MDA Training

Tag: Experiential learning

  • The benefits of experiential leadership training

    The benefits of experiential leadership training

    A talented and motivational leadership team often underpins successful businesses, and without this team of individuals, many organisations would struggle with employee motivation, talent retention and effective succession planning.

    In the modern workplace, training potential leaders can be difficult, as traditional training methods call for face-to-face sessions out of the office. This type of training often proves inefficient for companies, due to the cost and inability to let senior members of staff out of the office for prolonged periods of time.

    Experiential leadership training can help combat these issues, through the development of personalised learning plans that are focussed on the individual, allowing learning to take place at their pace.

    What is experiential leadership training?

    Experiential training is the process of learning through experience, which is particularly beneficial for potential leaders. Experiential leadership training helps bring real-world experiences into a controlled environment, with the opportunity for the individual to navigate anything they may encounter when they progress into leadership, thus effectively preparing them for their eventual succession.

    There is also the opportunity for members of the senior leadership team to get involved with experiential leadership training. They can help guide the individual through scenarios in a controlled environment, knowing that what happens during training will not affect the broader company. Furthermore, this training can give senior management a better indication of what kind of leader the individual will eventually become.

    Benefits of experiential leadership training

    There are many benefits of introducing a new experiential learning strategy to a business or incorporating experiential learning into any pre-existing leadership training strategies.

    Flexibility

    Being able to undergo experiential leadership training in an environment outside of the classroom can prove useful for the individual. Digital resources are readily available, meaning that training is flexible, which can help alleviate pressure. Moreover, the individual can feel supported in every step of their learning.

    Cost-Efficiency

    Despite the progression of management training in recent years, it is still costly to rent out space or conduct face-to-face training by bringing an external trainer into the business. The use of digital resources can provide a more cost-effective alternative to face-to-face training, without compromising on the quality of learning provided.

    Impact on Leadership

    Experiential leadership training is a perfect opportunity for potential leaders to reflect on the decisions they make within the safety of a simulation – since these exercises will have no consequence within the business.

    The use of these exercises enables individuals to attempt courses of action they may be apprehensive of trying in real life, thus giving them the confidence to make the right decision in the future.

    Accelerated Development

    By using experiential leadership training and practising reactions to scenarios, potential leaders will be able to react quickly and appropriately to real-world situations that arise in the workplace, meaning that the individual is more likely to quickly settle into their new role within the senior leadership team. They will be well-rehearsed and adequately equipped to deal with anything, whereas other candidates may not have the confidence to act on their intuitions.

    Ultimately, experiential leadership training gives individuals the opportunity to find new solutions to problems and incorporate these lessons into everyday life.  

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CAN HELP TO TRAIN FUTURE LEADERS, CONTACT MDA TRAINING TODAY.

  • Improving ROI on experiential learning

    Improving ROI on experiential learning

    It’s not always easy and straightforward to prove ROI for training. Many senior managers will still believe that training is a waste of time and experiential learning is no exception.

    As regular training requires employees to take time out of their scheduled work to undertake the training, ROI must be proven. Regardless of the delivery system, it certainly needs to be carefully thought through in order to justify the benefit of this training.

    Is training a waste of money?

    To put it simply – no. Training, when done right, is very effective and can deliver tremendous ROI for the company. However, training can become a waste of money where key considerations are not put into place. Where a training provider has not worked closely with the managers and employees of the company to create content, they will not be able to create bespoke training materials.

    Key considerations should include; the objective of the training – what is the company looking to achieve and the overarching business goals. The training course creators should also build an understanding of the participants by examining their; background, education level, prefered methods of learning, job roles and key tasks and feedback from the staff on previous training.

    Feedback allows your training provider to get a gauge of how effective your previous training efforts were alongside gathering employee attitudes towards learning. These can be helpful in building an experiential learning system that will be engaging for your employees and have the optimum outcome and ROI.

    Lastly, senior management needs to be engaged in the creation of the training material. They need to ensure that the outcomes are aligned with the wider business objectives and ensure that they support the system. Without the support of the senior management, employees are likely to be less engaged from the offset and can result in the training programme failing due to lack of motivation.

