How to Train For A Future Technological World

As we move into a new decade of the 21st century, some are apprehensive about the role of technology in the workplace. Rather than be doubtful of our new future, however, organizations should welcome the potential for progress and view the oncoming years as a chance for more learning and growth. Companies will continue to incorporate more and more technology into the workplace, all of it designed to help the workforce do their jobs better while improving efficiency. This presents a tremendous opportunity for employees and leadership alike to alter the way they look at learning in the workplace. By integrating elements of our future technological world into an organization’s training systems, you give your team the chance to increase their skill set and adapt in a way that sets them up for future success.

How technology might change the workplace

There isn’t an industry or sector that won’t be touched by technological improvements in the future. Just a few technologies and concepts that will impact the workplace include:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning
• Continuing advancements in mobile devices
• Cloud computing
• Big data and how it is managed

These systems may seem intimidating as if they exist to replace the workforce. But all these technological developments mean is that organizations must pivot to ensure employees get the opportunity to learn more about them. When they do, they’ll understand that technology isn’t a restricting force. It’s a tool to help make our lives - and jobs - easier. But how can you, as an organization looking to share information with your team - enable your workforce to incorporate this new reality into their skill set and knowledge base?

How you can help your employees adapt to the new technological reality

There are a number of ways you can use the way you train your employees to help them stay up to date on technological developments and use these to their advantage. You can also use training and education to help them develop new skills and branch out in new roles. Below are a few ways in which you can freshen your team’s training materials and practices to help with this:

Focus on microlearning

As the workforce becomes more digital and more information is made available to us, there will be a lot of new data for your team to process. The workplace will evolve faster than you can seemingly keep up with. That’s why training needs to evolve right along with it. By focusing on implementing microlearning - or offering education in small, manageable chunks - you don’t overwhelm your team. You can also maintain learning as an ongoing process by implementing just-in-time training, which will provide employees with skills as they encounter obstacles within the workplace. By not overloading them with too much information at once, you also increase retention of the information.

Encourage your team to tackle new skills technology can’t replace

Your team members may have specialized skills, but in all likelihood, you hired them because you appreciated the employee from a holistic perspective. You understand the advantages of working with smart, capable, well-rounded, and hard-working people. Those same qualities that led you to hire your team members should lead you to train them with skills technology can’t replace. Skills such as leadership, conflict resolution, and client and customer management require a human touch, which is unlikely to ever change. This gives your employees the opportunity to expand their soft skill set and widen their career prospects in ways that technology has yet to replicate. You’re not just making them better suited for your workplace; you’re setting them up for any potential future jobs or future careers they may have. Your team will appreciate that and will value their new skills, becoming more effective members of your enterprise. When given the opportunity, don’t just act like a boss. Act as a steward of your organization’s mission, a mentor, and a coach. You can do this by adapting your training to make your team members better all-around employees.

Foster a culture of curiousness

Your workplace will change over the course of the next decade. It’s inevitable. That’s why it’s important to foster a culture of curiousness within your workforce. They may ask about changes in the systems or devices you’re using, even beyond their own responsibilities. Incorporate knowledge of these new systems into your company training. When you show that you’re responsive to your employee’s questions, you strengthen employee engagement in your overall organization. As new technological advancements develop, your employees may want to know more. Encourage them in this and constantly review your training to account for these developments. Encourage your employees to ask questions. Consistently review your company training and course development to include the answers to their questions. A curious workforce will be better equipped to adapt to technological advancements. To assist them in their quest for knowledge, develop online courses that give your team information on the advancements and how they can use those advancements to perform better in their day-to-day roles.

Maintain an adaptable Learning Management System

By maintaining online training and a Learning Management System (LMS) you can easily update and adapt your training in a virtual classroom. Interested in hearing more about how you can build an adaptable, customized LMS meant for your organization’s specific needs? Contact Knowledge Anywhere for more information. As new technology becomes available, we can give your team the training tools to ensure your entire organization doesn’t just survive, but thrives!