Microlearning has not lost its thunder over the last several years and, as more folks use it in their learning ecosystems, we see greater challenges we need to address as learning leaders.
If the term microlearning still feels fuzzy to you, that may be due to the way in which microlearning is spoken about. Whether the conversation focuses on microlearning as a concept, method, or product, we can liken it to preparing a series of small, exquisite dishes rather than serving a single elaborate banquet. These bite-sized learning products typically focus on one learning outcome (sometimes two), are a relatively short engagement in an activity, and will commonly elicit an action from the participant outside of the microlearning product.
Like any successful culinary endeavor, introducing microlearning into your learning ecosystem requires careful planning, thoughtful execution, and the right ingredients for success. This article broadly explores integrating microlearning and managing resistance to the introduction of this change. Like a well-crafted recipe, change management practices have specific ingredients that are essential for the successful incorporation and adoption of a change. These approaches are just as effective and necessary when adding microlearning as part of the organizational learning strategy.
Understanding the need for change
Traditional training approaches resemble preparing a large feast—time-consuming, elaborate, and challenging to digest all at once. These programs often end with some form of certification or mastery assessment with a score that exists in an LMS. However, let's recognize that for some, mastery is achieved by showing necessary skills, such as interpersonal skills in sales or customer care.
Microlearning is usually a disruptor to these traditions, especially because its value lies in supporting developmental needs that require assessing performance on the job.
For example, microlearning breaks down larger topics into small, manageable portions that are often designed to be delivered in the flow of work. Unlike traditional learning ecosystems, which commonly have set timeframes for taking training in the LMS and require significant time away from work, microlearning may not be delivered through the LMS. Assessment methods can also differ, such as observation, reviews, rubrics, and checklists, which may not rely on the LMS at all.
These comparisons highlight a strategy underlying microlearning that diverges from traditional development processes and delivery of learning products like eLearning. Microlearning creates an opportunity to strategically align with organizational goals, demonstrate ROI, and drive movement toward strategic outcomes. For many organizations, embracing microlearning represents a significant change—a shift in learning culture, stakeholder engagement, and the philosophy of L&D as a pivotal business function. (Yes, I, consider L&D to be a business function.)
Managing the change requires navigating these shifts effectively. While L&D's role is to build and implement solutions, the success of these solutions often hinges on addressing resistance and fostering adoption throughout the organization. So how does L&D do that?
Managing the change
If microlearning is going to create a big shift that impacts culture or paradigms, we need to consider how to manage such significant change.
That is not to say that L&D does it alone; we will need to leverage other work functions or capabilities across the organization to ensure that the change is successful. After all, it takes an entire kitchen crew, from hostess to busboy, the dishwasher in the back, and every employee in between to make a dining experience amazing—consistently and with a high volume of repetition. It also requires things like great produce and sundry vendors, a well-designed venue, and impactful marketing.
Think about it this way: If the L&D function operated like a family-style buffet, then transitioned to being a tapas bar, and you were hoping to retain at least 35% of your former patrons, you would have to manage a lot of change, both to retain those former patrons' business and to increase business overall going forward. A successful approach would impact the capabilities and capacity of the entire restaurant staff—again, big changes.
So let's try to manage that change by addressing the biggest hurdle that is common to change management: resistance.
Who is resisting the change?
Resistance can come from a lot of different entities within the organization, including the L&D function. Here are a few examples of what that resistance might look like:
- Your L&D team, who are comfortable solutioning the way they always have
- An SME who, while reviewing the microlearning products, seeks to alter the product—back to something more traditional
- The IT team, who may fail to follow the delivery plan for implementing a microlearning campaign via email
- HR, denies L&D access to data from performance reviews which are needed to evaluate the performance associated with the microlearning campaign, insisting there are legal implications
Change management process
Whether feedback turns your seven-minute micro-eLearning product into a 20-minute training or the resistance comes more from the people you need to help L&D implement or evaluate the microlearning, the change process outlined below can get you going:
- Identify key stakeholders and what their role addresses as part of the change. This ensures that, rather than telling your collaborators that they have to do it, you are building the change together, at the pace your organization can manage.
- Discuss the benefits of the change as it aligns with the strategic goals of the organization. This is a great way to gauge how well collaborators align with the organization's strategic goals. It can also indicate which collaborators may need more direct partnering to support their critical involvement in the change.
- Express your vision for how you see the stakeholder's role in helping to drive that success. Again, you are inviting the stakeholders to collaborate with you on this change. Cue into their responses: This can inform you of their support or resistance and/or their ability from a capability and capacities standpoint to support the change.
- Provide opportunities for your stakeholders to gain clarity and to raise any concerns. If the stakeholders are not the decision-makers on the capacity load of their business function, here is an opportunity to demonstrate support to gain the buy-in needed. For example, IT does not have the capacity or capability to track click-open and click-through rates on emails; how does this alter the ways that microlearning can be implemented until there is capacity and capability? How can you help your IT partner work with their leadership to ensure they comprehend the need and value of these actions?
- Craft a plan to resolve concerns with key stakeholders in which you and the stakeholders are equally invested. Keep these updates transparent to all collaborators participating in the change. Sometimes, seeing progress with one business function can help you gain additional traction in areas that aren't moving along. It can also garner champions to help move along the change (because success often is incentive and motivation!).
- Establish a governance framework that acknowledges all parties impacted by the change. The key is not to overcomplicate governance with restrictive decision-making. For example, specifying detailed procedures for every aspect of microlearning implementation may stifle innovation and adaptability, whereas setting broad guidelines that encourage experimentation and local adaptation can foster creativity and ownership across different business functions.
- Determine the most effective communication channels for addressing updates, decision-making, and planning. This is just not communication between the business units managing the change; it is also about communicating awareness of upcoming changes, how those changes impact workflows or processes, how individuals in business units will help to address and manage those changes, and when those changes will take effect. Then there are the communications around the rollout: For example, letting those who will use the microlearning campaign know how it will be distributed, what and where should be looking to gain access and engage with the products, and how, when, and why they should be tuning into these new performance products.
- When successful change moves forward, celebrate; when it doesn't, reflect and pivot. Managing this significant change doesn’t end when the first microlearning product is implemented. It is important to keep your cross-functional team active, not just to celebrate a success but also to look at what aspects of the planning and execution you could refine or enhance.
The driver of this change framework is to prevent the change—or resistance to the change—from halting the process of adopting and incorporating microlearning.
Just as chefs test new menu items before making them permanent, introducing microlearning may require adapting its initial implementation to align with existing training processes in your organization. This approach helps identify necessary adjustments to your organization's traditional methods of implementing and delivering content. It also provides the rationale for your cross-functional change team and ensures a smoother integration of microlearning into your learning ecosystem.
Conclusion
Introducing microlearning into organizational learning frameworks requires a strategic approach akin to culinary mastery—combining creativity, precision, and attention to detail. By addressing resistance early on using effective change management strategies, learning leaders can strategically plan for the integration of microlearning as a transformative tool for continuous learning and skill development. Like a skilled chef crafting a memorable dining experience, you must lead the charge—ensuring that microlearning initiatives are not only adopted but embraced as a cornerstone of your organizational learning culture.
Explore microlearning strategy at Learning 2024
Examine your learning strategy from every angle at Learning 2024. Don't miss Robyn Defelice's session, Unlock the Potential of Strategic Microlearning, along with dozens of sessions on learning in the workflow, ensuring that your L&D strategy aligns with organizational goals, and how AI fits into all aspects of leading the L&D function. Join us December 4–6, 2024, in Orlando. Register today!