Learning

Across Nigeria, local governments are being asked to do more — with more control over their budgets, programmes, and direction. Autonomy is no longer theoretical. It’s real. But with it comes a question that many Chairmen are quietly asking:

Do our people have the skills to deliver on our plans?

All over the country, strategies are being written and launched. Yet communities see limited change. The truth is, progress doesn’t depend on documents — it depends on the people who carry them out. And that’s where many councils are struggling.

The Missing Link Is Capacity

What we see again and again — is that the problem isn’t ambition. It’s ability. Execution requires more than good intentions. It requires practical, everyday skills: planning work, managing teams, tracking results, and adjusting as needed.

This is not just a Nigerian reality.

In Ghana, the government launched the District Performance Assessment Tool (DPAT) a performance-linked grant system for district assemblies. Early on, results were mixed. But when the Ministry of Local Government and its partners introduced structured training programmes on budgeting, procurement, and M&E for district officials, performance improved. More districts met their targets and qualified for additional funding.

In Bangladesh, under the Local Governance Support Project, Union Parishads (local councils) were given modest discretionary funds but also trained in participatory planning, financial reporting, and service delivery monitoring. The result? A measurable increase in citizen satisfaction and project completion rates across dozens of rural communities.

In both cases, what changed performance wasn’t just money or mandates. It was skills.

Where the Gaps Show Up

In our work across Nigeria, we’ve observed three consistent skill gaps in local government:

Limited Planning and Execution Ability
Officials often struggle to break plans into tasks, assign roles, and monitor follow-through. Projects drift because no one owns the process.

Weak Data and Tracking Skills
Many councils do not track results consistently. Even where data is collected, it’s rarely analysed or used to guide decisions.

Poor Communication and Collaboration
Silos, poor reporting, and unclear team roles slow things down. Many officers haven’t been trained in the basic soft skills required to work across departments.

How We Support Councils to Build Capability

At H. Pierson, our Learning Schools are built around the real challenges that Nigerian LGAs face. We help councils build skill, not just awareness with practical, hands-on programmes that reflect their level of maturity.

Strategy Execution School

Focused on converting goals into action: planning timelines, assigning tasks, and tracking delivery.

Leadership & Governance School

Equips Chairmen and department heads with tools for aligning teams, reviewing progress, and setting a culture of performance.

Digital Skills School (Tailored for Low-Tech LGAs)

We train officers to use basic digital tools like Excel, WhatsApp, Google Forms, for data capture, reporting, and internal communication. Nothing complex. Just useful. We can also deliver more advanced knowledge depending on the needs of the Local Government Staff.

Soft Skills School (Designed for Practical Application)

We build interpersonal skills like team communication, conflict resolution, accountability, and clear reporting , all essential for daily delivery.

We combine these with action learning and post-training support helping teams apply their new skills on real assignments and measure results over time.

Why This Matters Now

Autonomy only works when backed by capability. If your team doesn’t know how to execute, autonomy won’t lead to impact, only more frustration. But when people are trained and supported, the results speak for themselves: faster projects, better reporting, fewer excuses.

Final Thought

Chairman, your leadership sets the tone but it’s your team that drives the results. When they grow in capability, the council grows in credibility.

And that’s the shift we need: not more plans, but more people who know how to carry them out confidently, competently, and consistently.

In today’s governance environment—marked by increased citizen awareness, digital transparency, and economic uncertainty—trust has become one of the most valuable currencies a public institution can hold. But trust is not simply granted; it is earned, consistently, through the deliberate application of ethical leadership.

Unfortunately, across many tiers of government, ethics often takes a back seat to policy urgency and political expediency. The result is a growing deficit of public confidence, with citizens disengaged, development partners wary, and internal accountability structures weakened. From contract awarding and procurement processes to service delivery and citizen engagement, ethical lapses silently erode the effectiveness of government actions, no matter how well-intended.

