Learning Audrey: What is a Show Without the People

For many L&D managers, it can feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders when you have to deliver training programs on your own. It can be a lonely place, especially in the remote-working world.

Audrey knows this feeling all too well this week. She’s eager to reconnect with people and seek their support in creating collaborative, peer-driven training—the ingredients she believes are key to L&D success. 

Audrey looks to the things that fulfill her in her personal life—acting, theater, and poetry—to find inspiration. So, will she find what she’s looking for? And once she does, will everyone agree to her way of thinking?

Let’s find out. Lights, camera, action!

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“I need to create a more human training”

Learning and development is a people-focused role. It’s about working with employees to help them develop their knowledge and skills so they can feel engaged and happy at work. So why do L&D managers sometimes feel isolated?

“Working from home on my own and having these projects on my shoulders seems a bit much right now,” explains Audrey. “I need to create a more human training but I’m not connecting with humans at the moment.” 

This feeling is likely to resonate with many L&D teams as we shift to remote and hybrid work environments. How is Audrey going to revive her love of interacting with people, and what steps can you take to do the same?

Why staying connected matters

Connecting with your peers is fundamental when delivering training programs. It’s impossible for you as an L&D manager to know everything an employee needs to succeed in their role. That’s why, you need to tap into the brilliant minds of your colleagues to help you create courses that will prompt your teams into creating long-lasting learning habits.

This week, Audrey tries to figure out how to best engage people in the learning process. “I haven’t given a lot of time to my personal life this month...I think it’s time to take a step back,” says Audrey. And what better way to find inspiration than from the things she loves to do most?

“Since I was a kid I was always acting, doing theatre, writing poetry—anything that involved creating another world or playing a role in someone else’s shoes,” describes Audrey. The easing of lockdown restrictions in Paris has meant she can once again participate in the activities she enjoys the most—improv drama and slam poetry.

“When you see a performance, you only see the actors. But there’s a whole host of people behind the scenes that make the show successful,” says Audrey. It’s the same in Learning and development. L&D managers have the opportunity to collaborate with different teams and business functions to not only deliver impactful training but to ease the pressure on L&D resources.

“I realized it’s not a project to execute alone”

Through reconnecting with the eyes and the smiles of people this week, Audrey realizes the Convexity training she’s been asked to deliver is not something she wants to execute alone. 

“It would be a mistake to think this training belongs to just me, as an L&D manager,” she says.

Everyone has a different idea as to what the training should look like. Audrey wants to ensure that every single person in the organization gets to put their stamp on the training.

“The right thing to do is ask everybody in the company to contribute their skils and knowledge. There’s a lot of talent and ability at 360Learning—we have a novelist, professional dancers, a yoga teacher. Everyone can bring something to the table, and that’s what Collaborative Learning is all about,” reveals Audrey.

Related: ‘Because I said so’: Why Top Down Management Doesn’t Work

Empowering Collaborative Learning in training 

Collaboration should be at the heart of every L&D strategy. It’s up to L&D teams to empower employees to suggest training needs, and create content together. Audrey sets out to champion this democratic approach to learning and defines how she will make sure learners have what they need to succeed.

“I think I have a solution to develop a new training program that will suit everyone. The challenge will be to keep everyone motivated whilst still handling their own scope and core responsibilities,” explains Audrey. Like with any major L&D program, she needs to discuss her ideas with her stakeholders to get their buy-in. 

So, how will they take it? And what incentives and processes should Audrey put in place for people to contribute their ideas?

Tune into the series finale next week to find out!

Learning Audrey is 360Learning’s new weekly docu-series following the experience of Audrey Jarre, our Senior Learning Manager, as she comes to grips with her new role. Watch all previous episodes and subscribe.