Executives are a special target group in continuing education. On one hand, executives are confronted with more responsibility and special demands (e.g., decision-making, information management, conflicts, etc.), while on the other hand, they are seen as role models.

So it is also with the topic of continuing education. A boss who demands commitment from employees in continuing education but shows no initiative themselves will not be taken seriously. The nice saying applies here: "Not just talk, but action!" How can course offerings for leadership development and for other professionals be developed? How can these programs be designed so that they are sustainable development programs and not just one-time events that quickly fade from memory? Especially with course content that must be tried and tested through execution, continuous development is an important prerequisite.

Answers to these and other questions are provided by Zach Davis (6 min)

New Demands on Training Programs

Learning in the modern workplace places various demands on training programs:

• Information and knowledge must be retrievable and accessible when needed (as opposed to rote learning).

• Information that meets the situation and the needs of the learner is required.

• Enable practice-oriented learning at the workplace.

• In addition to supporting individual learning processes, also promote group learning and learning in networks. This approach is discussed under the term "Social Learning" or "Social workplace learning".

Especially executives and specialists rely on these aspects, as personal development and continuing education collide with everyday work. Blended learning concepts can help meet these demands. Zach Davis utilizes this integrated approach. In the first part of the conversation (LINK), he presented how he positions himself in the market and what he offers to his customers. In his learning concepts, he employs a combination of in-person events and self-directed online learning by participants.

The Blended Learning Training Program in Detail

Typically, Zach Davis starts with a kickoff event. This takes place online or on-site with the participants, depending on customer preference. After the introduction, support begins with the online platform. In this first phase, the foundational content is presented, it is explained how online support works, and why active engagement (e.g., with the topic of time management) over an extended period plays an important role in development. The content that used to be conveyed in a one- or two-day seminar is now offered to participants online, in closed units. The timeframe can be set depending on the training goal (or customer wish). In this case, support occurs over a period of 90-120 days. Each participant can decide for themselves when to engage with the units. This has the simple practical reason that if a participant is on vacation for a period, they return and must catch up on a large number of units if these are released daily.

This is How a Unit in Leadership Development is Structured

A unit consists of content (e.g., a text or video on the topic of "saying no"), a concrete implementation exercise related to the content (e.g., a suggested action or a method), and a reflection.

Reflective questions are an important tool. This approach has a long tradition in higher education and medical training (keyword Reflective Practice.

Reflection can start with the six phases: 1. Description, 2. Thoughts/Feelings, 3. Evaluation, 4. Analysis (Present), 5. Analysis (Future), 6. Planning

Therefore, the participant can achieve several positive effects with the right reflective questions: He/She can…

• …consider what he has learned, or what new information has been acquired.

• …formulate a conclusion.

• …assess which aspects were successfully implemented.

• …determine whether the case did not occur at all.

• …check if an exception has come to mind.

• …plan what he would do differently in the next attempt.

Developing Your Own Development Programs

Where should you even begin? When you create your first online support, you should choose the training topic you are most confident in. The KISS principle (“Keep it short and simple”) is important. Choose 5-8 online contents (e.g., information, exercises, reflective questions) for your participants. These online contents will reach your participants in the weeks following your in-person training. These accompanying contents should be aligned with your in-person training. In the first step, simple texts or presentation slides are sufficient. Videos can also be created and integrated in a short time with the right preparation.

If your first test has gone positively, you can gradually add more training contents. In the video, Zach Davis describes, for example, that he started with his core theme "time management". He subsequently expanded the themes of his development programs (“dealing with distractions”, “productivity”). He prepares the content as a written text and collects the materials. Then, his assistant executes the creation on the platform. No E-Learning experts are needed for the creation, administration, and support.

Do you want to transform your training into a development program as well? We would be happy to support you. Send us an email or leave us a comment.

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