Description: Never before have there been five generations in the workforce. Each generation has its own quirks, styles, likes, dislikes, and ways to work, communicate, and even learn! In this podcast episode, we are going to focus on the newest generation joining us in the workplace—Generation Alpha!
Resources:
Learning & Development
A Multi-Generational Workforce Is a Force for Good
MRA Membership
About MRA
Let's Connect:
Guest Bio - Amanda Mosteller
Guest LinkedIn Profile - Amanda Mosteller
Host Bio - Sophie Boler
Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler
Transcript:
Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03
Unknown
Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here.
00:00:21:05 - 00:00:44:20
Unknown
Now it's time to thrive. Well, welcome, everybody. We are so glad you're here and I hope you're ready to talk generations today, specifically on one that you may have never heard before. So never before. There have been five generations in the workforce and each generation, as you know, has their own quirks, styles, likes, dislikes, ways to work, communicate, and even learn.
00:00:44:22 - 00:01:11:06
Unknown
So in this podcast episode, specifically, we're going to be focusing on the newest generation joining us in the workplace, and that is Generation Alpha. So it looks like Gen Alpha is the group of generation following generation Z. So Gen X’ers are born in the early 2010’s going through the early 2020s. So we know and are finding that each generation brings something really unique to the table.
00:01:11:08 - 00:01:47:13
Unknown
So. Amanda Mosteller, MRA's director of talent Development, is joining me today to talk about Gen Alpha how you should really update your L&D strategy to include these Gen Alpha learners. Make sure to stay tuned throughout the episode and we'll tell you how you can win a podcast swag item at the end. Just exciting little note there. But Amanda, we know we now know who Gen Alphas are, but really my first question to you is why is it essential for organizations to now adapt their training and development strategies for this generation?
00:01:47:15 - 00:02:21:09
Unknown
When I think about Gen Alpha, I have this case study across the hall and it's my kids. They were born in 2010. We all went through this interesting thing, maybe you've heard of it called a global pandemic. And that pandemic expedited lots of things for all generations. One of the things that expedited for Gen Alpha that is different than other generations is integrated learning in school.
00:02:21:09 - 00:02:21:24
Unknown
So
00:02:21:24 - 00:02:40:10
Unknown
I'm not talking about adult learning theory principles versus child learning theory principles. We're not going into Andrew versus pedagogy here, but what we are going to talk about is being used to what the source of knowledge plays a part in for for these kids. So
00:02:40:10 - 00:02:46:21
Unknown
in most of Gen Alpha was fourth grade or younger when the pandemic hit.
00:02:46:23 - 00:03:11:04
Unknown
Prior to that, teachers in the classroom did a lot of teaching to the whole group from the front, doing activities, walking around and helping. They weren't putting elementary school kids into these Google class type structures at such a young age. They were doing that more in high school and certainly in college.
00:03:11:04 - 00:03:21:13
Unknown
But the pandemic launched an expedited ETD, putting kids at younger ages into these platforms to learn things.
00:03:21:15 - 00:03:49:18
Unknown
What that has done is changed their expectation of what the knowledge expert in the room's function is and how they learn. So Gen Z would have started doing that in college, mostly older. Gen Z. It wasn't until college younger, Gen Z, maybe in high school, some certainly not in elementary school, but now it's embedded in elementary school from like third and fourth grade on.
00:03:49:20 - 00:04:18:21
Unknown
Because the schools put money into these platforms. They have licenses, they might as well use them. Right. And so the reason it's important for us to think about is because a lot of organizations are still hanging on to e-learning or instructor led training, possibly blended where we do some e-learning, pre class and post class. But that's as as diverse as we're getting in our strategy.
00:04:18:23 - 00:04:43:01
Unknown
But Gen Z doesn't is looking for something different and Gen Alpha won't even understand it. Let's say. Why on earth are you doing it this way? That's not what the source of truth does. That's not their role in my learning. So it's time now because we have four years before they'll be the oldest part of that generation. To your point of the early 20 tens.
00:04:43:03 - 00:04:51:01
Unknown
My kids are born in 2010 and depending on which sociologist time range, you look at 2010, somewhere between there and 2012
00:04:51:01 - 00:04:55:23
Unknown
is Gen Alpha. So so they're halfway through eighth grade, everybody.
