In fact, companies that adopt a fun-orientated culture have: Lower levels of absenteeism Greater job satisfaction Less down time Increased employee loyalty But in spite of these extensive advantages, some people might not be as receptive to a fun working environment as others. Recent research from San Francisco State University notes that fun in the workplace is heavily dependent on the ages of employees. Those born between the early 1980s and early 200s, otherwise known as millenials, tend to like workplace fun more than older generations. One survey from PGI went so far as to say 88 per cent of millenials want a fun and social work environment, compared to just 60 per cent of boomers (people born between approximately 1946 and 1964). Even though this reluctance among boomers may put some organisations off, the same survey also put millennials at the top of the workforce population in the US with 80 million people. So, with boomers making up 76.1 million workers, any shift towards fun could still be well worth it.   Defining fun in the workplace The word "fun" may strike fear into the hearts of many bosses, as it could be perceived as an invitation to give messing around greater precedence than actually doing work. But if you take research by Kansas State University into consideration, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In a study called the "Effects of Workplace Fun on Employee Behaviours," it found that people tend to rate socialising the highest out of all fun-related activities. But this isn’t limited to millenials, as older generations are also fans of greater interpersonal connections at work. This is because people are marrying and having children later, so those in their 20s and 40s lack an established social structure away from the office. What’s more, 71 per cent of millenials say that they would like a "second family" made-up of co-workers. For many organisations, this means striking the right balance between a fun working environment where employees are happy with their role and enjoy the company of colleagues, but also have the motivation and focus to complete daily responsibilities on time. So, how can this be achieved?   Establishing a fun working environment With any luck, you will already have a workforce that has an interest in your organisation’s offering or the industry it occupies. After all, they chose to take up this job in the first place and probably wouldn’t have done so if there were no enjoyment or fulfilment to be had. Therefore, you will need to look beyond spicing up their routine tasks and concentrate on other areas instead, such as putting a more social framework in place or hosting after work events. However, you may also be able to inject some fun into other aspects of daily operations too. Here are a few suggestions:   Redefine your company culture The way an organisation operates is a reflection of its culture, so this should be your first port of call. Try to create an atmosphere where employees can feel comfortable, express themselves, and collaborate with others. All the while, make it easy for staff to be productive, open up new communication channels or provide fun incentives to work harder.   Understand what your employees want Each and every member of staff is bound to have certain interests or passions, which they no doubt share with other employees. So, understand what these passions are and bring your workforce together. For example, start a lunchtime Xbox or PlayStation tournament for video game enthusiasts to participate in.   Make monotonous activities more appealing Aside from their actual jobs, your staff may want some added excitement in other areas or activities, such as training, because this can be a rather boring exercise at the best of times. But through techniques like gamification, which also involves competing against colleagues, your employees will thoroughly enjoy increasing their skill set. It is natural to feel a little bit uneasy about making the working environment a more fun and entertaining one. However, if you implement changes in the right way and in the right areas, both the business and its employees can enjoy a number of far-reaching benefits. Share this post with your own audience

Despite the fact that numerous companies still prefer traditional methods of training such as classroom-based teaching, the modern alternatives are proving to be more successful and effective. Take corporate e-learning for example, which is conducted via electronic media and technology. At first, this method of training came in for some criticism, as it removes the human element that certain learners need. But seeing as technology has become engrained in our daily lives, e-learning is now a much more appealing option. Besides, when you take the extensive advantages into consideration, it makes even more sense. Through e-learning, training can be incredibly flexible, as it fits around your employee’s daily schedule and responsibilities. It can also be tailor-made according to your unique wants and needs. Then there are the financial gains. Members of staff do not need to travel to a training centre, saving money in lost time and expenses. You probably won’t need to spend out an extortionate sum for assistance from a training provider either. But in order to reap these rich rewards, you will need to introduce, implement and execute corporate e-learning in the right way. Here’s how:   Ensure e-learning is relevant Although this can be said for any type of training, it is especially important for corporate e-learning. The content you present to employees needs to be relevant or else they won’t be able to see any value in training. So, ask yourself what topics your members of staff will benefit from the most and how the e-learning course will deliver this information. Everything from your tone of voice to the scenarios you choose will need to relate to the learner’s own position and job role.   