To reverse this trend, ethical governance must be more than an aspirational value—it must be a practical, strategic focus embedded into institutional culture. This requires more than just codes of conduct. It demands capacity-building programs that help public servants understand not only what is expected of them, but why integrity-driven leadership is key to sustainable progress. Ethics training must be scenario-based, contextualized, and aligned with the realities of everyday government work.

Moreover, systems must be re-engineered to reinforce ethical choices, from clear escalation mechanisms and whistleblower protections to the automation of sensitive processes that reduce discretionary abuse.

As government leaders face growing pressure to show impact and legitimacy, ethical governance is emerging not just as a compliance issue but as a leadership imperative. When institutions operate transparently and with integrity, public trust follows—and with it, the political and social capital needed to drive meaningful reform.

H. Pierson’s Ethical Governance solutions support government leaders in building cultures that uphold public trust, because leadership without integrity is a risk no nation can afford.

Across Africa—and particularly in Nigeria—the past year has underscored a single, uncomfortable truth: governance without capacity is a broken promise. From the ripple effects of subsidy removal and currency reform, to rising inflation, youth unemployment, and deepening public trust deficits, leaders at all levels are being challenged not only to design better policies—but to deliver them with competence, clarity, and compassion. Add to that the pressures of digital transformation, climate-driven migration, security concerns, and international trade shifts, and it becomes clear: this is a defining moment for the African public sector. But while policy is shaped in documents, impact is shaped in people.

The Silent Challenge: Leadership and Institutional Readiness

Often, the loudest reforms fail not for lack of vision, but due to execution gaps:

-Weak financial controls at the subnational level -Misaligned local development efforts -Ineffective engagement with citizens

-Limited capacity to monitor digital transformation

-Ethical lapses that erode public confidence

In the background of every major reform or geopolitical shift lies a crucial question: are public servants equipped to carry the weight of national change?

The Opportunity: A Different Kind of Investment

Nation-building doesn’t just happen in parliaments—it happens in meeting rooms, classrooms, and council chambers, where government officials make thousands of small decisions that shape lives.

To ensure those decisions reflect vision, resilience, and strategy, there must be ongoing investment in capacity building—not just for technical skills, but for leadership, ethics, digital literacy, public finance, and stakeholder engagement.

This is not about ticking boxes. It’s about building a public sector that can hold the line under pressure, adapt quickly, and lead with credibility.

As Africa stands at the intersection of reform and renaissance, the quality of our governance will determine whether our institutions can deliver stability, inclusion, and sustainable growth.

Capacity must come before complexity.

It’s not only the right thing to do; it may be the most strategic investment of our time. Are you interested in exploring public sector leadership, financial accountability, or governance readiness? Let’s have a conversation.

learningsolutions@hpierson.com

Oct 10 – Canada’s TD Bank (TD.TO), agreed to pay a combined $3 billion in penalties on Thursday as part of a settlement with U.S. authorities over charges it failed to monitor and prevent money laundering.

The issue highlights a recurring challenge in the financial industry. Intermediaries like banks are required to prevent the flow of funds for illicit activities, but in some cases, they have failed to detect crimes because of inadequate compliance systems or huge transaction volumes.

Here is an overview of some of the largest penalties imposed by U.S. regulators to resolve money laundering probes in the last decade:

BINANCE:

Binance chief Changpeng Zhao stepped down in November 2023 and pled guilty to breaking U.S. anti-money laundering laws as part of a $4.3 billion settlement resolving a years-long probe into the world’s largest crypto exchange.

DANSKE BANK (DANSKE.CO)

Denmark’s Danske Bank (DANSKE.CO), opens new tab agreed to pay more than $2 billion in January 2023 to end probes into anti-money laundering failures as part of a guilty plea. The payout was divided between the U.S. government and Danish authorities.

