Repurpose To Reinforce: 5 Continuous Learning Resources You Can Create From Existing Assets

Continuous Learning Resources For Businesses
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Summary: Repetition can be annoying, but it’s also the best way to remember things. How can you repurpose existing corporate content as a continuous training tool?

5 Continuous Learning Resources For Corporate Training

Babies acquire language organically. They watch and listen to “verbal” friends and family. This type of immersion is still considered the best way to learn a language. (Though it gets tougher as we get older.) At the core of these learning experiences is repetition. And this principle applies throughout the rest of our lives. Habits and little tidbits of information tend to slip away if they aren’t regularly refreshed. Can you use these forms of reinforcement to train your team and improve knowledge retention? More importantly, is there a way to repurpose what you already have to cut costs and facilitate continuous learning?

eBook Release: Continuous Learning In The Workplace: How To Harness The Power Of An LMS For Your Teams
eBook Release
Continuous Learning In The Workplace: How To Harness The Power Of An LMS For Your Teams
Our guide can help you choose the best system for your team to foster continuous learning in the workplace!

1. JIT Tutorials

Was there a moment in your life when you were faced with a seemingly basic conundrum like how to get a ketchup stain off your tie? Or get a baby-proof jar open? You probably Googled it and found a conveniently time-stamped YouTube video lined up to the most helpful section. You didn’t even have to watch the whole video, yay! Offer your staff this type of assistance. It could be a snippet from a three-hour lecture—just the part where your consultant summarizes his top three guaranteed closing tips. Or the part in your “dialect for dummies” refresher where the translator explains how to decipher public transport schedules. Or the portion of the virtual office tour that mentions your closest fire exit. You can also transform it into a bite-sized podcast for on-the-go listening, as well as an infographic that quickly outlines the process and includes pictures of every step.

2. Video Clip Demos

Some workplace lessons are pretty direct, which can make it harder to ask how to do them. It could be as basic as resolving a paper jam or raising the barrier at the parking structure. These are things you may feel dumb asking about. But they’re also things you could be stuck for hours figuring out on your own. For such lessons, a quick video clip is helpful. It doesn’t have to be complicated; it’s literally a ten-second video shot on a smartphone. You don’t have to find new tools or equipment—just use your phone and upload it to the central training portal. Or you can take snippets from outdated promo videos and use a rapid authoring tool to give them new life. Gamify the process by inviting staff to identify little tasks they (and their colleagues) struggle with. They can make these mini-films, upload them to the continual learning LMS, and be upvoted by relevance.

3. Quotable Quotes

You probably have hours’ worth of video, audio, chat, and email content. There’s a lot of wisdom in the middle of that chaff, but it can be hard to parse it. Once in a while, it helps to do an algorithmic search through all that raw data. You’re essentially panning for nuggets. Assign someone to the task or make it a rotational duty. You’re seeking wise quotes and pithy tidbits. It could be a smart phrase or a memorable analogy. These “quotable quotes” can be fished out via customized AI and used as continual learning resources. For example, you could rifle through office data. Curate a list of “effective ways to start an email/sales call/speech.” Or you could disseminate the quotes as “daily inspiration” that gets texted to all staff members. You might even cut out relevant paragraphs and craft them into a mini-module on a given topic, e.g. how to respond to tough press questions.

4. USP Aids

Customer-facing collateral and partner promotions present a different side of your organization. Instead of talking about what matters to you (as a business), you focus on what you can do for them. Less mission-and-vision and more translation for your target’s organizational purpose. You’ll even tweak your values to better align with theirs. These materials are sales and PR gold. They help you position your products or services from a more customer-centric or investor-friendly perspective. Use these documents as a basis for product/service knowledge simulations. They’ll help you spot and talk up the elements of your organization (and products) that put you in the best light. They’ll also teach you how to showcase the brand to various audiences.

5. Soft Skill Shortcuts

Think of a famous person, especially one with a distinct way of speaking. Now Google their backstory. You’ll notice they had to consciously acquire their speech patterns. Many orators offer anecdotes of learning to talk more slowly, with pauses, in a softer, lower timbre. These cues often extend into how they sit, walk, stand, or use specific gestures. All these are nonverbal power tools. Apply them to continuous training programs by recording keynote speakers at events, pressers, for-media interviews, or even TED talks. Have trainees review them with an emphasis on EQ. They could take a toast-masters class…or watch your annotated collection of winners’ speeches. Then they can bring the lesson closer home, watching how the boss responds to journalists.

Conclusion

In today’s world, pretty much anything can be recycled, from movie reboots to corporate promotional content. How can you apply the latter for effective continuous learning? Use existing assets to populate your JIT library. Scour promotional materials for “potentially viral quotes.” Collate clips that teach stage presence, interview tips, and confidence cues. Finally, sift through marketing content to glean insights on partner and customer perspectives. Share these with your team to facilitate continual learning and bridge newly formed gaps.

The continual learning process begins with a needs analysis and the best LMS for your organization. But how do you choose a platform that aligns with your objectives? Use our online directory to find the ideal system in your price range. You can even filter results by features, pricing model, spec support, and use case, as well as read reviews to weigh the pros and cons.

Download our eBook Continuous Learning In The Workplace: How To Harness The Power Of An LMS For Your Teams to extend training beyond employee orientation.