WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 Welcome back to another deep dive. Today, we're 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:05.139 getting into something I think many of us find 00:00:05.139 --> 00:00:08.939 frustrating. Training. Specifically, training 00:00:08.939 --> 00:00:11.820 that just doesn't seem to land. We're going to 00:00:11.820 --> 00:00:15.619 look at some really interesting insights that 00:00:15.619 --> 00:00:18.780 challenge why we think people dislike training, 00:00:19.140 --> 00:00:21.140 especially in a place like retail. Yeah, it's 00:00:21.140 --> 00:00:23.140 a great source for this. Our mission here is 00:00:23.140 --> 00:00:25.160 really to pull out the key lessons about what 00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:27.780 makes learning stick, you know, especially for 00:00:27.780 --> 00:00:31.559 people who learn best by doing, seeing, interacting. 00:00:31.899 --> 00:00:34.119 Those hands on learners. Exactly. So if you've 00:00:34.119 --> 00:00:37.479 ever felt just buried in information or sat through 00:00:37.479 --> 00:00:39.740 training that felt, well, boring and pointless. 00:00:39.820 --> 00:00:42.460 This one's definitely for you. We'll look at 00:00:42.460 --> 00:00:46.039 why so much training falls flat and what actually 00:00:46.039 --> 00:00:48.439 works. Let's do it. OK, so let's unpack this 00:00:48.439 --> 00:00:51.219 first bit. There's this common idea, right, that 00:00:51.219 --> 00:00:53.600 people, maybe especially in retail, just fundamentally 00:00:53.600 --> 00:00:56.140 hate training. Like it's a chore. Yeah, that's 00:00:56.140 --> 00:00:58.479 the default assumption, a necessary evil. But 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:01.479 what this source suggests is maybe it's not the 00:01:01.479 --> 00:01:03.840 idea of learning they hate. Maybe it's how we're 00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:06.489 trying to teach them. The delivery. That's the 00:01:06.489 --> 00:01:09.489 core of it. There's this huge mismatch. I mean, 00:01:09.549 --> 00:01:12.569 think of a retail. It's all about energy, people, 00:01:12.849 --> 00:01:15.409 visuals, right? It's hands on. People don't generally 00:01:15.409 --> 00:01:18.030 go into retail because they dream of sitting 00:01:18.030 --> 00:01:23.560 alone in a back room reading a 47 page PDF or 00:01:23.560 --> 00:01:26.379 clicking next on some online module until you 00:01:26.379 --> 00:01:28.780 know, their soul quietly leaves their body It's 00:01:28.780 --> 00:01:31.439 just not aligned with why they're there or how 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:34.000 they operate best The source uses this phrase 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:37.659 the cruelty of misaligned training and it really 00:01:37.659 --> 00:01:40.280 it really paints a picture It does like imagine 00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:42.480 hiring someone who's just naturally brilliant 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:44.299 with people, you know They can sell three pairs 00:01:44.299 --> 00:01:46.579 of jeans before you can even say distress denim 00:01:46.579 --> 00:01:49.120 They've got that energy that connection a perfect 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:51.260 hire for the floor. Exactly Exactly. And then 00:01:51.260 --> 00:01:54.640 the first thing you do is make them sit for hours 00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:57.640 reading about abstract customer engagement behaviors. 00:01:57.700 --> 00:02:01.060 Oh. It's like hiring an amazing DJ and then saying, 00:02:01.099 --> 00:02:03.780 great, your job is actually filing taxes. Yeah. 00:02:03.900 --> 00:02:07.120 Yeah. That's a perfect analogy. You're completely 00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:09.180 fighting their natural strengths. You put them 00:02:09.180 --> 00:02:11.479 in the wrong environment. You force the wrong 00:02:11.479 --> 00:02:13.580 method on them. And you get the wrong result. 00:02:14.180 --> 00:02:17.340 Frustration instead of skill. Precisely. This 00:02:17.340 --> 00:02:20.340 points to that fundamental flaw in so many passive 00:02:20.340 --> 00:02:23.599 training methods, handing over thick binders, 00:02:23.939 --> 00:02:27.000 emailing massive documents. Well, it's just not 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:29.719 effective. The information tends to go in one 00:02:29.719 --> 00:02:31.840 eye and out the other. Right. No sticking power. 