How To Make Training Stick (and Not Suck!) with Sara Berry

“I think anything can be training. Anything can be a learning moment.”

In this episode of Inside the Process, hosts Mallory and Shawn are joined by Sara Berry, founder of Out of the Office Learning. With extensive experience across training programs for companies like Nielsen, AT&T, Comcast, and more, Sara shares her insights on how to make workplace learning both effective and fun.

Sara discusses the challenges many businesses face when it comes to employee engagement in training and how traditional, boring training methods are no longer effective in today’s fast-paced, media-heavy world. Instead, Sara advocates for creating engaging learning experiences through humor, collaboration, and breaking down complex subjects into digestible, memorable content. By making learning an integral part of daily work and embracing flexibility, organizations can foster more innovative and adaptable teams.

Key Takeaways:

• Incorporate learning into daily tasks and interactions to make it a seamless part of the workday. This creates an ongoing learning culture, rather than relying on one-time training events.
• Add humor, storytelling, and interactive elements to keep employees engaged during training. Fun and relatable content makes learning more memorable and enjoyable.
• Break complex topics into small, focused lessons that employees can easily absorb and apply. Short bursts of information help improve retention and save time.
• Promote knowledge-sharing by encouraging employees to teach and learn from one another. Peer-to-peer learning fosters collaboration and strengthens team dynamics.
• Customize training to fit different learning styles and generational preferences. Use a variety of formats like videos, podcasts, and user-generated content to meet diverse needs.

Chapter Markers:

[03:34] The common disengagement seen in traditional training sessions and the need for more engaging and enjoyable learning experiences.

[08:55] The importance of measuring the return on investment (ROI) in training and the need for effective communication between learning professionals and business leaders.

[19:37] Using technology, such as videos and memes, to enhance the learning experience and make it more relatable.

[28:46] How training doesn't need to be perfect to be effective, advocating for a more flexible approach.

[39:51] How short, engaging content on social media can serve as effective teaching moments.

[46:02] Understanding and catering to the diverse learning preferences within a team is a key to successful training.

[52:31] The pursuit of lifelong learning and personal development in enjoyable and accessible ways.

Resources:

Want more resources from this episode? We’ve got an episode recap, replay and every template, process, and resource we covered right here: https://hubs.li/Q02C6rhq0

Got a taste and hungry for more? Join us at Playbook 2024 for three days of game-changing strategies, hands-on workshops, and real-time wins that'll supercharge your business. Get your tickets now!

Trainual

Inside The Process provides solutions for every aspect of the business — from process headaches and system improvement to self-management and leveling up as a leader.

Mallory Glessner and Shawn Jensen sit down with some of the brightest business minds and unpack their specialized insights to help you improve and level up the work you’re doing.

This is one of a few podcasts from Trainual, a software platform that helps businesses build playbooks to train and grow their team. You can check out the rest of our shows here: https://trainual.com/category/podcasts