00:04:55:23 - 00:05:14:21
Unknown
But it's, you know, four years until they are eligible for full time work. And so we have four years to really look at how we deliver training now, recognize how it might not even be meeting Gen Z and really not diversified in our strategy to meet Gen Alpha.
00:05:14:21 - 00:05:32:10
Unknown
So that's why now's the time to be thinking about this. Well, absolutely. And I know you you kind of touched on some of these points, but I'm interested in knowing some of the key characteristics and really preferences of Gen Gen Alpha when it comes to learning and development. Yeah,
00:05:32:10 - 00:05:34:15
Unknown
they're wanting
00:05:34:15 - 00:05:36:07
Unknown
more and more
00:05:36:07 - 00:06:02:14
Unknown
for the knowledge expert to be their guide to where to find the information and to bounce ideas and discussion off of, to make sure that they're understanding it, but they're not looking for the instructor or the facilitator, or for the learning strategy to be a source of truth, teaching it to them in an in-classroom or B in E learning lengthy E
00:06:02:14 - 00:06:13:11
Unknown
learnings, overproduced E learnings, and they check out they're not looking for that. What they're looking for is and I'm going to age myself here,
00:06:13:11 - 00:06:26:24
Unknown
my generation might remember and maybe remember Sophie, the Choose Your Path books. So you would read a book and you would get to a page and they would say, okay, you can choose to walk into the scary woods or turn around and go back.
00:06:26:24 - 00:06:45:16
Unknown
If you choose to walk into the woods, turn to page 37. If you choose to go back, turn to page 46, and then you would go read if you essentially like, made it to the next stage or something horrible was usually it was a creepy book. It was You should it's something that ends the story for you and you have to go back and choose the other way.
00:06:45:18 - 00:07:05:16
Unknown
But younger Gen Zs and Gen Alpha, they're looking for that kind of choose my path in learning. And I don't mean my career path. I mean how I want to learn, how I want information delivered to me, what helps for me and let me make those choices. Let me control that.
00:07:05:16 - 00:07:11:06
Unknown
And the knowledge experts are there. Guide in how to find that information.
00:07:11:06 - 00:07:29:01
Unknown
What might be helpful. They might come back and say, you know, as I was watching this short, short video or I was reading that blog, you you had the internal blog you have and I want to talk to you about this because I'm trying to understand this concept and how it works in my role. That's what they're looking for.
00:07:29:01 - 00:07:53:21
Unknown
They want guidance. They don't want to have to rely on the person to come on Tuesday from 8 to 4 and tell them because they're that they're in class now in school. My kids, for example, are being shown where all the resources are to find the information within like the first 10 minutes of a new subject. And then they might have three days where they're meeting all different kinds of things all on their own.
00:07:53:21 - 00:07:55:01
Unknown
So all through
00:07:55:01 - 00:07:58:23
Unknown
90 million different platforms that I have to try and follow to make sure they're doing their homework. But
00:07:58:23 - 00:08:20:10
Unknown
that's what they're used to. Their their teachers are learning partners now. They're not the single source of truth. So that's what they're expecting when they come in to a learning strategy of you go to these classes during the first week and then after your first 30 days, you go to these classes every Monday and then you have these E learnings to finish between it between 30 and 60 days.
00:08:20:10 - 00:08:24:08
Unknown
And look how diverse we are because we do some in class and some online
00:08:24:08 - 00:08:25:05
Unknown
and they would be like
00:08:25:05 - 00:08:33:09
Unknown
certain article about that. There are some thing I can go find that without having to do either of those prior.
00:08:33:09 - 00:08:50:11
Unknown
Well I know we talked about that Gen Z is similar to Gen Alpha in a lot of ways, but what would make this new Generation Alpha different from Gen Z and how they choose or their content and how that content is really delivered?
00:08:50:12 - 00:08:53:22
Unknown
Yeah, a couple of key differences.
00:08:53:22 - 00:09:00:10
Unknown
One is I mentioned it kind of in the beginning of our chat for a Gen Z.
00:09:00:10 - 00:09:17:21
Unknown
This the source of truth being the guide and lots of resources and we don't come to a room five days a week for this. We do it in lots of ways. That really kicked off for older Gen Zs.
00:09:17:21 - 00:09:25:10
Unknown
We're talking college like that just didn't happen until college for younger Gen Z sort of in high school.
