Imagine going to work and hearing, "We need you to work a 12-hour shift instead of 8 due to high demand." This happened to our workers at Greene Tweed, a 160-year-old company supplying parts for most of the world's military aircraft. We successfully navigated the change management by embracing microlearning and delivering helpful resources in 7taps.
“People could finally learn right where they work. They didn't have to go to a learning lab. They didn't have to go to a break room. They could replay 7taps courses anytime. They even took them home, showed them to their families, and had questions about it. It proved to be a very valuable resource.”
Learn how John W. Strachan, Operations & Commercial Training Manager at Greene Tweed, utilized microlearning to successfully navigate change management.
Practical Tips
The essence of our strategy lies in its flexibility and user-friendly nature. It proved to be exceptionally effective in a manufacturing setup where employees do not always have easy access to traditional learning environments, may not be computer-savvy, or may not speak English as a first language.
1. Assessment and Partnership
The first step involved partnering with Circadian, a vendor specializing in shift work environments, to develop a comprehensive workshop aimed at supporting the production staff through the transition. This partnership was crucial as it provided the necessary expertise and resources to create a tailored training program that addressed the unique needs of shift workers.
2. Train-the-Trainer Approach
By conducting train-the-trainer sessions with value stream managers, supervisors, and even employees, we ensured that the message about the changes was communicated more effectively. It’s always more impactful when peers deliver information as opposed to management, fostering better acceptance and understanding among the workforce.
3. Relaxation of Disciplinary Policies
Recognizing the physical and emotional toll the new shift schedules would impose, the company temporarily relaxed its disciplinary policies. This allowed employees time to acclimate without the added stress of punitive measures, promoting a smoother transition and demonstrating that the company cared about their well-being.
4. Microlearning Deployment
We used 7taps to deliver shareable microlearning content, including infographics, shift schedule calendars, sleep templates, healthy recipes, and hydration tips. These were designed to be easily accessible and engaging, addressing the reluctance of employees to use their personal devices for work-related training.
“We started to get emails from employees that said things like ‘Hey, we love this. Can we get more of these?’ So we ended up producing a ton of 7taps programs.”
5. Continuous Feedback
We regularly administered employee pulse checks and feedback surveys to monitor the adjustment process and make necessary tweaks. This ongoing communication loop was vital for refining the training and support provided, ensuring it remained relevant and effective.
Results
In a company as established as Greene Tweed, where tradition often dictates the pace of change, adopting microlearning through 7taps enabled a paradigm shift in how training is perceived and consumed.
We discovered that employees are keen to learn on their mobile devices, a previously unexplored concept. Employees embraced the microlearning approach, finding it more convenient and engaging than traditional methods.
Even though we faced some hesitation and doubt from executives, the overall results of this strategic microlearning implementation were overwhelmingly positive and the response we got was tremendous.
Our willingness to engage with microlearning content not only facilitated the smooth introduction of new schedules but fostered a learning-centric culture within the organization. This demonstrated that even a long-established company like ours could effectively embrace modern learning technologies to achieve significant operational improvements and cultivate a healthy, supportive work environment.
The success of this project paved the way for a broader digital transformation initiative at Greene Tweed, aligning with Vision 2030.
📣 Create your microlearning materials in minutes
Support your team and its performance by creating bite-sized job aids, digital SOP, and learning assets with 7taps Microlearning for free.