Create an engaging experience To increase your employee’s learning potential, you will need to create an engaging experience that puts them in control of their own destiny. Let them explore a particular question or subject matter with freedom, which encourages initiative and enterprise. You may also want to put members of staff into groups and have them discuss the learning materials. In addition to benefitting from one another’s experience and expertise, employees will also be inspired to learn and contribute more in the future.   Provide feedback and allow mistakes As opposed to waiting until the e-learning course is over, you should test and provide feedback along the way. This should result in a much more powerful and effective educational experience that members of staff will greatly appreciate. You shouldn’t criticise mistakes too harshly either, as this is an intrinsic part of learning. If possible, monitor the direct consequences of their error and provide assistance immediately.   Don’t overcomplicate things Try not to confuse employees with learning materials and use simple language instead of industry jargon. Even though some organisations and industries require the use of technical terms, it can overcomplicate things if unnecessary. Through clear and concise language, your employees can concentrate on the job in hand. When they do require help, it will be about the topic or theme and not the way the question is worded.   Stay on point with the latest trends Owing to the flexible nature of e-learning, changes to learning materials can be made at a moments notice. As a result, there is no excuse for failing to stay on point with the latest trends. By keeping abreast of industry developments, your employees will be better equipped to deal with challenges that come their way. Out-dated or old-fashioned teaching will only distance and disenchant members of staff further.   Take advantage of emotionally-driven content Greater engagement is a distinct possibility if learners feel emotionally connected to the subject matter being taught. This link can also help employees absorb and retain information more effectively too. There are various ways you can do this, from telling intriguing stories with relatable characters to using powerful images and graphics. Just remember that a positive emotional response is much more advantageous than negative feelings or fears.   Enable multi-device learning Another advantage of e-learning is that it can take place on a myriad of devices. This allows employees to start their training on the commute to work, pick it up again during lunch and finally complete at home in the evening. Everybody is different when it comes to learning and some will feel more comfortable doing so in a relaxed environment. Then again, other employees might prefer to participate in training at their desks rather than on their sofa, but you must provide the option.   Don’t overlook the importance of appearance Even though content is important, the design and aesthetics of e-learning should also be appealing and engaging. This means the proper use of colours, fonts, images, and other multimedia. A visually stimulating experience, which contains interactive elements, can keep employee interest levels high but also help draw their attention to the most important aspects of the module.   Capitalise on contemporary teaching techniques In recent years, teaching techniques such as spaced repetition and gamification have proven to be incredibly effective in corporate environments. What’s more, they are perfectly suited to e-learning. Spaced repetition exploits the fact that we more easily remember or learn items when they are studied over a prolonged period of time, whereas gamification introduces competition and fun to learning.   Always bring it back to the real-world Through e-learning, you can use all manner of teaching techniques to get your point across. But if this doesn’t relate to the real-world rewards your employees will benefit from, there is little to no point in this type of training. So, explain how e-learning content will improve or enhance your workforce’s job roles. By reinforcing the purpose of training, members of staff will stay motivated and interested in learning. Share this post with your own audience

Be honest, how many times have you conducted a search on Google for a piece of information about someone or something and ended up on Wikipedia? This multilingual, free-content encyclopaedia provides answers to an untold amount of questions thanks to its openly editable nature. But while this enables anyone to improve their understanding about a certain subject, it also increases the chance of inaccuracy and error. Despite the fact most Wikipedia articles contain plenty of references at the bottom of the page, others aren’t always verified and you have to assume what you are reading is correct. Thankfully, Wikipedia’s gamification page is full of valuable content backed up by substantial references. In addition to categorising gamification, it also goes on to explore techniques, applications, and even criticism of the theory. However, even though it explains what gamification is and how it can be used, Wikipedia doesn’t exactly furnish much actionable advice for businesses interested in implementing this revolutionary technique. So, with this in mind, here is what Wikipedia can’t tell you about gamification.   