00:09:25:10 - 00:09:39:01
Unknown
And the difference, like I was mentioning in Gen Alpha, we're talking elementary school now you're doing this as they learn how to learn, which I think is really important for us to recognize. These are the shaping years where they learn how to learn.
00:09:39:05 - 00:09:43:20
Unknown
I'm teaching my kids how to study. I am teaching them what deadlines mean.
00:09:43:20 - 00:10:08:15
Unknown
You get homework done in a certain time. A lot of a lot of our kids, depending on your districts and stuff, but they don't possibly do homework or not until they're kind of older. So deadlines and turning things in on a certain time for my kids over the past couple of years has been like that is in and of itself something I'm teaching them the importance of
00:10:08:15 - 00:10:09:21
Unknown
even that
00:10:09:21 - 00:10:10:18
Unknown
is negotiable.
00:10:10:18 - 00:10:24:18
Unknown
At my son's school, there's a time that it's due and then the teachers will say, Hey, it's missing, and then he'll have like two weeks to go and go get that finished and turned in and he gets full, quote, grades for it throwing me off. But
00:10:24:18 - 00:10:31:12
Unknown
that's one one key difference is this is happening much younger than the other generations.
00:10:31:14 - 00:10:42:18
Unknown
And for the other generations, it was just kind of nice and part of being an adult. Now. And for our for Gen Alpha, it's shaping how they learn because this is what's happening at this still early stages of their life.
00:10:42:18 - 00:10:52:14
Unknown
The second key difference is everyone talks about, you know, tick tock or YouTube shorts or these types of things less
00:10:52:14 - 00:10:53:14
Unknown
produced
00:10:53:14 - 00:10:56:05
Unknown
shorter snippets, much more
00:10:56:05 - 00:10:59:06
Unknown
authentic, much easier to connect to the person
00:10:59:06 - 00:11:07:07
Unknown
for Gen Alpha that is part of everyday everything, including now they're not going to tick tock in school.
00:11:07:09 - 00:11:31:13
Unknown
I don't think. I don't think not right. I don't think teachers are saying that, but they have, you know, as his wife, my son will they'll be introducing a new history thing and his teachers will have copied and embedded in their discussion boards these really short little like YouTube shorts kind of videos of somebody with their phone introducing a topic.
00:11:31:13 - 00:11:35:08
Unknown
And they might have do cutaways to different scenes from a movie or something
00:11:35:08 - 00:11:58:18
Unknown
very much like that. Gen Z While they are totally on the Tik-tok train and Facebook is for old people and all of that jazz stuff where the YouTube generation actually they're more younger, millennials and Gen Zs are more into the YouTube source, which while still my own video system, I'm
00:11:58:18 - 00:12:07:11
Unknown
still accepting of green screens, still accepting of that kind of sort of produce, not overly produced, but that's kind of okay,
00:12:07:11 - 00:12:09:01
Unknown
younger Gen Z.
00:12:09:01 - 00:12:22:05
Unknown
And certainly as you get into Gen Alpha, as is, I try to show my son really neat produce created videos. He completely checks out and walks away. If I pull up something that someone did with their phone, he's like, sucked in. Yes.
00:12:22:05 - 00:12:32:15
Unknown
It's going to change how we create that video content, I think. And where organizations invest their learning strategy dollars to create some on demand content, what does that need to look like?
00:12:32:17 - 00:12:42:07
Unknown
Does it need to be as as fanciful as we make it? I don't know that it does. Yeah. No, absolutely. I feel like they they want the content that looks like a
00:12:42:07 - 00:12:47:16
Unknown
not an over over sort of or overproduced, like you said, Tik tok like
00:12:47:16 - 00:13:06:22
Unknown
something that they can relate to and they can relate to a Tik Tok of someone who just pulled out their phone and started talking and showing them how to do something, but they might not necessarily be able to relate to someone who is put together a whole production with, like you said, along a longer video showing you how to do something.
00:13:06:22 - 00:13:31:07
Unknown
So I totally understand that and get that. Yeah. Yeah. So you mentioned that organizations do need to start thinking about this now and they have a few years now to start kind of rethinking their strategy. So going after that, what is really a primary difference in how an organization's development strategy currently would want to consider adjusting to integrate this next generation?
00:13:31:07 - 00:13:41:01
Unknown
Learner What I love that you use the phrase integrate because what I would never encourage an organization to do is pivot
00:13:41:01 - 00:14:01:17
Unknown
that generation and completely exclude the fact that, as you said in our opener, there are four other generations work for us still here. Just added one, right? We're bringing in some new folks that don't learn at all the way I mean, the way they're looking to learn in the way Gen X is looking to learn and how we're used to it.
