Bah, Humbug! What Scrooge Can Teach Us About E-Learning Design (And How To Help Unengaged Employees)

This Christmas, I have an e-learning tip for you...

The Ebenezer Scrooge Strategy.

You see, in 2018, many clients came to me with a "traditional" strategy for their e-learning.

But, what the final solution became was a vehicle for transformation. Which shifted perspective and framed new behaviours as a better way to work and life.

Why is this important?

And, why is this relevant at Christmas?

Well, depending on your source, 65 to 75 percent of employees are unengaged. That's not good.

Scrooged On The Job

The story of Ebenezer Scrooge - that you're probably familiar with - is THE classic story of transformation.

But how so?

Well, Scrooge was given the opportunity to see the cold hard truth of cause-and-effect.

He saw, clear as day, the effect his actions had on the people around him and, the effect his actions were going to have on him (and poor Tiny Tim) in the future.

Naturally, knowing the effects of our actions is powerful.

Now, before I continue, it's important to NOT let the fact Scrooge is wealthy distract you.

Because, in the end, after his transformation, Scrooge is a good guy, a decent guy... Money did not have anything to do with him viewing and living life poorly.

A person without wealth can be a "Scrooge"... and you probably know one or two, right?

Anyways. The point is Scrooge's belief system and perception was all messed up.

At the beginning of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is the archetypical unengaged person. Our worst—bitter and resentful—attitudes manifested and laid bare.

Now, if we're being honest, we know there is a bit of Scrooge in all of us. (That's why the story is retold and a timeless lesson.) We know we're not living our best self and it's important to be reminded there are repercussions for that...

But, sadly, we don't get the opportunity Scrooge gets.

That is, to see causality, or causes and effects, of living or working poorly. Of not being our best self.

E-Learning And The Ebenezer Scrooge Transformation

Now, if we take that concept and we accept it as true, we then realize story-driven scenario-based e-learning is 'A Christmas Carol' opportunity for unengaged employees.

Here me out:

Many unengaged employees view work (and life) with an unhelpful or negative perspective. And, like Scrooge, that will hurt them (and their company) in the long run.

These employees show up to work with certain beliefs and attitudes (unengaged).

And so, like Scrooge, they act a certain way.

Now, we don't care where their beliefs came from.

The point is, well written and constructed e-learning scenarios can illustrate how certain beliefs (and the actions associated with those beliefs) manifest in life. Much like in Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

Think about it. Each story-driven scenario-based e-learning project is an opportunity to illustrate a Scrooge-like transformation... which can inch an unengaged employee towards more fulfillment at work and in life.

Yes, like Dickens, you engineer this. And, when it's done properly, it's seamless.

We can't blame Scrooge, just like we can't blame the 75% of unengaged employees.

See, Scrooge needed to see how his patterns of thought and actions affected him and others.

He needed to be shown the cause-effect relationships ...to learn,... to shift perspective,... and to act differently.

In 2019, you have an opportunity to help unengaged employees.

And it's A LOT easier than sending ghosts...

Story-driven scenario-based e-learning helps you simplify the cause-and-effect chains so employees can learn and live better lives.

Get started HERE. If you want to, that is.

Merry Christmas!

R

Ryan Martin is an e-learning design consultant from British Columbia, Canada. He gained industry-wide recognition in 2012 when he created a radically innovative e-learning module for Articulate. The module was so popular that it soon became a showcase piece for Articulate and still is to this day. Ryan helps workplace learning professionals create story-based e-learning modules by using his proven design framework. He has scripted and designed mission-critical e-learning modules on behalf of his clients and been able to consistently WOW them with his ideas. Ryan’s clients range from NGO’s to the most recognized brands in the world and he has helped them take their e-learning to exciting new levels of engagement.