Why gamification works As you’re no doubt aware, gamification works because it provides rewards and injects fun into everyday tasks. What’s more, it capitalises on our natural human instinct of competition and ambition. However, when it comes to business, the ability to motivate staff is arguably the most important and significant element of gamification. Just like Wikipedia, here is a resource that backs up this claim, which explains: You gain motivation when you feel in charge. If you control your own destiny, you are more likely to work harder for longer periods of time and thus achieve initial objectives. Assigning value to the activity can enhance this feeling of autonomy. There is a positive correlation between valuing a subject and the individual’s willingness to work independently. Finally, greater confidence and competency will come about from devoting more time to an activity. Again, a link can be drawn between an individual’s sense of prowess and their desire to pursue certain activities. The reason why gamification keeps motivation levels high is because it combines both extrinsic and intrinsic desires to make daily activities more enjoyable and rewarding. Taking part in gamification makes us feel good, but also provides incentives and gratification.   Where you can benefit from gamification Wikipedia says that gamification can be widely applied in marketing and as a tool for customer engagement. But while it touches upon education and training, Wikipedia only scratches the surface of how gamification can benefit members of staff in an organisation. So, here is a more in-depth look at where benefits can be realised.  Coaching for existing staff - Through the use of game mechanics and design to construct playable work scenarios and possible customer stories, gamification is incredibly effective at coaching existing members of staff. Through incentives such as achievements and awards, employees will be inspired to learn and can achieve various goals too. All the while, you can monitor progress and adjust learning materials according to what you require from staff.   Help recruit more suitable staff - By developing games, challenges, and competitions for prospective employees to complete before the interview process, you will be given an invaluable insight into whether the individual is suitable for the role and company. At the same time, applicants can get a feel for what the organisation is all about and whether they would be happy working there. A recruitment strategy featuring gamification can also make onboarding schemes obsolete and unnecessary.   Increase employee loyalty - If employees feel involved and engaged with their daily responsibilities through the use of gamification, there is a good chance they will stay with the company for many years to come. Higher levels of satisfaction can also lead to greater innovation, increased productivity, and more meaningful relationships with both customers and colleagues.     How to implement gamification For training purposes, recruitment strategies, and employee loyalty schemes, the process of implementing gamification is remarkably easy. This is mainly due to the fact it takes advantage of technology. For example, smartphone and tablet apps featuring gamification can be opened up and accessed almost anywhere. So, regardless of whether employees want to complete tasks on the daily commute or compete with colleagues while at home, they can do. But this technological solution also enables you to change and adjust what materials your staff are accessing. Various gamification apps are often hosted in the cloud, which means you don’t need to install expensive software programmes either. Simultaneously, you can review employee performance or feedback through in-depth analytics and reporting tools. For the purposes of gamification training, this can include activity metrics, cohort knowledge retention rates, and predicted course completion dates.   Gamification with Wranx Another thing that Wikipedia doesn’t tell you is that all of these advantages can be realised with Wranx’s unique take on gamification, which combines theory and science to deliver a comprehensive training solution. With over 300 different achievements to be won, staff will always have an incentive to learn. After completing these tasks on subjects that relate to your business, employees can see their leaderboard position, which also features the performance of colleagues. Wranx’s gamification model also provides support by letting staff know what is required to win more prestigious awards. This is another way of encouraging employees to develop and improve with your overall objectives in mind. So, while Wikipedia might tell you what gamification means and how it can be used, Wranx’s is on hand to provide you with an actual solution. Share this post with your own audience

No matter what industry your organisation occupies or how many members of staff you employ, training can afford extensive advantages. But while some still view this as an uninspiring or unavailing exercise, the range of learning and development options currently available mean that training can now be interesting, engaging, enjoyable, and above all else, rewarding. For numerous businesses, these plus points can’t come soon enough. The rapid advancement of technology coupled with the need for employees to posses a wide range of dynamic skills has meant training now plays an increasingly crucial role in the world of modern business. Traditional training is now long gone, as you can’t afford to simply ask employees to tick which answer they think is correct. We now live in a digital society where workers want to learn from interactive teaching materials that are hosted on platforms they already know and understand. But although these training solutions already exist, the challenge comes when trying to choose the one that’s right for you. With this in mind, here is what you need to consider with training in the 21st century.   Understanding the different elements of training In order to be truly effective, training must marry the following elements together in perfect harmony.   Content - Essentially the skills, information, or subjects you are trying to teach employees. But as opposed to implementing lengthy courses that are difficult to digest in one-go, think about adopting microlearning instead. This delivers training in clear and concise bite-sized chunks, which not only match the consumption habits of contemporary learners but also enhances long-term memory retention.   