Four Factors That Make Or Break A Learning Platform

We’re in the midst of a technological revolution that’s transforming leadership development. As you probably know, though, the array of high-tech options for leadership training can be overwhelming. So how can you make the best choice for your organization?

Based on user feedback from when we created our leadership development platform, my company identified four factors that make all the difference in whether a high-tech learning solution succeeds or fails at an organization:

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1. Usability: Can employees get up and running quickly?

There’s a simple truth about learning platforms that often gets overlooked: It doesn’t matter how great the platform’s content is if your employees struggle to use it. Remember, your people are already squeezed for time and distracted. A learning platform that feels like too much work is a platform that will eventually be ignored. So as you are selecting a learning platform, keep these usability questions in mind:

• How easy is it to navigate the platform? Does using it feel intuitive?

• What kind of training—and how much training—will your employees need to use the platform? Keep in mind that they have different experiences and comfort levels with using technology. They will also have different learning styles.

• Is the platform usable on different devices? According to Deloitte, mobile-only work will rise even more over the next several years—which means that platforms that only work on computers may soon be obsolete.

2. Engagement: Do employees want to keep learning?

After ensuring that your employees can use a platform, there’s another big question to consider: Will they want to use it? To keep employees engaged in learning, a platform must be relevant to their needs. If it doesn’t teach them skills they can apply, their interest will wane quickly. Effective platforms allow for customized learning paths, and they’re designed to help learners take what they’ve learned out of the platform and into their jobs. I’m sure you already know from your own experiences that you learn the most when you turn theory into practice. That’s why my company built our learning platform on the framework of learning, reflecting and then taking action.

3. Connection: Does the platform bring employees together?

When you imagine your employees using a learning platform, do you picture them interacting individually with their computers or phones? If so, it’s time to update that mental image. Leveraging the power of high-tech learning does not mean removing the human touch from leadership development. Connection is simply too important for both helping employees learn and setting them up for success in your organization. As you select and implement a learning platform, consider how it will help you bring employees together. A few ideas:

Utilize collaborative learning.

For example, you could form cohorts of employees who work through a leadership development program at the same time and meet regularly to talk about how to apply what they’re learning in the specific context of your organization.

Incorporate sponsorship and mentorship.

Consider assigning more experienced employees to meet regularly with employees using your platform to talk with them about how what they’re learning applies in your organization.

Involve managers.

The most effective platforms enlist managers to help amplify learning and make sure that the material being taught aligns with organizational goals

4. Practicality: Can you build on what’s already working?

My company has been helping develop leaders since 2008. That means we’ve seen a lot of learning and development trends come and go. We’ve also seen too many companies obsess over having the “latest and greatest” program. Yes, your leadership development solution should incorporate up-to-date information and be relevant to today’s work environment. At the same time, though, don’t assume you have to toss out your current program and start from scratch with a high-tech solution. Instead, consider what already works for you when it comes to developing leaders and how you can build on that. Any learning platform you choose will get better results if its content aligns with your organization’s goals and values.

Technology has huge potential to address the increasing need to develop more leaders. But implementing the right solution isn’t as simple as just giving everyone a login to your new platform. By considering the four factors we’ve talked about here as you choose your learning solution, you’ll help ensure a strong return on your organization’s investment in learning technology.

This article was originally published by Neena Newberry in Forbes.

What’s Wrong With Leadership Development (And 5 Ways To Fix It)

As an executive coach and founder of a leadership development learning platform, I thrive on seeing our clients achieve lasting change. Unfortunately, not all organizations see positive outcomes from their leadership development programs, despite the global market exceeding $81 billion a year.

Post-pandemic, it's clear that this investment often fails to deliver expected results. So what's the issue, and more importantly, how can we solve it?

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Too Many Leaders Aren’t Prepared

One of the biggest red flags about leadership development I’ve seen recently comes from the Josh Bersin Company. Their two-year study of corporate leadership programs found that just one out of four companies believes their leadership training efforts are delivering high value. Additionally, only 24% of companies say their development model is relevant and up-to-date. This is alarming—and also not an outlier.

You don’t have to look far to find other indicators that leadership development programs are falling short. I’ve seen in my own work that far too many managers are promoted not because they’re ready to lead, but because there’s an operational need. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), an international HR association based in London, calls managers who have not had formal leadership training "accidental managers."

It gets worse. CIPD also found that these ill-prepared managers are driving employees away—specifically, one in three employees who quit. And 84% of respondents in a study by the Society for Human Resource Management said poorly trained managers create stress and extra work. Might this help explain why less than one-third of U.S. employees feel they are engaged at work?

I believe that a lack of training and preparation for leadership roles is also damaging managers’ mental health—to devastating effect regarding their performance. More than half of managers feel burned out. It’s time for this to change.

5 Key Steps For Change

Clearly, the leadership development industry as a whole needs a shakedown. We must rethink how we approach our work. That imperative has been top-of-mind for both me and my company as we have responded to pandemic-driven changes in the business environment while simultaneously developing our own leadership development platform. Here are five of our key learnings, based on both our own experiences and current research:

1. Mental health comes first.

Even before leadership development, prioritize enhancing your managers’ well-being. No training program can be truly effective if the participants are at their breaking point with stress, fatigue and burnout.

2. Expand access to leadership development.

As Josh Bersin puts it: "Leadership is now everyone’s job. The new employee or first-line manager who’s leading a project to save money or analyze the sales team is now a leader. What education, training and perspectives have you given this person?"

When only a few employees get access to leadership development, your organization misses out on what others could potentially contribute. Even small improvements across a larger number of employees can have a big impact.

3. Increase the relevance of training.

Leadership development is not "one size fits all." You can’t just throw a huge online content library at your employees and expect them to figure out what they need. Instead, look for programs you can customize according to both organizational goals and your employees’ needs.

4. Leverage the power of connection.

Your employees have so much wisdom to share with each other, but mentorship, sponsorship and peer learning are all underutilized tools when it comes to leadership development. As a bonus, such programs also strengthen connections that may have frayed during the shift to hybrid work.

5. Build learning into every day.

Most of us have had the experience of going to a development workshop or event, learning things we’re excited about—but then never putting that knowledge into action. Studies have found that if we don’t apply what we’ve learned within a day or two, then we’ll forget most of it. It’s more effective to take even a little time every day to learn and then start trying out that new knowledge right away.

Final Thoughts

I’ll end with a call to action. Think about the current state of leadership at your own organization. What’s happening with your leadership development programs? And how effective are your managers and leaders?

Now, more than ever, companies must invest wisely in their leaders and empower them to drive meaningful change in the ever-evolving business landscape. The future depends on it.

This article originally appeared on Forbes.com. To read more of my contributions to Forbes Coaches Council, click here.