Edition One

Subject: Get the MOST Out of eLearning

In this edition:

Welcome to the My SkillSource Community
Congratulations. You're about to embark on an exciting and rewarding eLearning journey. We're pleased that you've chosen Enterprise Training Solutions as your partner, and welcome you to the My SkillSource community, an ever-improving world of resources, solutions and best-in-class course content.

Introducing "MOST"
To build a successful and compelling eLearning program, you need the right tools, but where do you find them? Look no further.

You're reading the first edition of MOST -- My SkillSource Online Support Toolbox. During the next year, you'll receive regular, informative email messages designed to help you and your organization optimize your use of My SkillSource.

Upcoming editions of MOST will explore how to:

• Successfully administer My SkillSource
• Educate and motivate employees
• Promote eLearning within your organization
• Evaluate your program, and other topics

If you can't find the information you're looking for, help is always an email or phone call away.

Setting eLearning Program Goals and Milestones
"If you build it, they will come."

While Kevin Costner and his Field of Dreams team probably won't be among your user group, the message is clear: envision your eLearning program at its most active and productive state, and build towards that vision.

Commit to the expectations you have for yourself, your students and for the impact of the eLearning program overall. A clearly defined plan will help focus your efforts, guide your decisions, and allow you to accurately measure the influence My SkillSource has on your organization. Down the road, a review of the goals and milestones that you articulate now will enable you to evaluate the return on investment at the end of the year.

While each organization's needs are different, use the following sample objectives and strategic goals to help get you started developing your plan:

Objectives

• Complete kick-off events and other program launch activities within 21 days
• Activate all My SkillSource user subscriptions within 60 days
• Ensure that half of the students have completed at least two lessons or courses within 90 days
• Achieve 70% usage rate within 6 months

Strategic Goals

• Enlist firm support of executive and line managers for eLearning program prior to program launch
• Obtain commitment from managers to permit training at desktops a minimum of four hours per month prior to program launch
• Educate help desk personnel and trainers in the week(s) prior to kick-off
   

Five Fundamental Steps to eLearning Success
Common sense dictates that students who understand the flexibility and job-related benefits of eLearning will be the most enthusiastic participants. To engage members of your organization, and help create a strong foundation for the new training resource, focus on these five fundamental areas:

1. Create a Program Identity
Every organization has a distinct identity, as does your favorite restaurant and sports team. Your eLearning program isn't any different. To promote the new program effectively, brand it, and establish a logo and mission statement.

These tools will help frame all your promotional activity, and give your department focus and an immediate value.

2. Solicit Management Support
The success of a new workplace initiative will depend in large part on the extent to which management backs it up.

Upper Management (executive-level: Commissioner, CEO, CIO, CFO)
Upper management may have signed off on your eLearning strategy and purchase, so you're half way there.

Now, let's make sending an email or memo introducing My SkillSource from your Commissioner, CEO, CIO or CFO a top priority. Line managers, supervisors and employees pay attention to initiatives that are endorsed by upper management. This message will communicate to all employees and supervisors that eLearning plays an important role in the organizational strategy. A well-timed and well-executed kick-off message will add instant credibility and respect for the program. Support may be conveyed in a meeting, in a letter or email.

Many times executive management will want to create this message themselves. Others will welcome one that's already crafted for them, and they can adjust it to suit their personal style and the organization. Here is a Sample Message from CEO, CIO, CFO or Commissioner.

Line Managers and Supervisors
Typically, eLearning users/employees report to line managers and supervisors. Managers and supervisors have a vested interest in how each of their employees spends his/her time. These eLearning gatekeepers must believe in the value of eLearning in order to justify training at the desktop and grant employees time on the job to complete training. It's key to communicate specifically "how" employees will be working with eLearning tools. Will it be to:

• Complete mandated training?
• Support a software conversion?
• Allow for cross training?
• Serve as a virtual helpdesk?
• Provide career/professional development opportunities?
• Or will it be a combination of these applications?