Technology - Although it might be tempting to fully exploit the potential of technology, you should keep things simple because this will result in better retention and user engagement. De-clutter the platform your training is presented on but don’t forget about mobile optimisation or performance measurement tools.   Expertise - You may feel like managing your training activity in-house, but most of the time it is better to enlist the services of a learning partner. With huge expertise about their system capabilities and how they can best work for your business, these firms will become remote members of your own team and soon start designing tailor-made solutions.   Things your training solution should accomplish Once you have worked alongside an adept learning partner to create appropriate teaching content and made this available on a simple yet technologically advanced platform, your focus should shift towards achieving certain accomplishments. These concern:   Onboarding Seeing as 90 per cent of employees decide whether to stay at their company for the foreseeable future within the first 6 months, onboarding should be more than just a brief orientation. Use this opportunity to introduce them to your company culture and make them feel as comfortable as possible. Fail to do so and your recent recruits will think negatively of their new employers from the get-go. After all, people remain the lifeblood of most organisations and their contribution to daily operations when compared to digital technologies that come and go is invaluable. So, give new hires an introduction to what the company is all about before delving into more specific job-role knowledge.   Training Before technology took over nearly every aspect of society and transformed the way we consume information, training was an unwavering and never-changing fixture in the workplace. But this is no longer the case. Owing to the fact that half of an individual’s digital skillset becomes obsolete in two and a half years, you must provide your workforce with accessible, flexible, and effective training that ensures members of staff are always equipped to perform. This might seem like a time-consuming and expensive activity, but microlearning allows you to introduce new skills or subjects in gradual stages. With greater expertise and ability, your workforce will then be more productive and engaged in their individual roles but also when training takes place too.   Support Simply presenting a new training course or module to your employees and assuming they will figure it out eventually is not good enough. Each and every member of staff should have access to support whenever and wherever they need it, which doesn’t include conducting an online search for answers. After all, research from Gottfredson and Mosher suggests that performance support benefits three of the five moments of learning need - apply, solve, and change. Give your employees the power to take control of their own learning experience by developing support tools that feature appropriate answers and additional expertise from familiar sources.   Development After initial onboarding, continual training, and progressive support, employees will eventually enter a stage of development where they can start gaining leadership, management, and professional skills. But managing to get to this stage is no mean feat, as two-thirds of companies around the world consider themselves weak at developing millennial leaders. Therefore, you will need to create an energetic yet curated learning system where employees know what is required of them to climb the career ladder. Not only can you retain more employees by prioritising development, you will also benefit from a more competent workforce that feels recognised and respected. These same employees will also feel empowered to take on new learning challenges too.   Compliance Finally, you must ensure that all your efforts thus far lead to compliance. There will be little to no point in training if members of staff cannot apply their newly acquired knowledge in the actual workplace. Therefore, be certain that training content speaks specifically to your employees’ individual job roles, especially those in higher-risk business units or areas with lots of regulation. Remember that training with job and company relevant scenario leads to 47 per cent less misconduct than training with unrealistic scenarios. So, move away from off-the-shelf solutions and conduct role-specific training. By understanding the different elements of modern-day training and always having certain accomplishments in mind, you should be able to develop or adopt a solution that is right for you. Share this post with your own audience

In many respects, the theory behind microlearning is not a new one. As a matter of fact, it has been a legitimate learning technique for quite some time now. However, it has attracted a lot more attention in recent years for various reasons. But how, why, and when did microlearning become so popular?   How did microlearning become so popular? The reasons behind microlearning’s popularity are fairly easy to understand. But above all else, it is an incredibly effective way of learning, retaining, and applying new knowledge, skills or information. In its purest form, microlearning is simply gaining a greater understand of something through repetition. Accordingly, microlearning might sound remarkably simple, but that’s because it is. If you have ever studied a musical instrument or attempted to learn a new language, chances are you did so in small, repeated, but increasing steps. Attempting to master these arts by diving in headfirst would not result in a favourable learning outcome. However, with a slow and methodical approach, it is possible to grasp complicated subjects or complex themes, such as playing the piano from a piece of sheet music or striking up a conversation with a Spanish local in Barcelona. But if this were true for all types of knowledge acquisition, such as classroom teaching or workplace training, why is microlearning only starting to gain more traction now?   