    Impact of experiential training

    Experiential training is recognised as having a significantly high impact and is used to teach employees a number of skills, including; conflict resolution, reflect on current skills, identify areas for improvement and build new skill sets.

    Recalling and remembering experiences is considered overall much more effective than classroom learning as it allows employees to actually build memory and reflect on their actions. Reflection is one of the key ways that experiential learning is so effective, as it offers employees the chance to review their actions, say what they may have done differently and received peer reviews of their behaviours. Through this, they can identify areas of improvement and develop a better way of managing similar situations in the future.

    Moreover, experiential learning is one of the optimum methods for establishing ‘soft skills’ with the workforce. This applied to the likes of team building, leadership, adaptability, creativity and deeper still, self-awareness, a key skills for being an effective leader.

    Undertaking experiential learning requires a professional and highly skilled training professional, to ensure that the company objectives are met and that ROI is achieved. Through careful consideration and the ability to understand the skills which will allow that company to get ahead, build working relationships and allows individuals to thrive, often naturally progressing into leadership roles, an experiential learning programme that is highly effective can be created and implemented.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROGRAMMES WHICH ARE GUARANTEED TO ENSURE ROI, CONTACT MDA TRAINING TODAY.

  • How does experiential learning encourage creativity?

    How does experiential learning encourage creativity?

    Experiential learning is great for encouraging an alternative way of approaching problems and learning from experiences.

    Omitting the traditional textbooks and whiteboards, businesses have now adoptive approaches which integrate the use of technology, gadgets and interactivity. Removing learners from confining classroom spaces and repetitive ways of studying can transform attitudes and produce exceptional employees who will not only propel your business forward but also be more capable of progressing into great leaders in the future.

    Learning by doing has also been noted as building confidence in managing workloads and understanding how to deal with difficult situations, in a safe environment which will have no negative repercussions if a problem arises. Technology allows employees to review their progress and critique themselves, through this individuals can continuously build their knowledge and build more confident individuals.

    Inspiring creativity through experiential learning

    Since Kolb developed the experiential learning model, almost 50 years ago, thousands of businesses and educational establishments have adopted it as a way of creating better employees. Experiential learning is perfectly suited to the 21st century, offering learners the opportunity to build confidence and feel empowered. It has also been recognised that experiential learning is great for building creativity and driving innovation.

    Regardless of the industry, the ability to trigger creativity within your workforce can lead to better processes being developed and employees feeling more engaged within their role. Encouraging them to explore creative routes and innovative solutions can inspire the next generation of leaders and build a positive workplace culture that nurtures the workforce.

    Learning from mistakes

    Mistakes made in the workplace can have dire consequences – mistakes made during an experiential learning exercise or simulation can inspire quite the opposite reaction. Experiential learning is all about making mistakes and finding new solutions. The capability to review work and progress is ideal for identifying the areas where errors were made and how to avoid or rectify these most efficiently in the future.

    Mistakes are a gateway to major progress, and simulations within an experiential learning programme can allow individuals to benefit from this without suffering from real-world consequences, should the worst happen. Mishaps allow participants to shape future projects into successes through careful planning based on their experiences and utilising the creativity developing during their learning.

    Emotional intelligence

    One of the most important lessons from experiential learning is building emotional intelligence and being more able to recognise windows of opportunity which will benefit the business as well as when to take considered risks for better results.

    Developing skills in sympathetic analysis of colleagues work also allows individuals to better critique their own work and learn to take constructive criticism. This works twofold as it builds group skills and the capability to effectively communicate feedback, but also offers the opportunity for individuals to hone their own artistic voice in the workplace.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BESPOKE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROGRAMMES IN THE WORKPLACE, CONTACT MDA TRAINING TODAY.

  • How can experiential learning benefit your graduate employees?

    How can experiential learning benefit your graduate employees?

    Some of the biggest companies around the world are opting to implement experiential learning by utilising technology to help employees learn across a range of industries.

    This method of learning allows employees to undergo hands-on experiences and receive customised training which has been recognised as building emotional and social intelligence. Our experiences as employees, both inside and outside of work, often have a greater impact on our lives than classroom learning, which is why experiential learning is so highly favoured to bolster existing traditional learning.