00:02:32.199 --> 00:02:35.400 Very little. Retention is just really low when 00:02:35.400 --> 00:02:38.280 it's not interactive. We don't really process 00:02:38.280 --> 00:02:42.159 information passively, especially when it's out 00:02:42.159 --> 00:02:44.240 of context like that. We need to connect it, 00:02:44.340 --> 00:02:46.479 do something with it. So thinking about what 00:02:46.479 --> 00:02:49.780 those retail associates actually want, what helps 00:02:49.780 --> 00:02:52.039 them? Well, they want to see it. Right. See how 00:02:52.039 --> 00:02:54.460 the display should look. OK. Watch someone else 00:02:54.460 --> 00:02:57.000 actually do the new product introduction. Yeah. 00:02:57.139 --> 00:02:59.039 They don't just want bullet points. They want 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:01.020 to practice those customer conversations too, 00:03:01.020 --> 00:03:03.599 I bet. Not just answer true false questions in 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:06.960 a quiet room somewhere. Exactly. Learn by doing, 00:03:07.159 --> 00:03:09.539 by seeing, by interacting. It's how we're built. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:12.060 But it's especially true in that kind of dynamic 00:03:12.060 --> 00:03:16.080 job. So. OK, if the old ways are so mismatched. 00:03:17.500 --> 00:03:19.520 What's the alternative? This is where it gets 00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:21.860 really interesting, I think the source talks 00:03:21.860 --> 00:03:25.080 about mobile first training platforms and not 00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:28.280 just like putting the old PDF on a phone. No, 00:03:28.460 --> 00:03:30.340 definitely not. It's a totally different philosophy. 00:03:30.580 --> 00:03:33.439 It's about changing the approach to fit how these 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:36.319 folks actually work and learn, integrating it 00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:38.479 into their day and not pulling them away. Yeah, 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:40.900 if you connect this to the bigger picture, it's 00:03:40.900 --> 00:03:44.349 about. Making training seamless part of the workflow. 00:03:44.349 --> 00:03:46.430 How does that actually work then? Well, it becomes 00:03:46.430 --> 00:03:49.289 interactive bite -sized. Yeah, really visual 00:03:49.289 --> 00:03:52.150 and Crucially usable right there in the moment. 00:03:52.189 --> 00:03:54.469 Okay. So, you know an associate has five minutes 00:03:54.469 --> 00:03:56.550 between helping customers Yeah, perfect time 00:03:56.550 --> 00:03:58.710 to watch a super quick video on a new feature 00:03:58.710 --> 00:04:01.210 Maybe do a quick knowledge check question or 00:04:01.210 --> 00:04:03.009 even just scroll through an update on visual 00:04:03.009 --> 00:04:05.840 merchandising Like looking at photos. Ah, so 00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:08.080 no dragging them off the floor, no scheduling 00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:10.560 separate training blocks necessarily. Exactly. 00:04:10.599 --> 00:04:13.159 No binders, no backroom exile, none of that glazed 00:04:13.159 --> 00:04:16.120 over look. It's just there when they need it 00:04:16.120 --> 00:04:19.360 in a format that works. Fluid. And I guess the 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:22.180 other piece is how familiar that feels using 00:04:22.180 --> 00:04:25.100 a phone. Totally. That's a huge factor. They're 00:04:25.100 --> 00:04:26.980 already on their phones all day, right? Swiping, 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:29.019 tapping, watching short videos, sharing stuff. 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:32.459 We all are. Exactly. So when the training works 00:04:32.459 --> 00:04:35.470 the same way, uses those same intuitive actions, 00:04:36.069 --> 00:04:39.250 it doesn't feel like this alien, horrible homework 00:04:39.250 --> 00:04:42.730 task. It's just another app, almost. Another 00:04:42.730 --> 00:04:44.870 way to use the device they already have. Yeah, 00:04:44.870 --> 00:04:46.389 it feels like an extension of how they already 00:04:46.389 --> 00:04:48.529 live, and importantly, how they already learned 00:04:48.529 --> 00:04:51.189 informally. It just lowers that resistance barrier. 