6 Change Management Best Practices Every eLearning Company Should Follow

Change Management Best Practices To Avoid Hurdles
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Summary: There may not be a formula to follow for effective change management. But there are guidelines to help you avoid the most common pitfalls and keep your training program on track.

Avoid Employee Performance Hurdles With Change Management Online Training

Change management online training isn’t an exact science. Your online training strategy greatly depends on the change itself, the organizational objectives, and the budget. Even emotional states factor into the equation. However, there are a few change management best practices that every company should follow. These are the essential building blocks for a successful business transformation to ensure that the employees are involved and don’t feel left behind in the corporate shuffle. Here are 6 unspoken rules to consider when creating your plan of action, whether you’re an eLearning content provider who steps during the transition or a company that’s tackling the development in-house.

eBook Release: Overcoming The Fear Of The Unknown
eBook Release
Overcoming The Fear Of The Unknown
Launch a change management program that is destined to be a roaring success.

1. Employee Needs Are A Top Priority

Organizations tend to think about the business side of change management, how the new policies or team leadership is going to impact their bottom line or on-the-job productivity. What they don’t consider is how the change will affect their employees (AKA their most crucial asset). Employee needs, expectations, and emotions should always be a top priority, if not, the most important factor in your change management online training strategy. How can you make it easier on them during the transition? Are there any fears or stressors you need to factor into your online training plan? What information do they need to get the job done and ease into the new business processes?

2. Transparency Is Key

I wouldn’t go as far as to the "open book" status, but your company should be fully transparent about what’s involved in change management. How will the new practices impact the company on a broader scale? Are there new obstacles employees must consider and how they can avoid negative outcomes? How long will it take to implement the change and what are the desired outcomes? Employees should feel like they’re part of the process and that they can openly communicate their worries and concerns. They should also know that the company isn’t hiding any unwanted surprises, for instance, that at the end of the online training program, there will be a big final exam to determine who stays and who goes.

3. Delegate Tasks To Team Leaders

Team leaders, new and old, are vital for change management online training. They provide employees with an example to follow and offer continual support. So, delegate tasks to get them involved and clarify the expectations. Of course, this requires their input. You can’t simply force them to host weekly catch-up events or peer-coach struggling staffers. They should feel comfortable about their level of participation in change management online training. Once they’re on board, delegate tasks that align with their personal strengths and areas of expertise. For instance, the customer service manager may be the ideal choice for a new company policy webinar. Insider tip: don’t overburden team leaders with lengthy to-do lists. There’s a fine line between active involvement and taking on more than they can handle.

4. Set The Tone In Every Online Training Activity

Positivity must be the foundation of everything you do. The other change management best practices are for naught if the employees feel discouraged or disconnected. Every online training activity must set the tone and impart your company vision. Offer pointers to mitigate the pressure and help employees tackle emerging gaps. Invite them to peruse other online training resources on their own to expand their knowledge and achieve personal goals. Let them know that they’re still a valued member of the team and that they have all the moral support they require. Finally, make sure they’re aware of the reasons for the change. Why has the company decided to implement new protocols and how will it benefit employees at the individual level?

5. Offer Consistent Support

Even after the new manager steps in or fresh policies are enacted, employees still need JIT support to overcome roadblocks, such as infographics to refresh their memory or video demos to teach them correct/incorrect performance behaviors. Support comes in many forms. From peer mentoring to microlearning online training libraries. The key is to identify commonalities among team members, shared sticking points that make employees second guess their abilities or diminish their self-confidence. Then, develop online training content that addresses pain points in a supportive and engaging manner. For example, launch a social media group where employees can talk about the challenges on the sales floor that were caused by the new policies. They will be able to share tips to mitigate risks and adjust their approach based on the new protocols.

6. Create A Flexible Change Management Online Training Strategy

Nothing is set in stone. Your change management online training plan must constantly evolve to keep up with emerging challenges and gaps. You may even discover that the new policies or task procedures aren’t as effective as the old approach. Which means going back to the drawing board and revamping your online training strategy once again. Timelines, individual milestones, and learning objectives should also be flexible. The desired outcomes are the only thing that stays concrete. Your organization knows what it wants to accomplish but the road to there might shift numerous times during the transition. Employee feedback, changing industries/markets, and budget restrictions are just some of the factors that might force you to rethink your online training strategy.

There aren’t any algorithms or set-in-stone online training strategies that will work for your organization, because every company has its own training objectives. But these change management best practices apply to every niche and staff size. Make employees feel like they’re valued members of the transitional team. Then keep everything fully transparent and flexible to ensure that change happens naturally, instead of coercing your employees to buy into new practices or leadership they don’t truly believe in.

Every organization must endure change from time to time, and this can be frightening. Download the eBook Overcoming The Fear Of The Unknown: How To Launch A Successful Change Management Program to discover how to launch a change management program that is destined to be a roaring success.