4 principles behind a winning learning campaign
To create a culture of learning that transforms behaviour, performance and results, it helps to think of learning as a journey, rather than a one-off event. So, it makes complete sense to construct and implement learning interventions as a campaign.
At a seminar at the 2018 Learning Technologies Exhibition in London, our Head of Innovation, Kate Pasterfield, outlined the four principles behind the triple award-winning Inspiring Customer First campaign with the global insurance giant, AXA.
The year-long campaign to improve customer service for business customers using AXA’s UK contact centre achieved rapid and significant results, with positive customer comments on an independent review site soaring by 113%.
"The key to creating this and any innovative learning campaign", says Kate, "is for organisations to put people at the heart – from customer to learner to leader. And that means flipping conventional thinking on its head."
The 4 principles
1. Experience the learners’ world
To design a successful learning campaign, you must have a real understanding of the challenges learners and their team leaders are experiencing day-to-day.
At AXA, this meant sitting in on live customer calls and hosting a ‘meet the customer’ event to place them top of mind. We also looked at the employees’ working environment to ensure there were no significant ‘barriers’ to learning. Leadership support and having the right tools increases motivation and learning.
2. Uncover skills and knowledge gaps (instead of pushing pre-determined content)
Ask “What skills and knowledge are needed for employees to perform successfully? Where are the gaps? What interventions are needed?”
We worked with AXA experts to facilitate a session on best and worst practice. This enabled us to target the skills and knowledge required to move bad scenarios to good ones.
3. Embrace the long game (ditch the ‘one-and-done’)
Behaviour change takes time. For large scale and sustained change, you need to think of a learning campaign as a game played over time, with a variety of tactics. Success will come after weeks, months or longer with continuous support, practice and reinforcement. The year-long AXA campaign used a blend of approaches and technologies.
4. Real world metrics and opinion (not relying on the lower Kirkpatrick levels)
Look for compelling evidence that behaviours have changed and are impacting results. At AXA, an independent review website was used to measure customer opinions. And a call rating system was used within the business, so improvements could be observed over time.