When did microlearning become so popular? In 2011, Dr Martin Hilbert and his team at the University of southern California revealed that the growth in the Internet, 24-hour television and mobile phones means that we now receive five times as much information every day as we did in 1986. In addition to consumption, the average person also produces six newspapers worth of information compared with just two and a half pages 24 years ago, which equates to a near 200-fold increase. With the consumption and production of so much documentation and data, it is little surprise that today’s learners cannot handle traditional methods of teaching, which tend to favour large chunks of information. Not only are we struggling to even comprehend learning materials when taught this way, the vast majority of us don’t want to either. This new age of information combined with rapid advancements in technology has resulted in a world where microlearning can finally be utilised and implemented for more than just musical instruments and new languages.   Why did microlearning become so popular? Microlearning became so popular because it suits the society we are now all a part of. We have grown accustomed to receiving information via digital channels such as social media, which deliver short snippets of content. Combined with the instantaneous nature of interacting with a smartphone or tablet and the modern-day picture of microlearning becomes easier to understand. On top of that, it has never been so easy to develop platforms for microlearning to exist on. From desktop software programs to smartphone applications, the range of possibilities is vast when you take advantage of contemporary technology.  This doesn’t even take into account concepts like gamification, which is a legitimate teaching technique in its own right, but also works side-by-side with microlearning to incentivise, motivate, encourage, and engage today’s overwhelmed audience of digitally connected media consumers.   The benefits of microlearning So to sum up, the concept of learning through repeating small chunks of teaching materials has been around for centuries. But ever since society fully embraced the trappings of technology, which in turn created a profusion of information, we can no longer handle the subject-heavy nature of traditional teaching. Instead, we prefer to learn new knowledge in a similar way to browsing social media or accessing online content via a smartphone. But thanks to the very same technology that created this dilemma, adopting a modern microlearning approach is quite simple and straightforward.  Furthermore, this new methodology can also provide a wide range of far-reaching benefits that previous teaching or training techniques could only dream of. These include:   Impressive retention levels - With less content to comprehend, learners will find it much easier to remember teaching materials and apply this newly acquired information in real life. An entire school syllabus or training course can be broken down into more manageable pieces, allowing the student or employee to learn each section separately and improve their knowledge retention.   Quicker results - You won’t have to wait long to notice individual improvements with microlearning, as smaller bits of information are much easier to remember. It might be more difficult to cover a wide range of subjects in one go, but this isn’t necessarily a problem unless the student or employees need to know important information immediately.   Remote teaching - With technology at the forefront of modern microlearning, teaching can take place at anytime and from anywhere. Students and employees can decide when they would prefer to learn new skills or improve topic comprehension if microlearning is available online via a smartphone application or desktop software.   Monitoring tools - Again, technology is on hand to bolster the benefits of microlearning, as it becomes much easier to assess, examine and test students or employees thanks to analytical and reporting tools.   Makes training more interesting - Another benefit of using technology for microlearning is that you can introduce various types of media such as video, audio, presentations, or games. Because these content mediums will be familiar to the learner, they won’t lose interest quickly, which makes the entire learning process a lot more intriguing and engaging.   Cost-effective - From a financial point of view, microlearning is much more cost-effective than sending members of staff on a training course, which probably won’t have the desired effect anyway. The teaching materials you develop for e-learning can be used time and time again as well.   Although microlearning might not be suitable for every school or business, it is easy to see why this teaching technique has become so popular in recent years. Share this post with your own audience

Thanks to the truly global nature of the Internet and the rapid advancement of technology, it is possible for any business regardless of its size or sector to trade with customers on the other side of the world. But while this opens up a wealth of new and lucrative opportunities, it also throws up a fair few challenges. First of all, you need to have an in-depth understanding of your target market and their preferences. Purchasers in another country will place different priorities on different products and may not be willing to pay the same as consumers back home. You have also got to consider other factors such as cultural conventions when it comes to selling, what payment methods to accept, how you will delivery your products or services, the refunds and returns process, and whether you need to pay local taxes or export duties. But getting all of these components correct could be pointless if you run into language difficulties. Both clients and customers need to be given the greatest respect, which won’t happen if you insult them or embarrasses yourself through a language misunderstanding. This is just one reason why translating your e-learning courses makes a lot of sense. But what other benefits can this provide?   