Sir Lennington's Rules Of Etiquette For Online Learners
Let it be clarified that this handbook (which is available for download) outlines two separate sets of etiquette – one for those who practice learning and development as a profession and another for those for whom assignments of learning have been set forth. Both sections may be read in their entirety or taken in smaller doses, absorbing perhaps only a rule or two a day, if one wishes to modestly practice a single manner before advancing to another. Certainly, it is expected that you return to restudy these rules repeatedly, as it will take some allotment of time before you have committed each to memory and have fully incorporated them into your daily disposition and deportment.
Yours in courtesy,
Sir Lennington
Etiquette For Learners In The Polite Society Of A Business
1. Mind What’s Mandatory
Dearest learner, we must make time for what has been assigned and we must trust in the greater cause of our learning culture. At times you may feel strained to complete courses that have been put in your path and marked as required; however, the learning and development experts in your organization do know what is best for you, as you develop both professionally and personally. Do keep an open mind and embark on courses with an attitude of acceptance that learning is meant to help not hinder. You may even be surprised by courses you initially disregarded, as some training will expand our understanding of a subject or deepen our skillsets in ways that we did not expect. It is most polite to persist in completing our learning paths with a gracious demeanor and a respect for those who have toiled to create the content and materials.
2. Game Heartily but Humbly
The thrill of sport excites and energizes even the most subdued among us! It is the mode of the day (and quite stylish indeed) for learning management systems now to include gamification features that promote gentile competition among teams and individuals. How delightful! We may strike a score upon the leaderboard or earn a badge or certification, as we display to colleagues our expertise and command over particular subject matters. Let it be said that as we relish and rejoice in these feats of ability, we shall not allow our thoughts to distort into delusions of grandeur or other grotesque expressions of superiority. We shall game heartily but never indulge in vanity, thus remaining humble in even our most cherished moments of victory.
3. Move with Mobility and Grace
Lest we be stationed at an immovable desk for the duration of the day, one is encouraged to move about freely as one performs one’s daily duties. It is a pleasure indeed to venture outdoors or to a neighborhood café or to other communal places that suit your fancy, as you complete your work tasks throughout the course of a day. The very best learning management systems easily transport to mobility, so that one can complete training assignments from a location other than the formal office. It is a joy that we can gracefully transverse geographies even beyond our closest localities, taking the opportunity to travel and explore, while remaining true to our professional obligations.
4. Consume in Modest Quantities
We must keep our appetites in check! It is most unbecoming to indulge in overconsumption of content of any kind but thank the mighty heavens that we are not challenged as such to consume large servings of learning content! It is truly out of fashion to do so or expect as much of colleagues. Microlearning is much more a la mode and suitable to today’s savvy learners looking to accomplish the most in the least amount of time. Shorter courses and modules make ideal sense for busy professionals and lend themselves very well to repeated viewing, for greater retention of skills and information.
5. Comply with Utmost Courtesy
Ah, compliance. It is a foundational element in any corporate training program, but often one that is not embraced by learners due to its rather dry, perhaps uninteresting content. However, the most prosperous companies are elevating earlier standards by creating attractive, video-based content and even adding gamification to compliance courses to increase learner involvement and stimulation. As a learner, it is most elegant to meet your compliance requirements swiftly, no matter the quality of your company’s content. While some people do enjoy consuming compliance content, it is your responsibility to comply courteously if you are not among this class of people. Remember, you are serving the greater good of your organization and being a fine corporate citizen is among your most dignified callings.
6. Confer a Cheery Disposition
Many members of urbane society have grown accustomed to being visible via a video camera for meetings, courses, and conferences. Sir Lennington raises a rousing cheers to how well many have adjusted to becoming on-camera aficionados, mastering the finer skills of facial enhancement, custom backgrounds, and streamlined sound. But alas, some still struggle with proper muting (an epidemic!) and a share of the population has suffered a snafu regarding improper dress, uncouth cameos by roving pets and family members, and stars forbid, forays into the powder room or other unpleasantness. As we evolve to better ourselves in the ways of web conferencing, let us begin by practicing our most cordial expressions of face and word. We need not witness another wayward eyeroll by one who has not perfected the ceremony of convening before a live camera.
7. Sensibly Share Opinions
Today’s learning management systems extend themselves beautifully to the collection of feedback and opinion. Whether issuing a five-star review of a recent course or crafting an appreciative note to an instructor, it is a great gift for learners to be able to share thoughts and insights that ultimately help learning and development professionals improve the quality of their offerings. It is encouraged to actively provide reasonable, respectable feedback and to expect responses or changes based on that input. Sir Lennington reminds all learners to be kind, however, even in extending constructive criticism of a course or facilitator. Let us not forget that feelings are delicate, and words can harm even when wrapped in the best of intentions.
8. Graciously Accept Assessment by Others
The wondrous invention of Video Assessment has emerged in sophisticated circles as an immensely attractive mode of learning. What a captivating approach to showing one’s abilities! You simply film yourself performing a required work task and then transfer the video into your learning management system, where an artificial intelligence screening will take place as well as a viewing by your superior, after which you will receive feedback on how to improve at the recorded task. We must accept both machine and human observations as useful, even if challenging, and shall not exhibit the vulgarity of claiming to know more than others or the pomposity of not discovering ample room to improve at any undertaking.
9. Aim for Exceptional Aptitudes
As we engage in continuous learning in our respective corporate cultures, it is essential to strive for excellence in our chosen professions and in our designated skillsets. This is indeed a career-long endeavor, one that can be shaped and reshaped over time, as we determine the direction of our interests and involvements, and as we set forth to follow new goals as they emerge. In many ways, our aptitudes define our personage, so let us be careful and deliberate in defining our capabilities that they may match the higher expectations we uphold for ourselves. Our most illustrious aspirations will light the way for new training as we request it from the powers that be. It is highly unlikely and unusual that you would be held back in pursuing new goals, and most often it is quite the opposite – your leaders and your peers will respect your commitment to ongoing growth and development.
10. Develop Pleasing Traits of Character
As described above, it is fair and respectable to enrich one’s professional abilities within a prescribed job function. Let us note here that it is equally honorable to enhance one’s personal capabilities in the areas oft described as “soft skills.” These skills meet a range of abilities including active listening, communicating, critical thinking, creativity, empathy, and others. These pleasing traits of character should be cultivated, and a clear conscience preserved as one improves in the most refined areas of human interaction. It would be considered lowbrow, if not outright plebian, to maintain high professional skills without the personal skills to accompany and support their carriage. Sir Lennington recommends an equal amount of character-improving courses as a balance to purely professional lessons in the area of a job function.
Conclusion
If you'd like to partake of more words of wisdom, courtesy of the leading authority in eLearning design, download the eBook Sir Lennington's Handbook Of L&D Etiquette & Manners post-haste.
