If we examine why projects struggle, the root cause often boils down to a lack of relationship building or appropriate estimation of effort. These are often the underlying reasons why an eLearning project may be at risk of not meeting its deadline, and sacrificing on quality, ultimately failing to lead to learning outcomes. Here are some tips that address the heart of these problems to create successful eLearning experiences that stick:
1. Recognize The Importance Of Wearing Many Hats
It’s not unusual to have clients excited about a concept they have in mind, but lack understanding of why it may not address the learning need. You now have to show them how another approach will lead to better retention of learning outcomes for their diverse audience. Roll up your sleeves because first you will play psychologist to listen and evaluate what it is they like about their idea that may be incorporated. Next, you’ll switch to your Instructional Design analysis hat to ask questions and determine what intervention will be the best fit. Lastly, you will play consultant as you offer recommendations and examples of how they can attain measurable results. Remember, clients will be more likely to embrace a solution if they see the benefits.
2. Leverage The Power Of Prototyping: Visualization And Accessibility With Purpose Is Key
Clients often come across trends they think they should adopt. However, the discovery process may reveal factors that make these requests unrealistic. These may range from tight deployment deadlines, changing Learning Management Systems, "wow-factor" requests that will not impact learning to an infrastructure that isn’t ready to support the desired technology. For example, limited Wi-Fi access in buildings, regions, or hourly employees who would need devices or dedicated computer access. In these cases, it is helpful to develop prototypes that show how the learning goals are attainable through methods that align with budget, timeline, and technology constraints. The power of prototyping is that it gives the client a choice regarding what is most important to them: the deadline, the quality, or the cost, before it begins to affect the full scope of project development.
3. Realize That Relationship Building Can Make Or Break A Successful Partnership And Project
It’s common practice to have an agreement regarding process and what constitutes an acceptable "revision" at each phase to help projects stay on track. However, the synergy between external partners and internal project teams is also critical as motivated, empowered individuals who feel their contributions are valued will produce a better product. When this synergy falls apart, the blame games start. If you’ve had a successful relationship with another department within the organization or a similar company, invite them to act as champions who can share their positive experiences during, or prior to the onboarding process. Work toward creating a culture where communication and collaboration is encouraged, roles and tasks are clearly defined, concerns are heard, and wins are shared. A positive relationship also assists with the change management process. I’ve seen significant differences in the reception of change request implications. For example, the training may not be delivered on time when the relationship is well-established. Ultimately, a positive working relationship better equips SMEs and clients to prioritize "Nice to have" vs. "Need to have" changes, and recognize when change requests may be out of scope.
4. Be Realistic And Get Buy-In From All Players
I once worked with a Project Manager who assigned roles to complete their tasks in two weeks. Can you see a flaw in this approach? Not all tasks are created equal as some require more time than others. Certain reviewers, such as legal, may need more time to provide their expertise, and it’s never advisable to shorten the timeline for steps like testing to compensate for lost time at the end of the project. A better approach is to track the time it takes to complete each task across your project portfolio. This will not only give you estimates for each task, but show how these estimates may change based on complexity. Using such a benchmark will help you create an accurate project schedule you can put in front of all the players to attain buy-in and block their schedules for task completion.