You're exploring job roles in digital learning. How can you advance in each?

The best instructional designers I’ve worked with understand that learners need to know the “What’s in it for me”. Understanding this exponentially increases the value of the course. Always be able to tie the course back to how it aligns with the company and individual’s goals. A deep understanding of learning principles and an openness to feedback are critical as well.

I think the best Instructional Designers are story-tellers. They can analyse a dry, boring or abstract topic and work out how to make it relevant to the audience and give it a flow. And never mind knowing eLearning tools and LMS's. Other people can master those. Master the art of the written word instead. Write in Plain English. Learn how to proofread. Have a position on the Oxford Comma. Many people know Articulate or Captivate. But a good writer is hard to find.

This is true. But the best eLearning Developers also have an eye for beauty. They can make things look visually appealing. They can chunk information in logical ways. They have attention to detail. A good Developer can spot a button 2 px out of alignment. But they are also not perfectionists. They will keep trying variations of code until something works. Good eLearning Developers are also curious and collaborative. They will lopk at a storyboard, as what the Designer is trying to acheive, and suggest a way to make the course even better. They bring creative ideas and a commitment to quality.

The best Learning Consultants know that the purpose of learning is to achieve a business goal. So they don't talk learning. They talk business. They ask what a client is trying to achieve and suggest multiple ways to get there. Good Consultants are also resilient. It takes time to build a trusting relationship with a client. Particularly if they have had a bad experience in the past. And the best Consultants are brave. They push back. If the cleint wants something that clearly won't work, they will respectfully disagree, explain their position, and offer an alernative.

Having come to the Learning Consultant role through a background as an instructional designer, I think a key expertise combination is to be able to balance deep knowledge in learning strategies and delivery modes with *real* consulting skills. Of course you need to be able to speak to best practices in the learning space, trends and issues in the field, and have a strong understanding of the psychological underpinnings of learning design ... but it's almost as crucial to have dynamic collaboration and stakeholder management skills. It's an old cliché, but to be a great consultant you have to communicate your expertise in a compelling way. Building relationships with authenticity and really becoming a trusted advisor, that's essential too.

Having a broad base in the other learning roles will help you lead - particularly understanding the Learning Consultant role. A Learning Manager is often also a Project Manager. So make sure you can drove towards an outcome on a fixed budget and timeframe. Problem solving is also a key part of leading a team. There is never one 'right way'. Instead, you need to understand different perspectives and work towards agreement and compromise.

A lot of learning teams are full of creative, extroverted types. So a good analyst provides a much needed balance to a team. Bring order to the chaos. Give the structure that the team needs. But keep in mind that those big personalities are there and you do need to find a way to work with them.