Set managers expectations accurately. Communicate from the start that eLearning is not an all-day event. Meaningful training sessions can be completed in 60 minutes or less. Explain the functions of the training administration tool, and how simple reports can validate that learning has occurred.

We recommend that an introduction to My SkillSource is handled during a meeting. This format gives weight to the subject and allows for questions to be answered directly and efficiently. Use email as an alternative or back-up communication tool. Here is a Sample Message to Management to send your line managers and supervisors prior to your meeting.

3. Organize Orientation Sessions
Organize informal brown-bag lunch seminars or departmental meetings to help build word-of-mouth momentum for My SkillSource. Use this opportunity to provide an introduction and tour of the new eLearning resource.

Here are Tips on How to Organize an Open House.

4. Engage Employees Through email
In addition to hearing from management, launch your eLearning program with a series of enthusiastic and detailed how-to messages directed to employees. In all communications with employees be sure to set expectations correctly; convey that eLearning is a tool to provide training on demand and that this state-of-the-art resource will compliment live instructor-led training (if you offer instructor-led training).
 
View a Sample Message to Users. Also distribute Student Packs to offer quick-start information and a handy My SkillSource navigation guide.

5. Tap into Existing Training Resources 
Draw attention to My SkillSource by leveraging training resources that are already in place.  Ironically, one of the best places to talk-up the benefits of eLearning is during instructor-led classes. Instructors should discuss the benefits of the new resource, and what subjects/courses are available. Also plan to cover how employees access the site and an overview of major features. 

Post My SkillSource promotional materials wherever students sign-up for instructor-led training courses, too. Here's a Sample eLearning Promotional Flyer that you can easily customize. 

When launching and/or updating the program, remember to take advantage of:

• Your organization's newsletter
• Bulletin boards
• Intranet sites

Wait, there’s more.  We've also prepared an  In-depth Guide to eLearning Marketing and Promotion Strategy.

How To Get Trainers and Training Liaisons To Actively Support eLearning
The success of an eLearning program may hinge on the degree to which trainers and support staff accept and embrace it as a tool. Some team members may feel pressure or intimidation as a result of eLearning.  They may think that if it is broadly adopted they will have less value to their organization, or worse, lose their job.  Let’s help them understand why eLearning is right for your organization, how it may help them do their job more effectively and the benefits to the training department at large. 

Trainers and liaisons that understand the reasons behind change are more likely to accept and embrace it. Here's how to turn a perceived threat into a great asset.

We strongly encourage you to include trainers in the eLearning implementation process from the start. This will build trust and their ultimate buy-in. Having all departments well-versed in the My SkillSource resource will enable them to provide students with eLearning orientation sessions in instructor-led classes.

Consider your training staff and department, and ask yourself, “Who’s likely to be an advocate?  Who’s likely to resist?”  Meet one-on-one with your advocates; recruit their active support both in trainer meetings and behind the scenes.  Also meet with those likely to resist the program and address their concerns head on.  If you experience unusual resistance, consider linking support for and adoption of eLearning to trainer performance evaluations.

Hold special meetings with your trainers to discuss the role of eLearning within the organization (this may require multiple sessions over time). Be sure to equip your training staff with copies of the Student Packs so that they can convey My SkillSource benefits, information and how-to's to interested employees.

If your training staff understand the benefits and leverage that eLearning offers your department and the organization, you will have assembled a team of eLearning champions that will be among your most valuable proponents! 

Keep your eye on the prize: Set goals for establishing your eLearning program and have everyone in the training department contribute to meeting these goals.

In Closing
Good luck implementing the first stages of your eLearning program.  My SkillSource is at your disposal and Enterprise Training Solutions is here to help you optimize your investment. No question is too big or too small. For further information, contact Nedda Tichi at 888-887-8244 ext. 14 or email to ntichi@enterprisetraining.com.