Transforming boring learning: How innovation, science, and creative methods contribute to effective learning

This phrase, coined by Stella Collins — author, keynote speaker, and the “Brain Lady” — is not just a belief but a powerful statement that underscores the transformative potential of effective learning. Stella, a staunch advocate for incorporating science, data, and technology into training, believes this integration can make a significant difference.

This principle is exemplified by the experiences of Duncan Wardle, formerly Vice President of Innovation and Creativity at The Walt Disney Company. A decade ago, when Duncan was brought on as Head of Innovation and Creativity, he faced the challenge of embedding a culture of innovation and creativity into Disney’s DNA. Disney had recently acquired Marvel, Pixar, ESPN, Lucasfilm, and ABC, each operating with different innovation processes. Recognizing the need for structured training and tools for innovators, Duncan embarked on a journey to integrate effective training methodologies into the company’s culture.

Duncan tried four different approaches:

• Hiring innovation consultants. Although they were skilled, the impact was minimal.
• Launching an internal innovation team. It led to a perception that innovation was solely the team’s responsibility.
• Partnering with young tech startups through an accelerator program. Innovation occurred but was limited to only about 1% of the company.

After these attempts, they failed. However, Duncan had an “Aha!” moment that changed everything.

Below, we’ll explore how to make corporate training exciting and compelling.

The corporate training report published in 2024 by The Business Research Company covered the global market with a specific focus on growth trends and forecasts from 2024 to 2033. They revealed that the corporate training market is experiencing significant growth, projected to increase from $383.14 billion in 2023 to $400.94 billion in 2024, at a CAGR of 4.6%. By 2028, it is expected to reach $485.4 billion, with a CAGR of 4.9%. Increased learning budgets, digital platform penetration, and demand for mobile-based learning drive this growth.

Major trends include AI for personalized learning, augment, and virtual reality. The market encompasses various training programs and methods, with significant demand in the healthcare, banking, and IT industries.

New research demonstrates the detrimental effects of boring and uninspiring content on employee engagement. A significant majority of UK workers are disengaging from workplace learning due to this issue. The research underscores the crucial role of line managers in preparing staff for training. A poll of UK employees commissioned by City & Guilds Group revealed that 69% of respondents were dissatisfied with the training content, citing it as ‘dull and disinterested.’

Most (80%) of employees surveyed said their organization had attempted to improve their skillset and employability during the past year. Still, just 13% would rate the L&D opportunities they were given as very effective. Less than a quarter (21%) said they felt well-equipped to do their job to the best possible.

In 2023, we published an e-book created with the help of prominent L&D specialists. Here are some of the points:

• Kevin M. Yates emphasizes aligning L&D with human and business performance metrics rather than traditional operational metrics. He highlights the need for data showing the impact of learning on behavior and business outcomes, suggesting that current L&D programs may not always effectively address real-world career needs.
• Matt Ash points out that traditional L&D focuses on compliance and job readiness, whereas modern L&D includes innovation, change, resilience, wellness, and culture. This shift indicates that development programs must evolve to support broader career paths and address employees’ holistic needs.
• Nelson Sivalingam discusses the need for L&D to be agile and problem-focused rather than solution-focused. He argues that L&D programs should be designed to solve specific business problems, which can help bridge the gap between development programs and actual career paths.
• Ross Stevenson highlights the importance of growing human potential and setting people up for rewarding careers through skill acquisition and improvement. He suggests that L&D should be about enabling performance outcomes, indicating that development programs need to be more aligned with individual career aspirations and business goals.
• Bhavani Nandakumar mentions that L&D should focus on performance improvement and career development to meet organizational performance requirements. This statement implies that there is often a disconnect between development programs and the evolving career paths that employees might pursue.

• How do you determine when something has gone awry, necessitating a transformation in corporate training?
• How can you engage employees in the learning process to achieve better outcomes?
• What’s the primary focus when transforming corporate training?

As noted earlier in our blog post, Stella Collins emphasizes that the first step is to avoid creating more content. Begin with your business objectives — what actions do you want employees to take to ensure their success and the organization’s sustainability?