Better lines of communication It sort of goes without saying that enlisting the services of a translation company for your e-learning courses will lead to better lines of communication. By knowing for certain that teaching materials make sense and are grammatically correct, you can be sure employees won’t struggle to learn, retain and apply new skills or knowledge. You could attempt to translate e-learning courses yourself by using an online facility, but this will not have the desired effect. Although useful for a few words or phrases, online translators don’t possess the ability to understand or interpret entire sentences. What’s more, the often complex and complicated nature of training, which will sometimes contain industry jargon or company-specific terms, means that incomprehensible training materials could do more harm than good. This is especially true if your members of staff need to know about critical health and safety regulations.   More customers and conversions Even if your company’s offering has already witnessed great success at home, there is a chance that this could be enjoyed and even improved upon abroad. But you will never know unless you invest in translating. More often than not, opening up your products and services to a foreign market will lead to an increase in clients and customers all around the world. As a result, your organisation will start to overtake industry competitors that are only proficient in one language. This will then allow the business to go from strength-to-strength and with any luck, record impressive growth figures for many years to come. However you have to speculate to accumulate and believe there are scores of potential patrons out there that will buy your product or service if it is available in another language.   Achieve greater customer and employee satisfaction Seeing as 840 million people around the world speak English, countless companies believe that they can get away with offering only one language. In many respects this is true, but that doesn’t mean to say the pros outweigh the cons. For example, you may be able to achieve greater customer and employee satisfaction by translating your e-learning courses. Clients with a different native tongue to yours will appreciate the effort you have gone to and hold the business in high esteem. At the same time, members of staff will feel like they are part of an organisation that respects and values their contribution. This also means they will be more incentivised and stimulated to learn, as you have gone to the trouble of creating teaching materials specifically for them.   More confidence in your abilities As you are no doubt already aware, confidence is an incredibly important thing in business. If you don’t have self-belief or conviction with your decisions, then you will stand still in the marketplace and fail to progress towards prosperity. But safe in the knowledge that you and your employees can be understood in a number of different languages, the entire organisation will ooze confidence. That being the case, you will surely secure more customers and increase those bottom-line conversions, irrespective of where in the world they are coming from. At the end of the day, there is a big difference between "We have the finest products available to buy" and "We have to buy the best products," which is what happens when you put this phrase into Google and then translate it back again.   What to look for in a translation company Even though you can reap a variety of rewards by translating your e-learning courses, these merits might not come to fruition if the company you choose is equally incompetent in another language. So, with this in mind, here is what to look for in a translation company. Reputation - See whether they are a member of any trade or industry associations and search for reviews online from previous clients. If you can’t find any, ask the company to provide some testimonials from satisfied customers. Experience - Although you shouldn’t instantly discount a translation company that has only been in operation for a few years, if an organisation has stood the test of time it can probably be trusted with your e-learning course. Quality - Ask what initiatives or tools they have in place to ensure quality is always high. Most translators will be more than happy to provide insight into how the business turns around work. Communication - If they are quick to respond and affable in their communications it could be the start of a favourable and mutually beneficial working relationship between the both of you. These are only a handful of benefits to translating your e-learning courses and even more will become apparent once the wheels are in motion. Some more challenges and considerations may also come to the surface, but very few aspects of business are without their obstructions. Share this post with your own audience

Owing to the fact technology is now an integral part of society and something we couldn’t possibly do without, it is no real surprise to see that e-learning has become more and more important from an educational and training perspective. For school pupils, university students, and full-time employees, the ability to acquire new information via computer software and smartphone applications has transformed their respective learning experiences.  But as a concept so intrinsically linked to technology, e-learning must move with the times and continually adjust its offering. By standing still, e-learning could soon receive the same exiled treatment as the traditional teaching methods that preceded it. Thankfully, e-learning is moving forward in a progressive way, as things like smartphone applications are now essential teaching tools for several students. However, one development in particular has not only assisted e-learning in its quest to be at the forefront of modern-day teaching, but also laid claim as a vital and indispensable tool.   