L&D Tech: Avoid Shiny Object Syndrome!

In recent years, technological advancements have outpaced anything we’ve ever seen in the history of humanity. The rapid evolution of technology and the learning landscape challenges us to be agile and adaptable. These changes dictate that we regularly take inventory of the tools and technologies at our disposal and assess their ability to deliver what is necessary for us to be successful in the present and future.  Yet, there is a balance to be struck between being left behind and falling victim to Shiny Object Syndrome, a continual state of distraction brought on by an ongoing belief that there is something new worth pursuing.

Graphic & Citation

https://ourworldindata.org/technology-long-run

Evaluating Our Current Assets

Earlier this year I was fortunate to attend the Association of Talent Development (ATD) conference in New Orleans. That experience really highlighted the importance of the technological aspect of any organization’s learning ecosystem. The conference, a massive gathering of more than 10,000 learning and development professionals, was exhilarating, enlightening, and overwhelming all at once. It was a fascinating showcase of the breadth of technologies and applications available and was simultaneously a prime example of why we often feel pressured to chase the latest innovations.

One session particularly resonated with me, challenging me to take a deep dive into our learning ecosystem at Spiirall. The session’s insights have spurred ongoing discussions about how we can better align our tools, technologies, and strategies. It has also led me to make a conscious effort to introduce or remind our team about all our resources. As our team grows, it can be easy to take for granted that everyone is aware of all that we have.

It is critically important that we have the necessary tools, awareness of their capabilities, AND that we are using them to their highest potential. One of the mistakes that L&D professionals can make is to move from one thing to another without having maximized the capabilities of what is already at their disposal. So often, leveraging our existing assets is a better solution, even if only in the short term. Are you leveraging your tools effectively? Are you letting gaps persist because your organization isn’t quite ready to invest in the most recent technology trend?

An Opportunity for Leveraging

There are many examples of how you can move forward utilizing what you already have, and in doing so make an even stronger case for new investments. For instance, Spiirall sees a tremendous amount of potential in gamified learning experiences. Quite naturally our first step could be to find out what content creation tools or platforms specialize in gamification. However, I argue that our first step should be to take an inventory of our current tools to ensure that we don’t already have resources that can be leveraged to create gamified experiences.

Spiirall uses Conferences I/O as an audience response system, primarily for tracking CPE attendance minutes and administering content polls for compliance. But within the platform is a quiz-style game called Team Battle that can be played with attendees in real-time. In addition to the basic Team Battle functionality, they’ve taken it a step further and created a “JeoParody” (inspired by the gameshow Jeopardy) template that is an ideal tool for gamifying content reviews. While these features may not be enough to accomplish the ultimate goal we’ve set for gamified learning experiences, maximizing their functionality first, will allow us to collect data that would inform whether or not a more substantial investment in gamification is warranted.  We also have vendor partners, like Surgent, who have created on demand gamified content. Their content provides another opportunity to learn before making an additional investment.

By starting with technology we already have, we can gain insight into how our learners are responding to gamification. After all, the goal of gamification is higher levels of engagement.  Are learners excited by it? Is it in fact more engaging than traditional methods? Do our learners prefer it? Do they learn more from it? Are they more confident when they complete it? What are the challenges with it? What are good gamification experiences? And what are bad gamification experiences? The answers to these questions will ultimately inform our investment decisions.

Technological Stewardship

Danielle McCormick, CEO of Spiirall, often asks, “What job are we hiring that particular tool to do?” This question helps us think holistically about how each asset contributes to our mission of creating boundless opportunities.

The importance of being a good steward of the resources we have cannot be overstated. As L&D professionals, we must do our due diligence by thoroughly exploring the technologies currently in our ecosystem to ensure they are being used at full functionality. If something new is necessary, a clear strategy should be in place to maximize its value. Investing in innovative technologies that don’t clearly result in higher levels of engagement, learning, application, and impact can undermine an organization’s trust in their L&D unit. But, when we do our due diligence we can bring new technology on scene with confidence, knowing that we have the information needed to reasonably predict its positive impact.  One of the ironies of being a good steward is that usually when you have a clear plan for what you’re “hiring” a tool to do, you’ll find even more jobs for it to do. When you don’t have a clear plan for what you’re hiring a tool to do, it often doesn’t do much at all. Shiny objects without a clear purpose quickly attract dust and become dull.

Conclusion

This focus on optimizing the tools in your learning ecosystem echoes some of the key points highlighted in Kevin Estep’s article, “Learn From Our Mistakes – Build a Better Training Budget,” published on April 24, 2024. Kevin emphasized the importance of aligning training budgets with business objectives. His insights on balancing cost-effectiveness with quality and the need for regular review and adjustment are highly relevant as we navigate the complexities of modern learning technology.

Here are my practical suggestions for balancing your needs and wants when it comes to learning technology:

1. Conduct Regular Inventory Assessments: Make it a practice to periodically evaluate your learning ecosystem. Are your current tools meeting your needs?
   
2. Maximize Your Existing Tools: Before pursuing new technologies, take the time to fully explore and utilize the features of the tools you already have. You might discover functionalities that can enhance your learning experience without additional costs (at least in the short-term).
   
3. Practice Technological Stewardship: Approach your tool selection and usage with a mindset of stewardship. If something new is required to accomplish your goals, have a thoughtful plan for its utilization. In doing so, you’ll reward the trust the organization has placed in you.
   
4. Clarify Tool Purpose: Ask, “What job are we hiring this tool to do?” This helps ensure that each tool aligns with your learning objectives and has a defined role in obtaining the associated outcomes.

I encourage you to prioritize these strategies, and thereby position yourself as a trusted advisor and strategic partner within your organization. These approaches not only enhance the effectiveness of learning initiatives but also demonstrate a commitment to maximizing resources and delivering tangible value. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement and thoughtful stewardship, we can elevate the role of learning and development, ensuring it is recognized as a vital driver of organizational success in an ever-evolving landscape of learning.

At Spiirall, we believe firms deserve to have the guidance and support needed to create the training & development strategy they aim to achieve. We understand what it’s like to be overwhelmed & frustrated as you determine your learning & development needs.  This is why we have provided guidance and education to hundreds of accounting firms to help them design better learning & development strategies. If you’d like to learn more about how Spiirall can help you capitalize on your training and development investment, contact us at info@spiirall.com.