16 Enlightening Lessons from 16 years in Learn-Tech

Turning 16 is fun! You can officially test the uncharted waters, take on new responsibilities and get your first taste of freedom! Even better, you get to celebrate your past accomplishments while easing into a new chapter of your life.

As we blow out our birthday candles,we reminisce about our 16 glorious years in eLearning and distil top16 lessonswe have learnt along the way that apply not just to businesses, but are criticallife skills too.

1.It’sall about people

Regardless of whatyou are dealing in - a software or a hardware, it’s critical to understandthat, at the end of the day, technology is just an enabler. Your efforts(product/ service) are FOR the people (in context of the LMS - L&Dpractitioners and end users/learners), built BY the people and OF the people(learn-tech providers).

https://www.youtube.com/embed/FzmYNwLIvcE

2.Innovationis not an activity. It’s a mindset

To be an innovator,you need to cultivate a mindset of challengingthe status quo and developing newsolutions to old challenges. Innovation cannot be put into bullet points orworse still on your vision board if you don’t empower your people to thinkoutside-the-box at all times.

3.IQmatters, EQ matters even more

Cracking thecode (pun intended) to learning technology has a lot to do with the collectiveprogramming knowledge and expertise in your team, but the intellectual abilityto manage ideas, knowledge, thoughts and relationships with other people iswhat sets you apart from the rest.

4.Trendsare elusive, human behavior is not

Buzzwords areoften just that; fads with a short timeline. While fads and trends stem fromthe ever-evolving user behavior and technology, sifting through to identity theones that are linked to human behavior have a higher sustenance and fasteruptake than the ones that are just sexy sounding.

5.Leadershipbegets leadership

True leaders don’t create followers,they create more leaders, goes the adage. To ensure you have a nurturing groundfor leaders at all levels, it’s important to create a culture of trust andempowerment so leadership breeds.

6.Loyaltycannot be bought, it needs to be earned

No amount of moneyor R&R programs will get your people to stick if the company culture is notconducive to growth and development. This is as true for employees as it is forlearners (linked to the LMS narrative).

7.The futureis NOW!

The unprecedented times we are living in currently, propelled by technology and mass adoption thereof, has shrunk the timelines of maturity and necessity. We need to think on our feet at all times so that we can learn from yesterday, build for today and plan for tomorrow.

8.Changeis truly the only constant

In a worldwherever everything changes in a matter of moments, change management is a toolwe all need in our arsenal to not just cope with the transformation, but toride it with pride.

9.Thereare no mistakes, only learnings

“I have notfailed. I have only found 10,000 things that do not work”.

Edison gave usmore than just a light bulb. His words need to be etched in our personal andprofessional workings to help us not just rise after a fall but to dissect itto its last grain and derive the learning from it to propel us further.

10.Learn-techis only the means to an end

Investing in an LMS or a learning platform does notassure you success if you are not willing to do the work on other parts of thepuzzle. Think about the modalities, the content, the strategy.

11.Skillingis breathing

With the lifespanof a skill whittled down to 3-5 years (from the previous 10-12), skilling needsto be at the center of everything we do. Akin to breathing, which is anessential life force, skilling needs to be prioritized and actioned upon.

12.It’sthe survival of the smartest

Darwin’s theory ofthe survival of the fittest may need to undergo some contextual change intoday’s day and age. It’s no longer about the fitness alone, but the ability tounderstand, evolve and act in accordance to the situation which is the key tosurviving and thriving.

13.LMSis not an option

While learning andtraining can happen offline, the management of it is best left to the tools(read LearningManagement System). The failure of this leads to inefficiency and drain ontime, effort and cost resources, all of which can hijack the focus fromemployee L&D to the ancillary activities.

14.Contentis truly the king

An LMS, or anylearning platform for that matter, is only as good as the content on it.Afterall, it’s the content that will help you achieve your employee skilling andtraining goals. Further, the content needs to be relevant, engaging andcontextual for best results.

15.GoodUI is more than aesthetics

How often have weoverplayed UI with a complete disregard to the usability? Far too many timesIMO! While ensuring the interface of the LMS (or any software) is intuitive andpleasing to look at, a myopic focus on that alone can jeopardize the actual useof it. So it’s important to broaden the definition to includethe user experience (UX) too.

16.Disruptionis the new black

Let’s just say, ifyou haven’t disrupted, you haven’t done anything yet.To be able to disrupt, youneed to be able to take risks (which means failure too – refer to point #9).Needless to say, the more you play in discomfort the stronger you grow from it.

There you have it –16 enlighteninglessons straight from our years of experience! Whether you are turning 16 or60, these pearls of wisdom will hold you in good stead – always!

Psst!Head over to UpsideLMSLinkedin, UpsideLMSInstagram and UpsideLMSFacebook to join in our sweet sixteen celebrations all day long today!Happy 16 to us!