    For graduate employees, who may have spent the past three to four years sat in lecture halls and seminars, experiential training will likely be a welcomed fresh approach to learning. Utilising this method of learning for students is a great way to engage them and support them in understanding the workplace through involvement in ‘real-life’ scenarios ahead of being exposed to actual stakeholders.

    Upskilling

    Through offering a blended learning approach, companies can offer employees the potential to team their classroom learning and paperwork with experiences which will seek to upskill them and as a result, built more capable employees.

    Upskilling is important to ensure that a business can retain its stakeholders, through the work their employees do. By guiding graduate recruits through the process of managing stakeholder relationships within an experiential learning experience, they can better understand processes in a safe environment which will offer them the capability to test out new approaches and ideas with confidence.

    Upskilling through experiential learning also improves the overarching value of a business. Employees are better able to improve their skills in an interactive training environment and through hands-on activities. This allows them to grow their knowledge through experiences, solving day-to-day business challenges and then passing their knowledge on to colleagues, through both their actions and internal knowledge sharing opportunities.

    One of the key benefits to a company of upskilling through experiential learning is the capability to boost employee retention by minimising some of the core reasons for employees leaving. Through encouraging employees to seek out new skills, not only for the benefit of the organisation but also to fuel their personal interests, a business is likely to see an increase in productivity, improved overall happiness and employees will be in a more desirable position to move into management positions or develop the potential to become a mentor.

    Emotional intelligence

    Emotional intelligence is quickly become recognised as a core skill required in business, particularly for those in leadership, therefore developing this across the board, within new recruits and graduates, will result in a workforce of people who can exert this skill in their daily responsibilities.

    Emotional intelligence can be built through experiential learning and allows individuals to grow into balanced and holistic leaders. The skills encompassed allow people to be more effective in terms of their decisions and behaviours and allow them to communicate their visions and strategy to their team and drive loyalty.

    Through a degree of uncertainty, which can be established through an experiential approach to learning, emotional reactions can be invoked in people, and compel them to act in a particular way. These challenges can move learners to increase their self-awareness and build emotional resilience, whilst also growing a better understanding of how their actions and decisions affect the wider workforce and business. As a result, companies can utilise this approach to reveal graduates who should be fast-tracked or nurtured further to become the management team of tomorrow.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ON EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING METHODS FOR GRADUATES, CONTACT MDA TRAINING TODAY.

  • How can experiential learning help with decision making?

    How can experiential learning help with decision making?

    Experiential learning is quickly becoming a preferred method of training in many workplaces with the benefits of this approach including an increased capability to make more informed and reliable decisions.

    This type of learning is beneficial to all employees from juniors to CEO’s and offers a number of key advantages including accelerated learning capability, a safe learning environment, the capability to bridge the gap between theory and practises, demonstrate changes of mindset, heightened engagement levels and deliver measurable results.

    Managers and decision makers in the business should also consider the ROI that this type of learning offers alongside the potential to personalise for their company to ensure that any experiences within the training system are bespoke to support company objectives.

    Assessing scenarios

    One of the key benefits of experiential training programmes is the capability to replicate a real workplace experience in a safe environment. By taking data obtained from real-life situations and concepts, the training course can be designed to include ‘hands-on’ tasks which aim to output real results.

    Balancing classroom learning with experiential approaches allows for information learned to be put into practice straight away, without the ‘real-world’ fear of mistakes which could result in company-wide issues. Instead, employees can practise considered risk-taking or learn new skills by offering them the opportunity to grow their confidence in new disciplines and develop their capacity to make scenario-based decisions.

    Multisensory engagement

    Classroom environments can result in students regularly ‘checking-out’ or losing interest relatively quickly. Instead, an engaging and hands-on approach through experiential learning, allows learners to hear, see and touch within their training. A multisensory experience will engage more of the learner’s brain and keep them interested in the topic, rather than being talked at for a prolonged amount of time.

    In a study published in Trends in Cognitive Science, it was stated that people typically remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see and 50% of what the see and hear. By ensuring that all of these senses are combined into one learning experience will ensure that the people of all preferred learning styles will benefit from the course.