00:14:01:19 - 00:14:05:19
Unknown
I should say it's not even looking to learn. It's what we're used to and therefore comfortable with
00:14:05:19 - 00:14:14:18
Unknown
polar opposites. Right? But Gen X is still there. Elder millennials like myself, we're still here, Baby boomers are still there, and
00:14:14:18 - 00:14:19:06
Unknown
on boards at least, you know, the traditionalist generation, my father
00:14:19:06 - 00:14:22:15
Unknown
that may even be on a board. It would be terrifying, but he would be on board.
00:14:22:17 - 00:14:26:09
Unknown
They're still around, right? So how are we
00:14:26:09 - 00:14:47:10
Unknown
a What I have seen success in and what I am encouraging organizations to do is integrate strategies that will include that next generation while not throwing the baby out with the bathwater and getting rid of your existing strategies that include the generations that are still within our workforce,
00:14:47:10 - 00:15:11:13
Unknown
that what we need to do and I was having a conversation a couple of weeks ago with a young lady newer into the industry, newer into the work career field, and she and I were talking about this topic actually, and she said, I just wish that organizations would give options, so I don't want to go to this
00:15:11:13 - 00:15:13:08
Unknown
leaders program.
00:15:13:10 - 00:15:27:15
Unknown
She's branding the organization. So we're talking new hire, kind of get to know the organization program where you've created this schedule. And I go do all of these things at these times. What I would love to do for me is have my resource person
00:15:27:15 - 00:15:44:17
Unknown
that is like my guide and how I learn. And then I could we offer this information in this class on these days, if that's of interest, we do have some short video options to go over the same information and you can talk with your manager in between.
00:15:44:19 - 00:16:18:12
Unknown
We have some great talking point guides at the end of each video and you could do it that way. We also have these articles over here if you want to read them and kind of learn about our culture that way and talk to your manager. So why I referenced that Choose Your Path book when we first started chatting is because that's what started blinking in my head while she was talking is, my gosh, we could deliver the same information in a multitude of ways and to be inclusive of all generations, let your learners choose their learning path.
00:16:18:14 - 00:16:41:21
Unknown
Let them decide what makes sense for how they like to get information and who are their sources of truth to help them connect it all together. We do need that, you know, administrative control and understanding that you are learning this stuff, that we are making sure you're walking away with what we want you to walk away with. But that the concept that it has to be
00:16:41:21 - 00:16:52:04
Unknown
built by a learning strategist or built and led by an instructor to accomplish that would be outdated thinking.
00:16:52:04 - 00:17:09:06
Unknown
I think there are other ways that we could provide it, because what we are talking about makes sense for ABC Learner. What others might be talking about makes sense for deaf learner, and we need to help learners through Zeke So
00:17:09:06 - 00:17:11:08
Unknown
don't get rid of the content you have.
00:17:11:08 - 00:17:20:02
Unknown
Take the time now to look at all the content that you've identified as an organization is important for us to develop our employees on or in.
00:17:20:04 - 00:17:24:06
Unknown
How can I take this instructor LED class or this 30 minute e-learning
00:17:24:06 - 00:17:39:16
Unknown
and distill it into something different? Can we create blogs? Do we have podcast recording approaches? They're all internal. They're in a bank, a resource bank, and they can go in and click on, you know, episode one episode to episode three, and they have a week to listen to them all.
00:17:39:16 - 00:17:46:10
Unknown
And that's how they that would be great for them. And then at the end of each podcast episode, you say, okay, so
00:17:46:10 - 00:18:05:11
Unknown
we encourage you between now, when you listen to your next episode to talk to your manager about and then you put in those three talking points and then they would go chat with their manager and the manager knows what they are and just same information delivered in a multitude of ways and let the learner own what makes the most sense for them.
00:18:05:17 - 00:18:11:17
Unknown
That's what adapting to include these other generations
00:18:11:17 - 00:18:12:14
Unknown
should look like.
00:18:12:14 - 00:18:30:06
Unknown
Those are all great points and great ideas. You think of God choose your path or choose your pathway, and I just immediately think of the tic tac sound. Choose your fighter. Like that just comes up in my head. I know where that comes from, right? Where is that wrong with your line?