SOCIETE GENERALE (SOGN.PA),

France’s Societe Generale committed to pay $1.4 billion in 2018 to settle investigations into its handling of dollar transactions in violation of U.S. sanctions against Cuba and other countries, and a separate dispute over anti-money laundering regulations.

GOLDMAN SACHS (GS.N)

Goldman Sachs agreed to pay $2.9 billion over its role in Malaysia’s 1MDB corruption scandal in 2020. The settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and other U.S. and overseas regulators resolved a probe into the role its bankers played in helping steal cash from the Malaysian state fund, which Goldman helped raise.

STANDARD CHARTERED (STAN.L)

Standard Chartered settled on paying $1.1 billion to U.S. and British authorities in 2019 for conducting illegal financial transactions that violated sanctions against Iran and other countries.

The bank also paid U.S. authorities $667 million in 2012 for illegally moving millions of dollars through the U.S. financial system on behalf of customers in Iran, Sudan, Libya and Myanmar.

DEUTSCHE BANK (DBKGn.DE),

Deutsche Bank agreed to pay $630 million in fines to U.S. and UK regulators in 2017, for failing to prevent around $10 billion in suspicious trades being laundered out of Russia.

COMMERZBANK (CBKG.DE),

Commerzbank agreed to pay U.S. authorities $1.45 billion in 2015 to resolve an investigation of its dealings with Iran and other sanctioned countries as well as a separate probe of its money laundering controls.

Source: Reuters.com

It comes with encouraging news and a note of caution: Overall dollar losses are down $9 billion from the previous study year, but two decades of studying identity fraud show that the ups and downs require financial services providers and consumers’ ongoing vigilance to protect personally identifiable information.

The report sponsors share Javelin’s commitment to fraud prevention and education. Sponsors are AARP, Equifax, and FIS at the platinum level; TransUnion at the gold level; and BioCatch at the silver level. Javelin maintains independence in its data collection, analysis, and reporting.

The downward movement of the loss figures is a testament to the relentless efforts of the financial services industry to keep criminals at bay. However, criminals continually adjust their tactics, so much work remains to dramatically reduce the impact of identity fraud across the industry.

“Describing the current state of identity fraud trends as the butterfly effect is fitting,” said John Buzzard, Javelin’s lead fraud and security analyst and the report’s author. “Even minor occurrences can set off a chain reaction that has a significant impact on the daily lives and habits of identity fraud victims who may also be feeling ambivalent in the wake of a handful of recent bank failures such as Silicon Valley Bank.”

Highlights From This Year’s Report:

Total identity fraud losses were $43 billion. That’s down from $52 billion the year before, a decline of 17%.
Identity fraud scams victimized fewer people. Javelin credits this to consumer outreach by financial services and consumer advocacy groups, and stronger fraud prevention tactics at banks and credit unions. The decline in number of victims was 2 million, even as significant challenges persist in the overall battle against identity fraud and scams.
Identity fraud has a disproportionately severe impact on non-white households. Exposure to data breaches affects 27% of Hispanic households and 26% of Black households—a considerable difference from White households—and the gap widens when compared with Asian households. The report describes the heavy toll identity fraud exacts on its victims, explores several contributing factors, and provides recommendations based on these findings.
Significant reduction in new-account fraud. This is an indication that financial service providers are focusing more intently on identity and authentication practices through the use of fraud detection technology.

This year, for the first time, the report gathered victim impact statements, putting a human face to crimes that often shatter confidence, shred credit, and harm long-term financial well-being.

“It’s devastating to read impact statements from identity fraud victims, especially people who say things like, ‘After my identity fraud experience, my accounts were overdrawn, and I couldn’t pay my utility bills or buy food,’” added Buzzard.

This year’s report includes a 20th-anniversary retrospective that illustrates how technical innovations, societal changes, and economic indicators have influenced the past two decades of identity fraud activity and Javelin’s subsequent research.

