{"id":196073,"date":"2021-05-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/livcsuitentwrk.wpengine.com\/training-on-smartphones-five-critical-questions-to-ask-before-you-begin\/"},"modified":"2021-05-10T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-05-10T06:00:00","slug":"training-on-smartphones-five-critical-questions-to-ask-before-you-begin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c-suitenetwork.com\/training-on-smartphones-five-critical-questions-to-ask-before-you-begin\/","title":{"rendered":"Training on Smartphones:\u00a0Five\u00a0Critical Questions to Ask Before You Begin\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/span><\/p>\n There are many compelling reasons to deliver your training directly to your employees\u2019 cellphones. To cite just a few . . .<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Those are all very good reasons why you should be thinking about mobile training. But are there other issues to consider before you move ahead? I asked Dan Black, former Vice President of Client Engagement at my company <\/span>Tortal<\/span>\u00a0Training. Dan, who is a master training designer,\u00a0<\/span>recommends asking these questions before making the decision to distribute some or all of your training to your employees\u2019 mobile phones.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>If most of your trainees already have\u00a0<\/span>them<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>that is one thing.\u00a0<\/span>But if not, how will you deliver your training to those who don\u2019t? You will need to provide tablets or laptops that can be used by them in the office. That could mean designing several versions of your training materials for different platforms.\u00a0<\/span>So be sure to look before you leap.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If\u00a0<\/span>employees will complete training when they are not at work,\u00a0<\/span>you will have to compensate them for the extra time they spend. You will have to have them track and report those extra hours<\/span>. Another option is to\u00a0<\/span>require them to complete their training at work.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This is another question that some companies overlook as they rush\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0mobile. What, for example, is the state of Wi-Fi connectivity in all your work locations, stores, etc.?\u00a0<\/span>If it\u2019s not already there<\/span>\u00a0or if it is sub-par<\/span>, w<\/span>hat will be cost of setting it up across all your locations<\/span>?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>If your trainees will be accessing your materials while they are not at work,\u00a0<\/span>can you expect\u00a0<\/span>them\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>shoulder the usage costs<\/span>?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many companies are discovering that mobile training works best when delivered\u00a0<\/span>on<\/span>\u00a0tablets, not smartphones. But they are also finding that\u00a0<\/span>few\u00a0<\/span>employees\u00a0<\/span>have<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>tablets that are part of their mobile plans.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Dan Black maintains that mobile devices are best for delivering what he calls \u201cperformance support,\u201d<\/span>\u00a0which\u00a0<\/span>means training\u00a0<\/span>that is delivered\u00a0<\/span>to employee<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>after<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>they\u2019ve gone through a larger\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>more detailed learning interaction.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Performance support is like a\u00a0<\/span>reminder<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>You\u00a0<\/span>know that sign in\u00a0<\/span>your company\u00a0<\/span>bathroom\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>remind<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0employee<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0to wash their hands<\/span>\u00a0before returning to work<\/span>? That\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>an example of\u00a0<\/span>performance support<\/span>, which can also be defined as\u00a0<\/span>essential, bite<\/span>–<\/span>size pieces of information\u00a0<\/span>that you deliver\u00a0<\/span>where and when\u00a0<\/span>they<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>can\u00a0<\/span>affect\u00a0<\/span>employee performance.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Some examples are<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The bottom line is that mobile training\u00a0<\/span>should be\u00a0<\/span>short<\/span>,<\/span> sweet, and to the point. Think about YouTube<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>the largest training resource on the planet<\/span>. If people don\u2019t know how to do something, they f<\/span>ind\u00a0<\/span>out how\u00a0<\/span>on YouTube! Think that same way for your employees.\u00a0<\/span>The idea is to provide information that\u00a0<\/span>remind<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>them\u00a0<\/span>how to handle\u00a0<\/span>a process or procedure<\/span>\u00a0\u2013 info that they can access\u00a0<\/span>where and when they need it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In Summary . . .\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Yes<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>mobile\u00a0<\/span>is great, but\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s not great for\u00a0<\/span>everything<\/span>\n
\u202f<\/span>Question One:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>What percentage of your\u00a0<\/span><\/b>employees<\/span><\/b>\u00a0have smart\u00a0<\/span><\/b>phone<\/span><\/b>s<\/span><\/b>?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
\u00a0<\/span>Question Two:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>How w<\/span><\/b>ill employees\u00a0<\/span><\/b>be compensated for\u00a0<\/span><\/b>training when they are not at work?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Question T<\/span><\/b>hree<\/span><\/b>:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Is\u00a0<\/span><\/b>mobile connectivity\u00a0<\/span><\/b>easily accessible while\u00a0<\/span><\/b>your\u00a0<\/span><\/b>employees are\u00a0<\/span><\/b>on the job<\/span><\/b>?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Question Four:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>D<\/span><\/b>o<\/span><\/b>\u00a0your employees in\u00a0<\/span><\/b>the field have mobile<\/span><\/b>–<\/span><\/b>enabled tablet<\/span><\/b>s<\/span><\/b>?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Question Five: Is\u00a0<\/span><\/b>y<\/span><\/b>our training the kind of training that works well on mobile?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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