00:18:30:07 - 00:18:35:13
Unknown
And I can picture the sound in everything. Mortal Mortal Kombat
00:18:35:13 - 00:18:40:02
Unknown
is a very, very, very. There's a Gen Z statement for
00:18:40:02 - 00:18:43:00
Unknown
those. Fantastic. I loved it. But yes, that's what we're talking about.
00:18:43:00 - 00:18:57:02
Unknown
Well, moving on here, the phrase authentic city often comes up with when we hear about the next generation or what does this really mean in terms of content development and curation and.
00:18:58:13 - 00:19:01:17
Unknown
So I was mentioning, you know,
00:19:01:17 - 00:19:12:09
Unknown
they get disengaged with overly produced stuff talking about what in the industry we often call the happy path,
00:19:12:09 - 00:19:22:15
Unknown
where in training class we talk about the perfect this is the perfect scenario and here's how you would do this and then you would do this and then they will respond this way and then you would do this and everybody's happy.
00:19:22:17 - 00:19:25:15
Unknown
Conflict resolved. And
00:19:25:15 - 00:19:31:00
Unknown
what folks are looking for in terms of authenticity is tell me what it really looks like. How does it really go?
00:19:31:00 - 00:19:51:11
Unknown
Can you not look perfect while you explain this to me? And can you not be in front of some green screen? I don't mean our beautiful logo backgrounds. I mean in these in these trainings are like these green screened, amazing modern corporate offices that, you know, they're not actually standing in because, you know, very few offices actually look like that in the world.
00:19:51:13 - 00:20:11:21
Unknown
And any all of those layers together make the whole learning disingenuous. And they tune out because this person has no concept of what it's really like or this person doesn't. Yeah, doesn't speak my language and I can't connect with them. What they're looking for is
00:20:11:21 - 00:20:21:09
Unknown
and I call them selfie selfie videos, like I could hold my phone up, just do a chat, a five minute chat or less on
00:20:21:09 - 00:20:35:09
Unknown
the six behaviors, adaptive leadership behaviors, and then say, try this one next time you want to be direct, try this when you want to flex into coaching and they that feels more real.
00:20:35:11 - 00:20:57:23
Unknown
You standing there. I'm a I'm a person. I'm not in the most perfect setting and I'm having a quick conversation with you about what it looks like and and how it works. And that feels more real. I am a leadership coach, so it makes more sense that I would talk about that. It would make no sense if I made a video about marketing strategy.
00:20:57:23 - 00:20:59:05
Unknown
I don't do that.
00:20:59:05 - 00:21:13:14
Unknown
But having a marketing person pop on and say, Marketing hot tip of the week and they know who they are because they're in their organization, it just is a quick hit and it's one of them. It's one of my team members. It's a person I know
00:21:13:14 - 00:21:18:00
Unknown
in a space that I feel like if I walked up to their desk, they would say it to me in that exact same way.
00:21:18:00 - 00:21:31:12
Unknown
And that's authenticity. Yes. And I can relate to that. Even being a younger, a younger employee, like that's the type of learning that I want to or that I want to see so be prejudged. So we get in there
00:21:31:12 - 00:21:38:17
Unknown
just I mean, I'll just interview you. You tell what you want. Exactly. So tell me if I'm wrong. Okay.
00:21:38:20 - 00:21:42:09
Unknown
You know what? You are 100% on. Right on.
00:21:42:09 - 00:22:02:24
Unknown
Well, we're we've been bringing up phones a lot and Tic TAC and all this, so we've got to bring up technology at some point. So how has really technology shaped the way that Gen Alpha learns and what role should other digital tools play in these modern training programs? Yeah, I mean, Google Classroom
00:22:02:24 - 00:22:05:21
Unknown
is part of elementary school.
00:22:05:23 - 00:22:26:13
Unknown
Google Classroom becomes they all those all of them have like an online platform. All of the kids have Chromebooks instead of books. But all of the kids most of the kids schools have that by junior high. My son had that by seventh grade, but up through sixth grade, a lot of stuff was done on these interactive whiteboards in the room or something like that.
00:22:26:13 - 00:22:53:06
Unknown
Now, I know every district is different. I know every private school versus public school and all of it can look different. My son goes to public school. I can all look different. But all of the districts are using these platforms for where the content is held. So he'll go to a platform and then there's I kid you not 12 different apps
00:22:53:06 - 00:22:58:12
Unknown
that he would be clicking in and out of to get his classwork done.