The Growing Imperative for Robust Compliance

Financial crimes, identity fraud, and money laundering are escalating at an unprecedented rate, threatening the integrity of global financial systems. With over $10 billion in AML-related fines imposed annually and identity fraud losses exceeding $52 billion globally, financial institutions, fintech companies, and corporate entities must adopt stringent compliance frameworks. Regulators worldwide continue to tighten KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) requirements, making governance and risk management an essential board-level priority.

Understanding KYC/AML and Digital Identity Verification

KYC and AML compliance involve rigorous processes to verify customer identities, assess risks, and monitor transactions to prevent financial crimes. Digital identity verification further enhances these efforts by leveraging AI, biometrics, and blockchain technology to authenticate identities in real time, reducing fraud and improving compliance efficiency.

Key Components of Effective KYC/AML Compliance:

Customer Due Diligence (CDD) & Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD): Ensuring thorough vetting of clients to detect suspicious activities.

Transaction Monitoring: Identifying anomalies and red flags that could indicate illicit transactions.

Sanctions & PEP Screening: Screening individuals and entities against regulatory watchlists.

Reporting & Record-Keeping: Ensuring compliance with legal requirements for documentation and reporting.

The Rising Cost of Non-Compliance

Failing to adhere to regulatory mandates has severe consequences, including:

Heavy Financial Penalties: Institutions collectively paid over $5 billion in AML-related fines in 2023 alone.

Reputational Damage: High-profile compliance failures erode stakeholder trust and investor confidence.

Legal & Regulatory Consequences: Non-compliance can lead to business restrictions, loss of licenses, and even criminal prosecution.

How Board Members & Executives Can Strengthen Compliance

Given the increasing regulatory expectations, board members and executives must:

Ensure their organizations implement comprehensive AML policies and risk-based frameworks.

Oversee the adoption of digital identity verification tools to enhance fraud detection.

Stay informed about evolving compliance regulations and emerging risks.

Foster a culture of compliance through continuous training and organizational awareness.

Here are high-impact corporate Learning & Development (L&D) initiatives to consider for 2025:

Digital Transformation

1. AI-powered learning platforms
2. Virtual and augmented reality training
3. Digital literacy programs
4. Data science and analytics training
5. Cybersecurity awareness and training

Soft Skills Development

1. Emotional intelligence and empathy training
2. Leadership development programs
3. Communication and collaboration skills
4. Time management and productivity training
5. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) workshops

Future-Ready Skills

1. Upskilling and reskilling programs
2. Emerging tech training (e.g., blockchain, cloud computing)
3. Creative problem-solving and design thinking
4. Adaptability and resilience training
5. Entrepreneurial mindset development

Personalized Learning

1. Learning pathways and career development plans
2. Microlearning and bite-sized content
3. Mobile learning and just-in-time training
4. Adaptive learning technologies
5. Social learning platforms

Leadership Development

1. Executive coaching and mentoring
2. Leadership succession planning
3. Strategic thinking and decision-making training
4. Innovation and entrepreneurship programs
5. Diversity and inclusion leadership development

Well-being and Engagement

1. Mental health and wellness programs
2. Employee engagement and motivation strategies
3. Work-life balance and flexibility training
4. Team building and collaboration initiatives
5. Recognition and rewards programs

Measurement and Evaluation

1. Learning analytics and metrics
2. ROI measurement and evaluation
3. Feedback and assessment tools
4. Surveys and pulse checks
5. Learning impact studies

Partnerships and Collaborations

1. Industry partnerships and collaborations
2. Academic partnerships and research
3. Professional association memberships
4. Mentorship programs
5. Community outreach and development initiatives

L & D Strategy

1. Develop a comprehensive L&D strategy
2. Align L&D with business objectives
3. Establish a learning culture
4. Foster a growth mindset
5. Continuously evaluate and improve L&D initiatives

Additional suggestions:

– Conduct a skills gap analysis
– Develop a learning technology roadmap
– Create a learning advisory board
– Implement a knowledge management system
– Foster a culture of continuous learning

Workplace productivity can be greatly influenced by the level of training and development that employees receive. Here are some ways that training and development can impact productivity:

Improves Skills and Knowledge: When employees receive training and development, they acquire new skills and knowledge that can help them perform their jobs more effectively. As they become more skilled, they can work more efficiently and with greater accuracy, leading to increased productivity.

