Barriers to change

In a survey conducted by Epic Group for the DfES in Spring 1999, trainers were asked what the most critical factors were in the success or failure of e-learning. Number one was the support of senior management, number two the attitudes of trainees and, not far behind, the attitudes of trainers. Clearly these trainers felt that the management of attitudes was a bigger issue than the management of technological change.

An ASTD survey, in July of 2000, asked American trainers who offered the most resistance to the introduction of workplace e-learning. Topping the list by a long way were managers (40%), followed by trainers (25%), learners and technical support (both 15%). Again it seems that, for your project to be a success, you’ve got to get management on your side.

So what can you do to win over the hearts and minds of managers? According to John Newton of NCR it all depends on the person. Some are only interested in the numbers, so tell them the potential ROI. Some are people people – they want to know how employees will benefit from e-learning and how they’ll be supported. Others are process people who will want to know how it’s going to work. Finally, you have the entrepreneurs and they just want to get on with it. The answer, then, is to sell on all fronts, providing arguments to win over all four types.

You may be surprised to see that our fellow trainers are high on the list of obstacles for change – but don’t forget that many trainers are humans too and are quite capable of being as resistant to change as the next person. As Guy Sellwood of Prosell points out, drawing on Kotter and Schlesinger, there are four reasons why people resist change: parochial self-interest (they expect to lose something as a result), misunderstanding (often based on a low level of trust), different assessments of the situation (they see the world differently) and a low tolerance for change (based on a fear that that they may not possess the necessary skills and aptitudes). Guy proposes a variety of methods for dealing with resistance, ranging from education and communication, to participation and involvement, through to facilitation and support.

Case study: ICL and KnowledgePool

When faced, earlier this year, with a massive skills shortage, ICL realised its most cost-effective solution was to make an investment in retraining its existing employees. ICL set e-learning provider KnowledgePool a stiff target: get 4000 engineers and developers up to MCSE and MCSD standard in 33 months, without any impact on productivity over the period.

KnowledgePool designed a modular, six-month programme comprising a mix of instructor-led and online methods. Each student had to take at least three modules online; otherwise the mix was a free choice. Backing up the whole programme was real-time tutor support. The result is that, at the time of writing, 800 had already been accredited, with a commitment to reaching a new target of 8000 by 2003, along with a shift of emphasis towards e-learning.

KnowledgePool identified four key factors in the success of the programme: buy-in from the very top of ICL; a deadline for completion; ongoing facilitation and support; and an extensive communications programme