A closer look at gamification Generally speaking, gamification refers to the use of game mechanics to "gamify" content, such as teaching materials. In turn, this incentivises and engages students or employees by encouraging them to learn more and provides rewards for certain achievements. It is fair to say that gamification has been evident in the past with things like loyalty programmes, target-based bonuses, and employee-of-the-month schemes. But the rise and effectiveness of e-learning has given this concept yet another far-reaching application. Even though e-learning provides a more relevant and familiar platform for teaching today’s generation of students and employees, the subjects being covered are still very much the same. If the user thinks that these teaching materials are boring, uninspiring or not interesting, the process of learning remains an uphill struggle. But by introducing game mechanics that are a bit more stimulating and enjoyable, any student or employee should be able to learn more effectively. But don’t just take our word for it; this way of thinking has been backed up by scientific statistics.   The gamification statistics that speak for themselves In 2005, the National Summit on Educational Games revealed that learners recall just 10 per cent of what they read and 20 per cent of what they hear. However, if visuals accompany an oral presentation, this number rises to 30 per cent. Furthermore, if learners watch someone carrying out an action while explaining it, this number increases again to 50 per cent. This is the kind of benefit e-learning can afford. But add gamification into the mix and learners can potentially recall 90 per cent of information by doing the job themselves, even if it is a simulation. This is just one statistic that backs up the importance of gamification, but there are plenty more including: Nearly 80 per cent of learners say they would be more productive if teaching or work was more game-like Over 60 per cent of learners would be more motivated by leaderboards or the introduction of a competition between fellow students/colleagues 89 per cent of learners would be more engaged with an e-learning application if it featured a point system These findings from a TalentLMS Survey prove that from an individual’s perspective, the prospect of gamification can improve long-term memories and noticeably increase interest in e-learning. But apart from retention levels and their own attitude towards learning, how else can gamification help students and employees?   Additional benefits of gamification Greater engagement - Learners might not realise it, but gamification can hold their attention and motivate them to complete more tasks. By receiving rewards for the accomplishments they achieve, students and employees will feel positive about their learning experience. This is another way of effectively committing information to an individual’s long-term memory, as the knowledge itself is linked to favourable encounters. Real-world applications - Although gamification takes place in a fun and risk-free environment, it also paints a picture of what the user’s actions could lead to in real life. This ability to gain a first-hand look into how one’s choices can make a difference is invaluable, as they will then put this knowledge to good use when the time actually comes. Enhanced learning experience - Through gamification, learners will no longer think negatively of classes or training. This could potentially have a knock-on affect in every other aspect of school or work and lead to a more positive and life-affirming experience. Learning is transformed from a regrettable and stressful task into a rewarding and satisfying one.   McDonald’s Till Training Game by Kineo - an example of e-learning gamification in action For the introduction of a new till system, McDonald’s UK wanted its employees to learn in a safe environment without the burden of frustrated customers. However, the fast-food chain also wanted improved accuracy, reduced service times, and higher spends. The solution by Kineo was to develop an addictive, purposeful, and fun till training game. This used a simulation of the new till system to discover whether the learners were able to take orders but also assess their knowledge on delivering the best customer experience possible. The game itself featured lifelines, bonuses, satisfaction meters and beat the clock challenges to keep learners engaged, but also attempted to improve knowledge of the till and increase customer interactions at the same time. Although not compulsory, the game received 145,000 visits in one year and remains McDonald’s most popular employee portal page. What’s more, 85 per cent of crewmembers said it helped them understand the new system and would boost their future performance. McDonald’s also managed to reduce each till service by 7.9 seconds and increase their average cheque by 15p, which equates to £23.7 million across the UK. This example alone is enough to understand why gamification is a vital tool in e-learning, something that Mark Reilly, McDonald’s Corporate Training Manager, wholeheartedly agrees with. "This tool was placed quietly on our crew website with no advertising or direction to the restaurants. The crew found it, played it, re-played it and shared it. Its power was in the fact that it challenged people to try-out and experiment to succeed and improve, which is what the most effective learning is all about." Share this post with your own audience