Enhances Motivation: Employees who receive training and development opportunities are more likely to feel valued by their employers, which can increase their motivation to work harder and be more productive. Additionally, employees who are given the opportunity to learn and grow in their jobs are often more engaged and committed to their work.

Increases Confidence: Training and development can increase an employee’s confidence in their abilities, which can lead to a greater sense of empowerment and a willingness to take on new challenges. Confident employees are more likely to take initiative and be proactive, which can lead to increased productivity.

Reduces Errors and Mistakes: When employees receive training and development on best practices and standard operating procedures, they are less likely to make errors and mistakes on the job. This can reduce the need for rework and corrections, leading to increased productivity.

Supports Innovation: Training and development can also foster a culture of innovation within an organization. Employees who are encouraged to think creatively and come up with new ideas are more likely to generate new solutions that can improve efficiency and productivity.

Overall, investing in employee training and development can lead to a more skilled, motivated, and engaged workforce, which can ultimately result in higher productivity levels for an organization.

What’s the Right Workplace?

A decent workplace is one where employees feel respected, supported, and valued, and where they have the resources and tools they need to do their jobs effectively. Here are some signs that you have a decent workplace:

Positive work culture: A decent workplace has a positive work culture where employees feel supported and valued. This can be indicated by open communication, constructive feedback, and a sense of community among colleagues.

Fair compensation and benefits: A decent workplace provides fair compensation and benefits to employees, which can include competitive salaries, health insurance, retirement plans, and other perks.

Opportunities for growth and development: A decent workplace offers opportunities for employees to learn and grow, such as training and development programs, career advancement opportunities, and mentoring.

Work-life balance: A decent workplace recognizes the importance of work-life balance and provides flexibility in terms of work schedules, time off, and other accommodations to help employees balance work and personal responsibilities.

Safe and comfortable work environment: A decent workplace provides a safe and comfortable work environment that is conducive to productivity and well-being. This can include ergonomic workspaces, adequate lighting and ventilation, and a commitment to health and safety protocols.

High employee retention: A decent workplace has high employee retention rates, indicating that employees are satisfied with their jobs and feel motivated to stay with the company over the long term.

In summary, a decent workplace is characterized by a positive work culture, fair compensation and benefits, opportunities for growth and development, work-life balance, a safe and comfortable work environment, and high employee retention rates. By creating a decent workplace, employers can promote productivity, engagement, and well-being among their employees.

How Using Technology Supports Your Workforce

Using technology can provide numerous benefits and support to a workforce. Here are some ways in which technology can support your workforce:

Increased efficiency: Technology can automate and streamline many tasks, freeing up employees to focus on more complex and high-value work. For example, project management software can help employees collaborate on projects, share information, and track progress in real-time.

Improved communication and collaboration: Technology can support better communication and collaboration among team members, regardless of their physical location. Video conferencing tools, collaboration software, and instant messaging platforms can help employees stay connected and work together more effectively.

Enhanced flexibility and remote work: Technology can provide employees with the flexibility to work from anywhere, which can be particularly useful during times of crisis or when there are business disruptions. Cloud-based applications and virtual private networks (VPNs) can allow employees to access work-related data and applications from anywhere.

Access to real-time data: Technology can provide employees with real-time data and insights, allowing them to make better decisions and act more quickly. Business intelligence tools, analytics software, and dashboards can provide employees with access to up-to-date data, which can support better decision-making.

We are all aware of the additional costs involved in getting people back to work and technology can be used very efficiently and cost effectively to support your work force. This can be achieved through basic means, such as email, VC or via an instant messaging app or platform. Some companies may also choose to use project management software which also makes communication more effective.

