Communicating Purpose through Training
Sadly, we’ve all been there. That moment during training where you sit back and ask yourself “why am I being asked to do this?” As Instructional Designers, we try our best to prevent our learners from experiencing this feeling. We hold countless interviews with SMEs, write foolproof learning objectives, and develop the most engaging content possible. But despite our best efforts, sometimes our point is still lost on our learners.
Modern learners want more from their training. They don’t just want to be told what to do; they want to connect with the purpose.
What do we mean by Purpose?
Communicating purpose in training goes beyond just listing off your learning objectives at the beginning of your training modules. It involves communicating a training’s intent, its value to the associate, and its connection to the larger organization.
Communicating Intent – what’s the why?
Think about communicating the intent of your training in terms of the driving business need behind the training. What are we really trying to achieve or change with this training?
For example, consider your systems trainings. Yes, we may need to teach someone how to use a new system, but how will following the steps that you’re covering make them more accurate or efficient in their jobs? From point-of-sales to ordering product, emphasizing that an associate’s understanding of how the system works can save them time and reduce costly errors helps provide context for why this training is valuable. In addition, encouraging the associate to think about how their speed and experience with the system (or lack thereof) might impact a customer’s experience, and shopping decisions can show the importance of being trained on how to use the system.
Communicating intent helps build trust through transparency and helps dispel any perceptions that we’re just “training for training’s sake.” It also helps set the expectations for associates on what we’re trying to accomplish and their role in that process. The fact is, associates want to know these expectations! Most associates want to do their jobs well and take pride in doing it. Having more insight into the intent and purpose of a training can empower associates and can encourage them to look at new scenarios that weren’t covered in that initial training through that same lens, driving further change and real culture shifts.
Communicating Value – what’s in it for me?
The unfortunate truth is that training often feels like a chore or even a hinderance from getting “real work done.” That’s why it’s important for every training to communicate the value it brings to associates whether that’s by helping them to achieve their goals, make their job easier, or learn a new skill.
Some examples include:
- Learning how to process orders quickly and efficiently, making it easier and less overwhelming when there’s an influx of orders around the holiday season.
- This training will help you work safely and avoid accidents that could result in injury for yourself or a member of your team.
- Learning how to provide constructive feedback to your team can help you establish clear expectations and strengthen relationships for better results!
When associates feel that a learning experience has been valuable to them, they’re likely to be more engaged in future training!
Don’t forget to include your managers to get their buy-in and support to! Communicating the value to managers around training can be just as important as communicating to your learners. Learn more about creating manager and associate buy-in in our "How to market your training" article.
Communicating Mission & Connection – what’s the organizational impact?
Finally, consider how your training ties back to the bigger picture such as a company mission, brand promise, or cultural shift.
- Supporting a value or cause
- We prioritize associate wellbeing and mental health at our company. Learn about the resources available to you and learn how you can support others around you.
- Delivering on Company Mission or Brand Promise
- By doing our best to assist our customers by recommending and locating products, we are delivering on our promise to make our stores a friendly and welcoming place to shop!
- Creating Culture
- Change is difficult for everyone, but we strive to create a team that can roll with whatever comes our way. This training will help you identify change management strategies that you can use with your team to learn how to create a culture of adaptability and transformation.
- Team Success
- Learn how you contribute to the daily success of the store and impact the rest of your team through our opening and closing procedures.
By connecting even small concepts to a bigger impact, you show associates how their actions contribute to a larger goal. This can help provide a sense of meaning and purpose in work, foster ownership, and promote teamwork.
Communicating purpose through your training can help build associates’ confidence, engage them in the value of your training, and connect them to your organization. There are many layers to purpose but by considering a training’s intent, value to the learner, and connection to the larger organization; you’re on your way to delivering a more engaging and meaningful experience.