Our 5 Moments of Need (5 MoN) journey began as COVID-19 descended upon the world and disrupted the learning landscape. One morning in March 2020, I was given this directive from our CEO: “We’re sending everyone home, we need to continue to train, it needs to be entirely virtual, and it needs to be better than what we have done in the past.” Despite previously using Virtual Instructor-led Training (VILT) for some classes, most of our offerings had been delivered in person with VILT being perceived as less effective, resulting in a poorer learner experience.
We quickly began investigating potential learning strategies and discovered the insightful 5 MoN framework and GEAR design methodology. Born out of 5 MoN, GEAR is an acronym that stands for “Gather, Expand, Apply, and Receive feedback”. When we adopted this methodology, it allowed us to create content that enables learners to gather in a space to receive critical information. Then, they move on to expand upon and apply that knowledge by performing actual work tasks. This loop is closed with a feedback session where learners can engage with the facilitator and one another to discuss their experiences and learn from each other’s mistakes.
Throughout our journey, we’ve learned a lot, but there are some especially critical points I would encourage anyone who’s new to 5 MoN and workflow learning to consider.
1) First and foremost, at its core, the 5 MoN framework is a cultural and paradigm shift away from how we have historically viewed learning and development. That change in mindset needs to occur across a broad range of audiences, from business partners and SMEs to the learning and development staff. Bringing as many key stakeholders along for the ride as possible proved critical for the success of our implementation. From the start, we engaged business partners to provide them with insight and understanding around learning in the flow of work. We also aligned ourselves closely with the individuals who were performing the work to gain understanding about the actual workflow, rather than relying on what SMEs perceived the workflow to be.
No matter how engaged the other stakeholders were, we realized the program would fail if the people delivering it did not fully understand and embrace it. Rather than simply teaching delivery staff about the 5 MoN framework, we put them through their own GEAR cycles that required them to actually build the content. While partnered with instructional designers, they created the facilitator guides, activities, and feedback sessions that they themselves would be using in class. This holistic strategy helped significantly shift their paradigm since this change wasn’t something being done “to” them. Instead, they were an active part of it, which gave them first-hand experience with the impact of how we would onboard and skill staff.
2) Secondly, there are a multitude of excellent EPSS solutions and it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that the power of an EPSS comes from the methodology on which it is built—not the technology itself. Bob Mosher would say, “Methodology begets technology.” The L&D industry, along with the entire world, is experiencing a period of tremendous technological innovation and disruption. Every day, we are bombarded with technical solutions that leverage artificial intelligence, complex algorithms, and neural networks. While these programs are exciting and can open the door to endless possibility, if their implementation is not rooted in workflow learning, they will only lead to continued underutilization of resources and missed KPIs.
Without the luxury of time and additional resources to secure and implement a full EPSS solution for one of our projects, we instead focused on the methodology and chose a low fidelity solution. This amounted to an interactive PDF created with PowerPoint. Using a familiar tool eliminated the need to upskill instructional designers while the simplicity of a PDF reduced the cognitive load for learners. Plus, the PDF format allowed for seamless sharing and launch capability from all systems.
Whether you are replacing a traditional training program or solving a new problem, implementing a 5 MoN solution is challenging. There is discomfort in doing something new, frustration from trying to gain buy-in for an approach that runs counter to ingrained learning culture, and pressure to meet priority business targets. By shifting our focus away from technology and focusing first on methodology, we were able to create a Digital Coach that was easy to use, structured around the workflow, and accessible in one click. The result? High utilization and significant performance improvement. Again, the power of an EPSS lies within the methodology—not the technology.
3) Finally, don’t try to boil the ocean. We knew going into this that it would be a marathon rather than a sprint, but we really didn’t grasp just how long of a marathon it would be. Changing an entire culture requires more than a well-designed program and formal communication. You must live and breathe the methodology every day until, one by one, others start to believe and buy into it too. Instead of trying to overcome every challenge at once, focus on iterative progress and keep moving forward one challenge at a time. Yes, there will be barriers and challenges. Yes, it will be frustrating at times, but the journey is so worth it! Find a warm audience. Do a proof of concept. Follow the methodology and celebrate the inevitable win!