00:22:58:14 - 00:23:13:22
Unknown
His math class alone has three apps that he uses. The only class that feels even remotely like how I used to learn is his social studies class. And that's because they only have one app they use. I didn't have any apps, but like
00:23:13:22 - 00:23:20:16
Unknown
that's how he expects to go find content and he finds it on his own with the teacher being the guide.
00:23:20:16 - 00:23:28:13
Unknown
If Here's the things I want you to accomplish today, here's some resources to do it. His English teacher is teaching them how to use chat gpg
00:23:28:13 - 00:23:43:04
Unknown
coming into an organization when he gets into full time work that doesn't even use any type of technology like that in any way would feel very weird to him because he's been really will at that point have been using it for five years in school, you know,
00:23:43:04 - 00:23:46:02
Unknown
so they're looking for a source.
00:23:46:08 - 00:23:54:23
Unknown
They're looking for. I always say you just have a pond and the teacher tells you what to fish for and you go fish for it, which makes no sense to him. And he tells me he doesn't fish, but
00:23:54:23 - 00:23:56:12
Unknown
the point being,
00:23:56:12 - 00:24:04:18
Unknown
that's how it's being done. Right? And we have these technologies in our or in our organizations right now.
00:24:04:20 - 00:24:16:18
Unknown
So many organizations have some sort of collaborative tool they use, whether it's teams, whether it is WebEx teams, there's Microsoft teams, there's WebEx teams,
00:24:16:18 - 00:24:24:04
Unknown
whether it is even Google Slack or Google Hangouts. Right. Some free version of a tool to collaborate.
00:24:24:04 - 00:24:34:16
Unknown
Organizations are doing that. It used to be colleges used Blackboard. Right. And that was again pre me I didn't use I did the Dewey Decimal system and I went to library but
00:24:34:16 - 00:24:38:11
Unknown
there was blackboard and that was kind of it and it was in college.
00:24:38:13 - 00:24:46:06
Unknown
Now we're talking just how I get my assignments work done in sixth grade. So
00:24:46:06 - 00:25:03:01
Unknown
we have these capabilities in our organizations right now. We don't think of using them. Not every organization, I should say. I have some of our members that do, but not every organization thinks about how do we use this as part of our learning strategy and not just as part of our collaboration tool.
00:25:03:03 - 00:25:06:18
Unknown
That's where I think we can. You can do this
00:25:06:18 - 00:25:18:00
Unknown
utilizing a lot of tools that you have at your disposal, and you should utilize all of them. Because remember, I'm talking about creating a learning path, not pivoting, integrating.
00:25:18:00 - 00:25:22:20
Unknown
And I would say going off of that. Then follow up question to that is,
00:25:22:20 - 00:25:38:00
Unknown
do you have or have you seen any organizations that have already started to kind of to where they're more integrate their training and development programs for general hire already?
00:25:38:02 - 00:26:00:09
Unknown
Yeah, Yeah, we do. We have a couple of members. It's interesting they're in the one is in the of Rackspace so they started doing this not for Gen Alpha but because a lot of their team members are in their vans and on the road. So they're not you can't do a atria system e-learning because we don't give them computers and yes we all have mobile learning.
00:26:00:09 - 00:26:27:24
Unknown
But if you look at mobile learning and an L.M. learning management system, platforms that are mobile enabled, it's the same video on a smaller screen. That's the only difference. It is a completely redone for your phone. It's still a video and you still might have quiz questions that pop up in between and you just are doing it on a smaller screen so it's not actually redone for mobile.
00:26:27:24 - 00:26:40:15
Unknown
So it wasn't really working for them. So they started creating these things because they did have certain pieces of content that were hands on. And so you have to come to the warehouse to do it,
00:26:40:15 - 00:26:49:14
Unknown
but we offer it a multitude of times because of schedules. So I might have an installation scheduled that day. And we can't stop all installations as a business.
00:26:49:14 - 00:27:12:08
Unknown
We aren't going to do that. That's silly. So well offered and multiple times to fit your schedule. So people were starting to choose their own path already based on that. That works for me. And then they all had teams and so they started creating teams channels for content. There are two new create a channel. Here's a lot of ways this can benefit a learning strategy.