    Through multisensory engagement, learners can then better understand situations and build a better picture of how to make decisions within these situations., building on experience and growing knowledge for the future.

    Reflection and self-assessment

    One of the most important elements of any learning course should be the ability to reflect and assess oneself on performance, progression and any further development needed. Learners should be able to reflect on experiential learning and make judgements about their behaviour and decisions and critique them effectively.

    Through this, individuals can assess how and why they made particular decisions and what they could do better next time to further develop their knowledge. Coupled with this, learners who also receive feedback from peers and teachers, who can offer observations of the individual’s actions and how the effect these have from an outside perspective, will help build a better idea of how their decisions affect the wider business.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ON EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND BESPOKE TRAINING COURSES TO SUIT YOUR BUSINESS, CONTACT MDA TRAINING TODAY.

  • Utilising experiential learning methods to see behavioural changes on an organisational scale

    Utilising experiential learning methods to see behavioural changes on an organisational scale

    Leaders are now required to be exceptionally agile and adaptable in order to operate effectively when managing different groups of people.

    This means that they will often end up in situations beyond their comfort zone, however, with ongoing experiential learning, leaders can better make sense of their experiences and put the knowledge to work in the future.

    Experiential learning can come in many shapes and sizes. Some may prefer more formal training whilst others may prefer on-the-job experiences and overseas assignments to learn new skills and techniques. Regardless of the delivery, experiential learning is often credited with building emotional and social intelligence, a particularly important characteristic for the leaders of today and tomorrow.

    Emotional intelligence

    Emotional intelligence is a critical quality of an effective leader. It allows an individual to understand and manage personal emotions and the emotions of those around them, in the case of a leader the emotional wellbeing of their team, colleagues and other people that they work with.

    Leadership training has transformed from being primarily cerebral, into approaches which integrate experimental practices which aim to create a more holistic approach to leadership. For leaders, emotional intelligence is absolutely essential to be successful. A leaders decision to shout at their team when work becomes overwhelming or stressful or alternatively remaining calm and collected will set a clear precedent for the type of leader they are,

    Personal growth

    Whether observing others or undertaking a simulation exercise, leaders can identify errors and then aim to remove these mistakes from their own roster of behaviours through this activity. Reflection and ‘doing’ is recognised as leaving a lasting impression, with trial and error process proving to be an optimal way of learning.

    Reflection and observation are a key way to understand and internalise the experiences learned through the training period. Reflective observation allows participants to look at the experiences and make sense of what happened whilst also identifying areas for improvement or look for alternative approaches. This analysis, as an ongoing activity, can improve self-awareness and encourage leaders to regularly draw up the pros and cons of their decisions in the future.

    Using technology in experiential learning

    Using technology does not necessarily directly correlate to a formal training system and is, in fact, highly useful when implementing experiential learning systems. Gamification is one of the key methods of online experiential learning that can be highly effective and actually makes learning more appealing due to its nature.

    By building scenarios into meaningful games templates, companies can offer their learners a unique experience which recreates their everyday activities, or new tasks, allowing them to practise their skills away from the watchful eye of other stakeholders such as colleagues and customers. This allows them to make mistakes, search for alternative solutions and take their time to completely understand the purpose of the task.

    A successful transformation

    In order to make a successful transformation, companies should find a practical way to integrate experiential training into the wider development programme for their leaders. By leveraging the links between knowledge and experience, experiential training can transform leaders into lifelong learners who reflect on each activity, task or interaction and utilise these learnings to build better relationships and ways of working in the future.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BESPOKE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING COURSES AND TRAINING MATERIALS, CONTACT MDA TODAY.

  • Why should your development strategy include augmented reality within experiential learning?

    Why should your development strategy include augmented reality within experiential learning?

    Experiential learning is the term used to describe training and learning which is achieved through experience, in this case, experiences within the workplace.

    This form of learning is considered ‘active’ learning, whereby the learner learns through different scenarios within the workplace and is recognised as one of the key methods of training that effectively motivates employees.

    What is the experiential learning model?

