Let's Dive Deeper Into Intuitive Storytelling!
Compliance training is often viewed as a box-ticking exercise that fails to inspire or engage learners. However, if we think like film scriptwriters, we can use storytelling techniques to create training that is more compelling, memorable, and impactful. Films typically have a limited number of stories that are told repeatedly, yet it is the way these stories are told that keeps audiences coming back for more. By drawing on core scriptwriting techniques, learning designers can create compliance training that is more effective and resonates with learners.
The Four Elements Of Scriptwriting
Scriptwriting is a complex art form that is built on four core elements: a clear journey, identifiable characters, strong emotions, and rewards. In this article, we'll explore each of these elements and explain how they can be incorporated into compliance training to make it more engaging and effective.
1. A Clear Journey
A good story always has a clear journey or narrative arc. This provides a sense of direction and purpose, drawing the audience in and keeping them engaged. The same is true of compliance training. By creating a clear journey, we can help learners to understand the purpose of the training and what they will gain from it.
The journey should have a clear beginning, middle, and end, with each stage building on the previous one. This could involve introducing the topic, providing examples, and demonstrating how the learning can be applied in practice. By providing a sense of progression, learners will be more likely to stay engaged and motivated.
Another important aspect of creating a compelling story is to have a clear structure. Just like in a movie, the structure of the story can make all the difference in how engaged the audience will be. For compliance training, a typical structure would be to present a scenario where the employees are faced with a difficult situation that requires them to make a decision. This is where the training comes in, to educate the employees on the right decision to make in that scenario.
The scenario could be presented in the form of a video or interactive simulation where the employees have to make choices along the way. By placing the employees in the shoes of the protagonist in the story, they will be more invested in the outcome and will have a better understanding of the consequences of their actions.
2. Identifiable Characters
Another key aspect of good scriptwriting is to have identifiable characters, even if the audience hates them. In the context of compliance training, the characters could be the employees themselves, or fictional characters that represent the typical scenarios they might encounter. The characters should have distinct personalities, flaws, and motivations that make them relatable to the audience.
One way to create relatable characters is to use humor. In a compliance training module about workplace safety, for example, the protagonist could be a bumbling employee who keeps making mistakes that puts themselves and others in danger. By using humor to highlight the consequences of unsafe behavior, the employees are more likely to remember the lesson and apply it in their own work.
3. Strong Emotions
Great films are highly emotional, and this is where compliance training can take a cue from the world of cinema. By tapping into the audience's emotions, the training can be more engaging and memorable. This is particularly important in compliance training, which is often seen as dry and boring.
One way to create emotional engagement is to use storytelling techniques, such as suspense, surprise, and cliffhangers. For example, a compliance training module about information security could present a scenario where the employees' personal information is hacked and they have to work together to fix the problem. By building suspense and surprise, the training can hold the employees' attention and make the lesson more impactful.
Another way to create emotional engagement is to use real-life examples. Compliance training about workplace safety could use real-life stories of accidents and injuries to illustrate the importance of following safety procedures. By showing the real-world consequences of unsafe behavior, the training can be more emotionally resonant and memorable.
4. Rewards And Payoffs
Finally, great films provide many rewards for the audience. Compliance training can do the same by providing incentives for employees who complete the training or demonstrate mastery of the material. These incentives could be in the form of certificates, badges, or other recognition that the employees can share with their colleagues and supervisors.
Another way to provide rewards and payoffs is to make the training interactive and engaging. Interactive quizzes, games, and simulations can provide instant feedback to the employees and make the training more enjoyable. By making the training fun and rewarding, the employees are more likely to be motivated to learn and apply the material.
Conclusion
Compliance training is often seen as a necessary evil, a box to be checked off to satisfy legal or regulatory requirements. But by thinking like a film scriptwriter, learning designers can make compliance training more engaging and effective. By creating a clear journey, identifiable characters, strong emotions, and rewards and payoffs, compliance training can be transformed from a chore to an opportunity for learning and growth.
To sum up, compliance training should not be seen as a boring or repetitive task that employees are forced to complete. Instead, it should be an engaging and enjoyable experience that provides employees with the knowledge and skills they need to perform their jobs safely and effectively. By applying the principles of good scriptwriting, learning designers can create compliance training that is not only effective but also entertaining.
Good luck and happy learning authoring!
Image Credits:
- All images within the body of the article have been created/supplied by the author.