00:27:12:10 - 00:27:16:05
Unknown
One, it's a it's a mobile. You can install teams on your phone, right
00:27:16:05 - 00:27:31:07
Unknown
When you have a channel that you belong to, let's say new employee channel or emerging leaders channel or customer service channel. And it's not us talking with the members, it's learning how to be great at our customer services. We're at their homes and we're doing these installations.
00:27:31:07 - 00:27:55:10
Unknown
What happens is they get added to the channel because either say they want to or everybody does. For the first year, whichever their strategy is, the channel has a chat. So they would have ongoing discussions all the time in the moment, coaching with the the guide there, but they also have their cohort of learners of other people. So they've just dealt with this situation, you know, not knowing if I did it right.
00:27:55:10 - 00:28:34:23
Unknown
What's your opinion and the groups chatting about it then another tab for the channels, those files and they would have procedures. F.A. Qs, all kinds of sources of information there for them. They also could have videos in that file and they, there's a lot of different apps you can add on to any team's channel. So they would have all these different things, including a scheduler, so that if they did have in-person classes coming up on this topic and it was something that you feel like you needed more help in, you could go to the scheduler, click it, it linked to the LMS to register so you can track.
00:28:35:00 - 00:28:39:04
Unknown
Like I said, you still going to have some sort of tracking system to the stuff
00:28:39:04 - 00:28:53:01
Unknown
and people that wanted to go to the in-person class and they, they would have the multiple sessions and they would click it and they would come, but you didn't have to. And some people the way the the soapies, some videos and the chat function worked for them
00:28:53:01 - 00:28:54:22
Unknown
and they didn't do it for that generation.
00:28:54:22 - 00:28:58:19
Unknown
But I told them, I said, Well, you're in luck. You're already set up thumbs up. My
00:28:58:19 - 00:29:03:24
Unknown
early start. Yeah, yeah. I mean, and, and they did a lot of their
00:29:03:24 - 00:29:05:18
Unknown
they would reach into the chat
00:29:05:18 - 00:29:14:07
Unknown
channel and say, hey, we're looking to update our videos. Anybody want to come? So to that authenticity point, they were just shooting them with their own.
00:29:14:09 - 00:29:18:09
Unknown
I don't know if it was their phones probably a little bit fancier, but their own like handheld
00:29:18:09 - 00:29:42:19
Unknown
videos with volunteers of team members. So so people are showing up. We're not producing. We knocked around an hour and then within like a half hour it was up and in the in the team's channel on that subject. So using teams not just for a collaborative tool, but as a development piece of the strategy and they just did it beautifully.
00:29:42:21 - 00:29:45:06
Unknown
I was like, You're good. High five here.
00:29:45:06 - 00:29:50:05
Unknown
that's a great it's a great example of a good success story. So yeah,
00:29:50:05 - 00:30:13:20
Unknown
I do also want to reiterate the point I know we talked about, but that there are are also other generations in the workplace simultaneously. So can you just kind of reiterate the point or talk about how this strategic adjustment or integration, what that really means for for those learners of different generations?
00:30:13:22 - 00:30:50:11
Unknown
Yes. And you used the pivotal word again, integration, right? Don't throw out what you already have. Just use it. You already have a strategy that is identified important information that you as an organization, agree. You should invest your time and energy into developing your people on. Because whatever learning strategy you have that involves a person coordinating it, people spending time outside of their daily work to learn it means you as an organization have determined it's worth the time investment and possibly depending on what it is, the financial investment.
00:30:50:14 - 00:31:11:11
Unknown
So don't get rid of any of that. It's saying how can we also deliver that in potentially more of a choose your own path kind of way? Can we take that information? And what are the exercises that for someone that doesn't need to or want to go to a learning for workshop approach we can take out and still give them that information.
00:31:11:12 - 00:31:13:11
Unknown
It's more of like a
00:31:13:11 - 00:31:36:15
Unknown
like an article kind of thing to read. And then instead of exercises, we finish it with those talking points that you go chat with your manager about. Don't expect people to read it and retain it. You have to kind of let them in and they need to let the manager know. They read this, they want to talk about these points, but how I integrate it into my job role, the threat that other people might go to the class on the same content, but
00:31:36:15 - 00:31:48:19
Unknown
it's taking what already exists because it's been determined as important and then spending some energy in providing it in some different ways so that as other generations
00:31:48:19 - 00:32:10:11
Unknown
and other learner preferences, you also might find you. I don't want to assume that there aren't, you know, my mom as she's a boomer, she's a boomer like the first year, the baby boomer. But she and I talk about it and she's like, man, there was a lot of stuff. I would sit through glass and think, this could have been like a quick walk by my cube and tell me and I would have been fine.