In order to be a good leader, there are several attributes one must exhibit. These include the ability to delegate, strong communication skills, lots of self-confidence and a positive attitude even when the chips are down. Then again, there will be great leaders that go above and beyond their call of duty to help fellow employees. They will also be honest if talking to staff, show creativity when solving problems, and inspire others to do better. However, there is one thing that good and great leaders need to do if they want to become an ideal leader - keep on learning. Ideal leaders will always want to ask questions but never assume they know everything. They won’t be afraid to make mistakes either but will want feedback on how to improve in the future. But why is it important to keep on learning? And how can you go about increasing your knowledge or gaining a greater understanding about certain themes and topics?   Learning to lead It is extremely dangerous for any leader to think they are the finished article. Even with the highest level of education possible and a great deal of real-world experience, there is still no guaranteed way of knowing what will happen in the future. We can look at the past for clues or piece together predictions using present-day information, but trying to provide guidance through cold hard facts will do little to inspire. Instead, leaders must always be open to the idea of change. By doing so, it becomes much easier to respond in unfamiliar or unknown situations. This attitude also helps when it comes to learning, as you will be a lot more willing to accept and apply new concepts or ideas. After all, we are living in a world where the half-life of any skill is about five years. Therefore, for businesses to stay relevant and remain in touch with the growing wants and needs of the customer, today’s leaders must always renew their perspective on skills and knowledge. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. It is fair to say that the majority of modern-day leaders will have been schooled in the classroom, where passively accepting new knowledge was the only option on offer. But for millenials, who now outnumber other generations in the workplace, traditional ways of training no longer cut it. Some leaders may be more than happy to learn like they have always known, but if they are willing to accept the power of change in terms of skills and knowledge, they should also be unreserved in their attitude towards training. Millenials have grown up with access to extensive online resources, so the belief that learning should be an everyday occurrence already resides here. However, traditional training doesn’t allow for such immediate learning to happen. As a result, leaders must look at implementing fast, relevant, and autonomous learning solutions, which not only increase their own intelligence and appreciation, but also that of other employees.   Learning how to learn In the Global Human Capital Trends 2015 study by Deloitte, 85 per cent of respondents said that learning was either important or very important. Yet, more companies than ever before said they were also unprepared to address this issue. In many respects, the answer is quite clear though. Organisations must find ways to connect and participate in learning, which not only challenge their employees’ way of thinking, but also provide them with the ability to become better people. Through greater collaboration that completes training in smarter and more efficient ways, we can all become ideal leaders too. Such a strategy should concentrate on continual learning with long-term goals in mind. It is all well and good having people that want to learn, but they must also know how to build strong relationships, find relevant information, make sense of their observations and then share this knowledge with others. It is well within the realms of possibility for a leader to instil a methodology like this into employees and the workplace too. A change in company culture might be required, but the resources and technology exists to make it happen.   The process of learning If you think of learning as a journey, then you can continue to pursue it time and time again. The places you go and the destination you reach might be different every time, but you will be well equipped to handle whatever comes your way.   Finding new knowledge - The first step is about discovering new information but making sure it is always relevant and applicable. This can be quite difficult due to the profusion of data we are now producing, but regularly evaluating and assessing where information comes from will enable you to filter only the valuable stuff. In time, you will be able to develop a close network of trusted and intelligent sources that provide new perspectives on interesting subjects, but also increase your ability to make more informed decisions. Using new knowledge - Finding things out and personalising it for our own intentions is one thing, but having the ability to actually apply this newly acquired knowledge is another. Thankfully, teaching techniques such as spaced repetition and gamification can give you complete control over the information you are receiving. After understanding what is being said, you can then actively do something about it, which contextualises and reinforces your learning. We all want to find meaning in our thoughts, feelings, and experiences, but learning can help us do this through critical thinking. Sharing new knowledge - If knowledge has been passed onto you, then it is only fair you do this for someone else too. This could naturally happen during the course of a normal day, but you may also need to actively exchange resources, ideas, and experiences with colleagues as well. By working alongside others and collectively learning through collaboration or even competition, the whole business can benefit. What’s more, everyone involved in the learning experience will feel like a leader, as they have played a crucial role in the development of others. Bring all of these elements together and every employee can become a leader in the workplace. Certain members of staff might not necessarily be giving orders or have overall command, but they will be exhibiting the most important attribute an ideal leader should possess - a desire to keep on learning. Share this post with your own audience