    The experiential learning model was set out by David Kolb, which involves a four-step approach to learning a new skill or piece of information. The process includes a continuous loop of the following steps, which allows the learner to experience something in the present, break down the parts which work and which don’t, consider improvements and make another attempt using previous learnings:

    • Concrete experience
    • Reflective observation
    • Abstract conceptualisation
    • Active experimentation

    The approach also requires learners to possess four key skills in order to be gain genuine knowledge from their experiences and continue to utilise the information to make improvements in the future. The learner must:

    • Be willing to become actively involved in the learning experience when it is presented
    • Be able to reflect critically on the experience
    • Have the ability to utilise analytical skills allowing them to conceptualise the situation
    • Be capable of making decisions and solving problems based on the new information they gained from the experience

     

    How augmented reality integrates into experiential learning 

    Augmented reality has recently begun to creep into the ways in which we train staff and integrate technology into our learning processes in the workplace. Augmented reality, unlike VR, is highly accessible with the capability of accessing resources associated with the use of bespoke AR decides including the Google glass and Microsoft HoloLens. These devices integrate the use of a smartphone which is overall highly accessible to almost anyone within the workplace.

    The integration of AR into training can offer highly-engaging learning, which allows employees to oversee simulations in real time, rather than learning the theoretical side in a traditional classroom environment. Active engagement with business simulations has been seen to boost employee engagement and motivation, moving the learning beyond passive observation and offering more valuable experiences.

    Competency within the designated skill or task can also be achieved much more quickly in comparison to traditional methods, with AR providing a collaborative approach to grasping the correct way to manage certain situations.

    Examples of the use of AR to boost employee awareness includes the use of this technology within experiential learning simulations within banking and construction. The use of this technology supports in removing risk by offering seemingly-real situations, without the risk of errors actually impacting the business in any way.

    FOR AN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROGRAMME THAT UTILISES AR EFFECTIVELY, CONTACT MDA TRAINING TODAY.

  • How can business simulations boost employee engagement?

    How can business simulations boost employee engagement?

    Traditional workplace learning and classroom-based training courses are quickly becoming less favourable to develop staff, and are being replaced by experiential methods like business simulations.

    Business simulations and other experiential learning approaches to leadership development and workplace training are now growing in popularity, due to the increased engagement that employees show when involved in these.

    Within business simulations, there are a number of activities which have been shown to boost employee engagement which can reduce the risk of distractions that cause difficulty in understanding a topic. There is also an argument that business simulations and experiential learning make for a more memorable approach to workplace training.

    Scenario simulation role play

    Whether workplace training is aiming to expand skill sets or improve team building, a role play simulation can offer employees the opportunity to step into the shoes of other staff members, in order to understand the responsibilities and tactics required within other areas of the business. 

    Business simulations can also provide guidance for future leaders, offering the opportunity to work with others as a fictional c-suite to manage a business including making tactical decisions, understanding budgets and leading people.

    Business strategy planning

    To support the growth and development of any business, employees must be invested in the business strategy and objectives. The importance of employees understanding business strategy can be instilled through a simulation, which can cover all areas of the plan.

    These simulations can include activities such as encouraging employees to create their own version of a business plan for the company. Through this activity, employees can get to grips with the various elements of the business that ensure success and profit, including; an executive summary, marketing tactics, logistics, operational activities, finances and budgets and human resource management.

    Instil competitiveness

    Healthy competitiveness is critical in a successful business for remaining ahead of the competition and pushing the company forward. Business simulations can provide an opportunity to gain a better understanding of competitiveness.

    This aspect mimics the real-life competitiveness that employees will experience in management roles and as those leading a business, in the free market economy. Competitiveness will allow those within your business simulations to understand the importance of providing superior services, products and business tactics, in order to gain a competitive advantage over rival companies in the industry.

    Learning from real market scenarios

    One of the key learnings to include within a bespoke business simulation is the integration of case studies and scenarios based on real and previous events. Using these concepts, particularly from those which had an overall positive and inspirational outcome, allow employees to experience a real-life scenario and decide how they would handle it. This will allow a business to ensure that they have incorporated the right information and learnings to push their employees to make the correct decisions when faced with a problem or complex scenario.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE BESPOKE BUSINESS SIMULATION EVENTS WE PROVIDE, CONTACT MDA TRAINING TODAY.