Improved customer service: Technology can support better customer service by enabling employees to respond to customer inquiries quickly and efficiently. Customer relationship management (CRM) systems, chatbots, and other tools can help employees manage customer interactions more effectively.

Increased job satisfaction: By providing employees with access to the latest technology and tools, employers can improve job satisfaction and engagement. This can lead to increased motivation, productivity, and overall job performance.

So, technology can provide numerous benefits and support to a workforce, including increased efficiency, improved communication and collaboration, enhanced flexibility and remote work, access to real-time data, improved customer service, and increased job satisfaction. By leveraging technology, employers can create a more productive, engaged, and motivated workforce.

Reference: https://www.thehrdirector.com/

AUTHOR: JOSHBERSIN

In today’s skills-based economy, people want to learn faster than ever. More than $200 billion is now spent on various forms of workplace training and the volume of content is massive. There are tens of thousands of videos, courses, articles, and tools dedicated to helping people learn. And more and more of it is designed to be “in the flow of work,” so you can learn where you are, when you have time, and when you need the help.In this mad flurry to put more and more content online (YouTube now has 23 million channels and gathers more than 5 billion views per day), we seem to have left something out. The most powerful and memorable learning actually occurs when we talk with other people.

Take a look at the research done on the Ebbinghouse Forgetting Curve, which essentially shows how quickly we forget what we learn. When you study alone, you typically remember 28% of what you learned after two days. When you repeat the material, you remember 46%.

But when you use it, answer questions about it, and interact with others, you remember 69%. The reason? Actually conceptualizing, recalling, and using information is what creates the “memory pathways” that stick in your mind.

Why do you think we have homework assignments and work in groups in school? Why do teachers give lectures and then ask students questions to discuss in a group? It is a well-known fact that collaborative, cohort-based learning is the most valuable, useful, and memorable way to learn.

And we must remember that the “teacher” is always a vital part of the learning process. This person may be a subject-matter expert, a renowned researcher, a lecturer or instructor, or a course facilitator. Through the process of asking questions, providing advice, giving context, and explaining specific examples and solutions, the teacher “brings learning to life” for each individual in their own important way.

Learning Platforms: How This Has Been Lost

The learning technology market is a fast-moving, somewhat fad-driven space. Whenever a new technology is invented, L&D professionals rush to see how it could be used for learning.

As I like to remember, in the early 1980s when the first PC’s came to market, one of the sexiest ideas was to use them for training – so technologists hooked up laser disk players and developed video learning programs that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to build.

Since then we have “experimented” with social interactions in many forms of learning, and I have to say most of them have been somewhat limited, unimaginative, and more or less “bolted on” to content. In other words, what we’ve been doing is building lots of self-study content which has “some collaborative features,” but mostly focused on comments by learners.

I recently participated in a large online masterclass which I authored through a series of videos. The students loved the content but the interactions were limited because we did not group people into small groups and did not use a platform that truly facilitated group learning. I’m here to help you figure out how to fix this.

(When done well the results can be amazing. Hive Learning, a provider which focuses on designed collaborative learning, has proven through A/B testing a 50% increase in retention through their environment when compared with traditional classroom training. Nomadic Learning, who I discuss below, regularly achieves over 90% completion rate regularly in their cohort-based programs.)

Since building a collaboration platform is expensive, most vendors have lashed together off the shelf tools. The market has essentially evolved as follows, and in many ways, this represents an industry-wide exploration and learning journey we’ve all gone through together.

Learning platform vendors, of course, fall into various traps. They develop a platform that facilitates a certain type of activity (ie. The LXP vendors focus on the discovery of content, not the content experience itself), and then they sell their products as horizontal solutions. We as L&D and HR professionals have to buy these platforms and more or less “stitch them together” to build a total solution.

