All organizations at one point or another require their employees to take mandatory compliance training courses. However, the more I think about these mandatory courses, the more I come to believe that they do not achieve their desired goal, which is changing people’s behaviors and attitudes towards something. Furthermore, most compliance training takers consider these courses a burden as they take time out of their daily duties. As a result, not only do these mandatory courses not teach, but they also end up being a waste of the money for organizations.
In addition, to ensuring ethical business practices in the organization and to complying with the law, mandatory training is responsible for ensuring a better workplace culture. Therefore, when instructional designers are tasked with the design and development of a mandatory training course, they should use all their creativity to ensure a successful outcome.
How can compliance training be interesting and fun? To accomplish that, instructional designers should add scenarios and meaningful interactive portions to their courses. By emerging themselves in real-life situations and simulations, learners will effectively transfer knowledge to the workplace. When designing mandatory training, stay away from a linear presentation. Consider adding interesting videos of relevant tasks being performed on the job and consider debriefing them at the end of the video or presentation. Also, try adding simulations and games that allow learners to practice what they have learned through self-discovery.
Most, if not all employees, have a very negative reaction towards the word mandatory, primarily because they know that mandatory training is typically boring, and also because they believe that it is a waste of time that could be spent on more important items on the agenda such as client meetings.
Remember, people would be much more willing to take mandatory training courses if they clearly see value in them, and can understand the reason why they are taking the course.
One way to do this is to tie the objectives of the mandatory training to performance goals.
In summary, by making courses mandatory, organizations will not make people learn or force them to change their behavior or attitude. To achieve the real goal of compliance training, courses must be made interesting and engaging by adding a variety of interactive elements and eliminating boring power point slides.
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