Ensure the right people are involved to understand how learning occurs in your organization. Utilize learning science to optimize this process. Learning technology can support and enhance this, but technology and content alone will only impact if they are designed to motivate people, enhance performance, and gain support from key stakeholders.

The main error in a learning strategy that fails to deliver expected results is focusing excessively on one of two aspects — or both. Either too much emphasis is placed on flashy content that looks impressive and keeps people busy but doesn’t drive change or on sophisticated technology that isn’t grounded in learning science. Such technology may have many features but fails to support a comprehensive learning journey.

Duncan Wardle recognized that over-instructing more than people to think differently, take risks, or gather for brainstorming sessions was needed. Instead, it was crucial to equip them with the tools to naturally foster creativity in the workplace. A chef with a complete set of knives is more confident in the kitchen than one with a single, dull blade; similarly, having the right tools empowers individuals to excel in their craft. To ensure their teams could consistently exhibit creativity, they understood the necessity of providing resources to spark creative thinking.

Recognizing the need to eliminate the intimidation associated with innovation, they developed a toolkit. This toolkit successfully made out-of-the-box thinking accessible and enjoyable for busy employees, leading to a surge in creativity. The once mundane task of brainstorming sessions became engaging and productive, a testament to the power of the right tools in fostering creativity.

The secret ingredient to revitalizing corporate training programs in this way is recognizing the enormous power of creativity to transform professional development from a mundane task into an exciting journey. By integrating creative learning methods and innovative development tools, we can ignite a passion for learning in our employees, ensuring that they learn new skills and enjoy the process, fostering a culture of continuous growth and innovation.

Adding a creative approach to learning design can re-energize your team. Most existing learning models, primarily online, could be more exciting. They often include repetitive multiple-choice questions with a required pass level, resulting in minimal engagement. This approach only ticks off the required point without engaging the students.

If you want your training and development programs to be thrilling and impactful, you should approach them differently. Otherwise, you’ll continue to see lackluster results. According to Gallup data for 2022, only 32% of workers are engaged, while 18% aren’t. It leaves half of the workforce in the middle of nowhere who deserve more than traditional, uninspiring training methods.

It would help if you encouraged creativity to create an enjoyable and practical professional development experience. Start by helping your team practice creative behaviors they can apply in their daily roles.

By asking “What if?” you can break down perceived obstacles and inspire innovative solutions.

Walt Disney’s frustration with movie theaters’ limitations led him to ask, “What if?” This question eventually resulted in the creation of Disneyland, a revolutionary immersive experience where he could control every aspect of the environment.

Detecon used AI-powered skills assessment tools from HRForecast to tailor training programs and identify skills gaps, enabling a more targeted approach to workforce development.

Asking “How else?” encourages creative rethinking of existing processes and relationships.

Unilever adopted the “How else?” mindset to transform its approach to employee development. Ask, “How else can we provide effective training and development opportunities?” Unilever created the FLEX Experiences platform. This AI-powered internal talent marketplace matches employees with short-term projects across different departments, enabling them to gain new skills and experiences beyond their usual roles.

The platform democratizes learning by allowing employees to explore various opportunities, helping them develop a broader skill set and prepare for future roles. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, FLEX Experiences enabled Unilever to redirect employees to high-priority projects quickly, demonstrating the platform’s flexibility and commitment to employee development.

Creating an environment encouraging playfulness can unlock creativity and lead to innovative ideas.

Activities that induce laughter and playful interaction, such as “Monsters in the Closet,” can set a creative tone for training sessions. Merck utilized workforce planning solutions to better align employee skills with organizational needs, resulting in a more engaged and innovative workforce.

Adding gaming elements to training can make it more engaging and memorable.

Games like Fortnite exemplify creative problem-solving by allowing players to choose their tools, teams, and strategies, which can be mirrored in gamified training environments.

AI-driven learning experiences at Lufthansa Hungary strategically managed skills, enhancing engagement and development through interactive and personalized learning modules.

Integrating a skills-based approach to training ensures alignment with organizational needs and employee growth. Continental used big data to identify the best-fit skills for various roles, ensuring that training programs are precisely targeted to fill skill gaps.

By shifting from traditional training methods to a more creative and skills-based approach, organizations can foster an environment of continuous learning and innovation, leading to more engaged and productive employees.