In particular, if you want to drive change, alignment, innovation, and relationships through your programs (as we do in the Josh Bersin Academy, for example), then you have to design your programs for group activity. And one could argue that this is also true for pure technical skills: coding academies and most technical certificate programs require group projects, design sessions, and “studios” that bring people together in small groups.

I know in my own career these group learning activities have been far more memorable in the long run, but that doesn’t mean “micro-learning” is also important. Group and cohort-based learning often fall into the “macro learning” space, while self-study and reading fall into the “micro-learning space.”

How Platforms Are Changing

As you consider all these issues, let me point out how learning platforms are starting to address this problem, and I’m going to talk primarily about two I know well: 360Learning and Nomadic Learning (the company I’m partnering with for the Josh Bersin Academy). There are many others (Intrepid, NovoEd, Hive Learning), and I will try to compare them briefly at the end of the article.

In the case of 360Learning, the company was founded six years ago by a passionate and brilliant engineer (Nick Hernandez) who realized that the most important learning that takes place is driven by an expert. Over the last decade, he has built an amazing platform that enables any expert in your company to “teach classes online” without the burden of “building complex content” or even hiring an instructional designer.

Underneath all the technology is a simple concept: a human (teacher, facilitator, expert) is at the foundation of great learning. And as 360Learning calls them, they are “learning champions.” (We are all learning champions at different times in our lives.)

In the early 2000s I wrote a lot about this idea, and we called it “SME-authored content.” (We called it “from e-learning to we-learning,” which was a cute idea.)

At that point in time products like Presedia, Breeze, Brainshark, Articulate, and other “Powerpoint to Flash” tools become hot, because they let people take their PowerPoint presentations and quickly turn them into instructional programs. Today many of these products are gone (or evolved), and we need a new system that facilitates this “expert-led” approach that is easy for experts to use.

I won’t get into great detail about how 360Learning does this, but it’s quite an amazing system and the company now has more than 500 large clients and is used by Safran Group (global aircraft engine manufacturer) where hundreds of experts teach others throughout the company.

Every single company needs a platform like this, and in my travels, I have never found a system that focuses so well on letting an expert (L&D or line leader) author content, share it, certify experts, and create an ongoing collaborative experience with employees. The company’s concept is “teaching experts to author and teach” in a highly scalable way.

I know this works because I’ve talked with some of their clients. Companies like Safran Group have almost 5% of the professionals authoring courses which are consumed by others. Imagine what this model could do to unlock expertise in your company.

Initially, the company positioned themselves as an LXP but they’re really much more. So position them into the “program management” category in my model and really are creating a new category for expert-authored, collaborative content. (LXP’s are primarily tools for content discovery and aggregation.)

When you think about the problem in this “human” way, you find new features become important. 360 Learning, for example, keeps track of all interactivity by learner and gives instructors lots of data about what content people are using, where they seem to need more help, and how “engaged” they are with the programs. This is exciting proprietary stuff, which really makes customers happy.

Nomadic Learning, the company I partner with for the Josh Bersin Academy, is even more interesting. Matt Burr and Tim Sarchet, the founders, built a business called “50 Lessons” which created video-based stories from the world’s greatest CEOs around the globe. (Similar to BigThink.) The videos were amazing (I watched many of them), but what Matt discovered is that nobody ever watched more than two videos in a row and most people stopped watching after 3-4 minutes. In other words, there was very little “depth of learning.”

The problem he discovered, which is even worse now, is that people just don’t have time to sit down and watch videos for an hour or more at a time. My research with LinkedIn shows that we waste almost a day a week on distracting emails and the biggest “challenge” people cite about their learning and career development is “I don’t have enough time.”

So Matt and Tim set out to build something new. I won’t give away the secrets, but the whole idea of Nomadic is to build a learning experience that “draws you in” and continuously gives you surprises, videos, exercises, ideas, and interactivity – in a way that makes it easy to stay engaged. Matt likes to call it “semi-synchronous,” because you can stop and restart at any time – but you do have a “time-bound” program to finish, so over a period of weeks you’re expected to stay on track.

