The Art Of Grabbing Compliance Learners’ Attention
Remember the last adventure movie you watched? We’re pretty confident that the first two minutes involved all-out action, with rapid-fire camerawork that seemed to make the action even more frantic. Why did the director do this? Because it set up expectations on your part that the remainder of the movie would be equally rewarding and action-packed. It’s the oldest trick in the book: get people’s attention as quickly as you can, if you want them to listen to you.
At Interactive Services we specialize in developing compliance learning programs that engage from the first minute – maximizing the likelihood of getting across your key messages. This is important in any learning program – but particularly in cases where the core content is relatively mundane. In training that’s centered on legislation, compliance or policy, for example, the learner may sometimes be tempted to see the program as a box ticking exercise.
Here are 3 key tips to ensure your audience is fully focused throughout the training program.
- Make it Interactive.
Whether in a classroom or eLearning, simply reading or presenting content can fail to grab your learners’ attention. Instead, try to get learners to engage with the content. Make sure that the interaction is meaningful and related to their job in some way and that reflects their role. And rather than giving them a list of bullets to click on in an eLearning course, put the learners in a role play where they are asked to react to a situation and state what they would do next. For example, in your Anti-Money Laundering course, ask the learners to help identify the red flags in a transaction that could indicate money-laundering. Test to see if the learners can do the right thing in the right way, and report the situation appropriately. - Focus on Key Points.
Companies can be tempted to put everything into the course content – especially when it relates to legislation. It’s understandable. They’re worried that they won’t be covered if someone hasn’t been trained on every aspect of the legislation. But to hold learners’ attention, it's much more impactful to cover the critical points – and show them how to find the detail they need. Focus ruthlessly on what they need to know, what they have to do differently, and what they need to do right now. The emphasis should be on getting someone to do something differently – not simply acknowledge they’ve read something. For example, you can ask a learner to read a policy, but you can’t expect them to remember every word. In your Anti-Money Laundering course, present the learner with a question about dealing with a customer who cannot provide appropriate identification documentation. The question should be hard enough that the learner is forced to open the policy document and find the right answer. That way, you teach the behavior of referring to the policy when in doubt. - Keep it Visual.
A picture is worth a thousand words – particularly when it comes to learning. But it's not a matter of using ANY picture – you need to look for images that are truly inspirational. If you're running an AML legislative training course, a typical image that is often used is of a washing line with money pegged to it. But if this image has been seen many times before, then the learner will feel that “there’s nothing new going on here”. In the age of Instagram, where anyone is capable of taking really great pictures, make sure you invest enough time in getting your pictorial element correct. Use imagery that makes the audience sit up and take notice. For example, avoid the clichés and pick images that resonate. Money laundering impacts individuals, companies and communities. Images that reflect this –an employee being fired, a negative newspaper headline, a community suffering high crime– will show your learners that AML is a vital part of their role.