00:32:10:11 - 00:32:18:09
Unknown
She's a math mathematician and engineer woman, so most things she felt could have been handled through a quick conversation. But
00:32:18:09 - 00:32:27:11
Unknown
so you might be surprised as to who you see take advantage of more of that self-guided, not even just self-paced, self-guided
00:32:27:11 - 00:32:36:07
Unknown
learning strategy. No, that's a good point To just mention that some gen zers or gen alphas may not all take the same approach or.
00:32:36:07 - 00:33:00:22
Unknown
They're all the same way. So that's a good point to bring up. But kind of wrapping up here, do I know we talked about a lot today, but do you have three main takeaways that our listeners can kind of walk away with in terms of how they can really start integrating learning and development strategies for Gen Alpha learners?
00:33:00:24 - 00:33:08:14
Unknown
Absolutely. Stop throwing so much money into production for any of your video stuff. You don't have to
00:33:08:14 - 00:33:21:17
Unknown
sow more authentic content that feels more real. So embrace the fact that you might be talking about the happy path and spend time talking about reality.
00:33:21:17 - 00:33:28:13
Unknown
Diverse. Don't get rid of what you have. Diversify how someone can access the information shared and what you have.
00:33:28:13 - 00:33:39:22
Unknown
And the third one, and this is going to be the hardest for any organization potentially it was the hardest for me, and I like to think I'm pretty progressive learning views
00:33:39:22 - 00:33:43:15
Unknown
Embrace empowering the learner.
00:33:43:15 - 00:33:48:16
Unknown
I'll say that online again. Embrace empowering the learner
00:33:48:16 - 00:33:52:01
Unknown
so who knows how it. So if you would like information shared best, I don't
00:33:52:01 - 00:33:53:15
Unknown
know if you knows that so
00:33:53:15 - 00:33:57:04
Unknown
too that diversifying then let go features.
00:33:57:06 - 00:34:13:07
Unknown
Here's the things I need you to know. I need you 30, 60, 90 to know it. Here's the different ways you can learn it. Let's sit down and myself as the learning leader, person or whatever. Right? The trainer assigned to you. You're your Sherpa through your learning guide.
00:34:13:07 - 00:34:18:04
Unknown
As we sit down, let's map it out. What makes the most sense for you?
00:34:18:06 - 00:34:32:05
Unknown
And you might be like parents. It's kind of hard. I think that one, I would like to go to a class on. I'm pretty good at that. And this is embracing adult learning theory. This is my whole career and we hire experts and then we train them how to do it. Steve Jobs is like that is so ridiculous.
00:34:32:07 - 00:34:52:23
Unknown
And I agree with the man. If you're a marketing expert, I'm not going to train you on like how to market and social. Come take our social media marketing. Sophie Who's done social media marketing for forever? I'm not going to do that. So you might be like, I just want to read your policies on that. I'm good. You know, let me sit you down with the options.
00:34:53:02 - 00:34:54:02
Unknown
Let you choose. A
00:34:54:02 - 00:35:17:13
Unknown
it's a great, great ending point here and some great action steps that our listeners can start implementing today then, or at least thinking about it, you know? Yeah, well, you just heard from every subject matter expert on educating general flow. But to our listeners we also want to hear from you. So we're curious to know what you're doing to kind of revamp or
00:35:17:13 - 00:35:21:19
Unknown
I guess, revamp your training programs for the next generation.
00:35:21:21 - 00:35:38:13
Unknown
And so we are giving out one of our new podcast merch swag items. So we're encouraging you to send in your comments on this question for a chance to win that podcast Souvenir you'll want. I have one and I want it. I want one. So can I comment? I'll give you a one.
00:35:38:13 - 00:35:41:07
Unknown
But otherwise, thank you so much for tuning in today.
00:35:41:07 - 00:36:09:10
Unknown
Thank you, Amanda, for all that great information. As always. Don't forget to check out the resources in the show notes below on MRA membership and Resources on this specific episode. So I hope you have a great day and we will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcasts updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform.
00:36:09:11 - 00:36:19:03
Unknown
And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.
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