In the case of Nomadic, the platform, content, and collaboration are integrated in a designed way. Since Nomadic is a custom content and video storytelling company, the programs feel like carefully designed integrated experiences, and you keep “wanting to come back” whenever you can. In the case of cohort-based learning, Nomadic has learned that by arranging people into small groups (20-50 people) the learning experience is personal, collaborative, and innovative. So the “programs” in the Josh Bersin Academy are designed to take place in groups, and each exercise brings people together in innovative and novel ways.

What I’ve experienced so far is that Nomadic’s platform (and 360 Learning’s platform) are much more than “learning” platforms. Just like face to face events, they bring people together, let people share their challenges and ideas, and create alignment toward strategic solutions. And Nomadic includes its own built-in LXP, so there are hundreds of curated resources available for micro-learning at any time. One of our clients, Medidata, is using the Josh Bersin Academy to drive their entire digital transformation. And this is the type of thing that 360 learning could do also.

What To Consider: Many Platforms Abound

There are many learning platforms and content providers on the market, and they are built by smart, innovative entrepreneurs. My point in this article is not to try to cover them all, but rather help you think through the importance of “group-based learning” and make sure you focus your energies on “what is being used for macro learning” and “what is being used for micro-learning” as you build your solution.

Remember To Focus On Culture

Finally, let me mention the importance of building a learning culture. Regardless of your efforts to build great content and hire the best instructors, the culture of learning always prevails.

Do people have time to learn? Do they feel a sense of empowerment and belonging in the program? Does the experience “meet them where they are?” And is there an expert, teacher, or facilitator to make sure employees can really get what he or she needs as they push themselves to the next level?

Nothing creates a learning culture more than groups of people activated to learn together.

New ideas, conversations, and talking about solutions create memorable skills we all carry for a lifetime. As you select your tools and build your strategy, make sure the focus on human supported, group-based learning remains at the core. You’ll be glad you did.

Source:

Are you wondering what you can expect from making the switch from face to face to online learning courses? All businesses are having to quickly learn how to harness digital power for training and development more broadly than before.

Can online learning replace face-to-face? What are the pros and cons of deploying an online training strategy? How can you make this transition a sustainable success? Read on to answer these questions and find out the next steps in your own move from face to face to online learning.

What is online learning?

Online training is the process of imparting knowledge virtually. When it comes to online training vs face to face learning, the main difference is where the training takes place. The term ‘online learning’ encompasses all learning that is conducted virtually, in an online setting. It’s basically any type of training that employees can do via a laptop, tablet or smartphone.

What is face to face learning?

Face to face learning is training that is provided in person, whether that’s a one-on-one session or in a group setting. This type of training is generally less flexible than online training, as it’s usually at a set time and place and cannot be accessed on-demand.

Employees are keen to learn

Most employees in recent times have been adapting to cope with the fast pace of modern working life. They are often busy and overwhelmed but still keen to learn; they value high quality content that’s personalized and relevant to their needs; and they are getting increasingly impatient and turned off by content and experiences that aren’t high value, relevant, and available when they want it.

Never has this been more important than now. Modern working life for many has become even more fast-paced and overwhelming. With most of the workforce working from home and companies quickly reskilling and reshuffling roles, it is imperative that your online learning stacks up to expectations and ensures productivity.

Online learning vs face to face learning in the workplace

The biggest differences between online and face to face learning have always been in the realm of fostering connection and collaboration between learners. The loss that Learning and Development Professionals experienced with this abrupt stop of face to face learning delivery is this positive social impact. This is a valid concern. The importance of face-to-face interaction in education, for example, is vital. In-person social interaction has a richness that might feel hard to replicate in the digital world – but, when it comes to the corporate world, it’s not impossible.

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