From the course: Organizational Learning and Development (2016)
Choosing between bespoke or off-the-shelf solutions
From the course: Organizational Learning and Development (2016)
Choosing between bespoke or off-the-shelf solutions
- One choice you'll have to make is whether to use an off-the-shelf solution or create a custom version, also know as bespoke. Any choice should first go back to the work you did to identify the business outcome that needs to shift and the behavior change you need to implement. But once you're clear on that, you may discover that another provider already has built the perfect solution and you just need to roll it out. You could be purchasing online video training like this one or hosted webinars or virtual simulations et cetera. Then there's custom or bespoke solutions. There's a little overlap between them so this is more of a continuum than a dichotomy. Many providers will offer some level of customization. This can range from adding your organization's logo to shifting some language or terminology to more closely match your internal culture, to using examples and details that are specific and unique to your organization. And then there's completely bespoke, which means the training was built specifically for your organization and the issue you're addressing. This can be contracted to others or done in house by your team but it'll only ever be used by your organization. I recommend that you consider a few questions to help you make the best choice. Does the solution demonstrate best practices in adult learning? It should honor different experiences and ways of learning. You also want to make sure that it's driving the specific behavior change you're seeking. There should be opportunities to practice the skill, thus building the neural pathway and starting the habit. Is there a good story arc to the learning solution? Does it cover the why and the how in addition to having the opportunities to try? Does it map to your organization's needs for specific behaviors you're trying to shift? It's likely that a solution won't match your needs 100% so ask what flexibility the provider allows for you to create derivative or add-on materials and learning events. I find this is an important aspect to negotiate in the contract because it allows you the ability to tailor the solution to meet your needs. This will bring you to the world of copyright, licensing and intellectual property. That could be a whole course by itself but you'll want to make sure you understand these aspects of the contract, especially what you can modify and what needs to be used in an exact and specific ways. Seek legal counsel to review any contract. What level of customization is provided and at what cost? The more you can make the solution look and feel like part of your culture the better. Usually there's a range of fees affiliated with the amount of customization so look into your options. Now the reality is that a lot of learning solutions are missing some of these key best practices so you may need to think about how you can add them yourself. You can do this through blending the learning solution with other elements. Perhaps a video like this one or a case study that's specific to your organization. There's lots of options in your palette or tool box so feel free to augment as needed. Finally, you want to explore the format and channel of delivery. It should meet your learner's needs in terms of flexibility and accessibility. If it doesn't, it probably won't get utilized. You may need to involve your tech team to ensure that you have the technology elements to use and deliver the solution. To help with this crucial assessment, I've created a handout in the exercise files. It allows you to rate these questions and add comments so that you can assess and compare several possible providers. And you can add your own questions to really make it work for your organization. Choosing between off-the-shelf and bespoke isn't always cut and dry but if you use these guidelines, you'll have a better chance of finding the best solution that your talent needs at this time.
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