Training Industry Magazine - November/December 2019 - 40

Opposition to any change is typically
borne of fear of entering an unknown
situation. A technological change
is no different. Transitioning from a
familiar learning technology stack
to an interconnected, cloud-based
architecture will affect people, processes
and reliance on past practices. It breeds
a fear of obsolescence, power loss and
not receiving a perceptible personal
benefit. However, if an organization is to
stay ahead of the game, learning must
be realized more quickly and at the
points of need to meet business goals.

it may equally trigger resistance.
Champions influence others' thinking
and help them adopt and adapt to new
learning solutions.
3. Market benefits to the target
audience: Many organizations are
puzzled when innovations fail to
secure automatic acceptance. Much
like how the needs and wants of your
commercial consumers are critical in
creating and funding new services,
promoting new digital learning
solutions help it land better within the

Begin Your Story of
Redemption

2. Enlist leader and learner champions
of change: Any organizational change,
particularly the introduction of a
new digital learning solution, needs
champions to promote it. If a digital
solution can inspire strong support,

| 40

Let's face it: Delivering a 21st-century
learning experience is challenging
for many organizations. However,
there are a range of best practices
proven to help organizations start
the process of upgrading their digital
learning architecture and delivering a
modern experience.
The ball and chain of legacy
learning architecture will continue
to keep your organization from fully
implementing learning solutions
that bolster learner experience
and performance. Your legacy
system also tells employees that
it is acceptable to avoid change
and put off today's problem for
another day.

As learning and development
(L&D) practitioners, we need think
beyond our own expertise and begin
forging strategic partnerships to
identify cloud-based technologies
that are compatible with dated
learning
technology
stacks,
processes and mindsets. Rethink
analog training practices, and
bring your organization in step
with best practices that untether
it from its 20th-century learning
architecture. Ebenezer Scrooge
was saved, and your organization
can be, too; here are five simple
tips to lay the groundwork for your
organization's redemption.
1. Educate executives and employees
on the values proposition: Answer the
age-old question of, "What's in it for me?"
It's not enough to convey the danger,
waste and costs of maintaining a legacy
learning technology stack. Increase
awareness and understanding of both
your current learning technology stack
and emerging cloud-based technologies.
Share with your organization how cloudbased approaches can eliminate the
annoying systems triage, instability,
unpredictability, wasted resources
and labor cost embedded in the
legacy architecture.

with the business owner to establish
quantitative measures of success.
Align learning interventions to business
problems and measurable outcomes.
Then, collect data to show proof of
concept and impact on performance
and the business.

organization. Marketing is a proven
method to promote the benefits of
digital learning solutions to your
leaders and learners.
4. Conduct smart experiments: To
validate the potential benefits of
a digital learning solution, conduct
smart experiments involving business
unit owners and learners. Use
control and "treatment" groups to
glean quantitative and qualitative
feedback. An experiment is a great
opportunity to discover and validate
benefits by applying the solution in
the organization's ecosystem and a
controlled environment simultaneously.
5. Establish quantitative measures:
To ensure valid measurement, partner

A much-needed awakening has
arrived in the form of the digital
revolution. The onus is on the
organization to keep pace with
the radically shifting workplace.
The alternative is to continue
being haunted by a 20thcentury learning architecture
that is incapable of delivering 21stcentury learner experiences. While
a legacy learning technology stack
has served your organization well
for years, the powerful forces of the
digital revolution are rendering them
ineffective. Vendors are jettisoning
their support for on-premise legacy
systems. Ready or not, they are
doubling down on cloud-based
solutions that provide security,
stability, scalability and enhanced
learner experiences.
There's no need to reinvent the wheel.
As legendary tennis player Arthur
Ashe once said, "Start where you are,
use what you have, do what you can"
(other than nothing at all).
Dr. Sydney Savion is general manager
of learning at Air New Zealand.
Email Sydney.
Training Industry Magazine - November/December 2019

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