00:04:51.509 --> 00:04:53.709 Okay, so the benefits seem pretty clear for the 00:04:53.709 --> 00:04:55.689 associate. What are they? Well, the immediate 00:04:55.689 --> 00:04:58.240 ones are engagement just shoots up. People actually 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:00.699 do it. And because it's active and bite -sized, 00:05:01.139 --> 00:05:03.139 retention is way better. And managers aren't 00:05:03.139 --> 00:05:05.439 just hoping people read the manual. Right. They're 00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:07.180 not left wondering, did anyone actually look 00:05:07.180 --> 00:05:09.819 at that email I sent last month? They can actually 00:05:09.819 --> 00:05:11.879 see what's happening. OK. That leads into the 00:05:11.879 --> 00:05:13.959 next bit, then. This raises an important question, 00:05:14.319 --> 00:05:16.180 yeah. What about the leaders? What's in it for 00:05:16.180 --> 00:05:19.600 them? Right. Well, probably the biggest advantage 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:21.860 is that real -time visibility we just touched 00:05:21.860 --> 00:05:25.980 on. Leaders can see, like right now, who's completed 00:05:25.980 --> 00:05:28.939 what training. OK. And maybe more importantly, 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:31.160 how well they actually understood it. You can 00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:34.639 track comprehension, not just completion. Ah, 00:05:34.699 --> 00:05:37.639 that's a big difference. Huge. It's the difference 00:05:37.639 --> 00:05:40.819 between saying, I think most of them know this 00:05:40.819 --> 00:05:45.060 stuff versus knowing for a fact who's confident 00:05:45.060 --> 00:05:47.100 and ready and maybe who needs a little extra 00:05:47.100 --> 00:05:49.579 coaching. That's incredibly valuable for managing 00:05:49.579 --> 00:05:51.740 a team. You know where to focus your energy. 00:05:51.959 --> 00:05:53.860 Exactly. It allows for really targeted support. 00:05:54.139 --> 00:05:57.319 So zooming out again, the overall impact. effective 00:05:57.319 --> 00:05:59.160 training, the kind we're talking about. It should 00:05:59.160 --> 00:06:01.420 really fuel those strengths people already have, 00:06:01.540 --> 00:06:04.720 shouldn't it? Absolutely. That energy, the personality, 00:06:04.860 --> 00:06:07.199 the knack for connecting with people, training 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:09.199 should amplify that, not fight it. It should 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:11.379 make them feel, I don't know, more confident, 00:06:11.800 --> 00:06:15.459 more capable, not just bored or frustrated. Yes, 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:18.980 empowered. When associates feel supported like 00:06:18.980 --> 00:06:21.819 that, with learning that actually fits them and 00:06:21.819 --> 00:06:24.980 their job, They don't just like retain facts. 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:28.220 They genuinely light up the sales floor. They 00:06:28.220 --> 00:06:30.879 use the knowledge. They use it. They engage customers 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:32.959 better, more authentically. They bring the whole 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:35.600 brand experience to life. And that for the business. 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:37.100 Well, that's where you see the payoff, right? 00:06:37.420 --> 00:06:39.680 Increased customer loyalty, more repeat business, 00:06:39.860 --> 00:06:43.079 and ultimately real sustainable growth. It all 00:06:43.079 --> 00:06:46.019 connects back. So wrapping this up. What does 00:06:46.019 --> 00:06:49.199 this all mean for you listening? The main takeaway, 00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:51.420 I think, is that the choice isn't really if you 00:06:51.420 --> 00:06:53.879 should modernize training. It feels more fundamental. 00:06:54.100 --> 00:06:55.759 Yeah, it's about deciding what kind of workforce 00:06:55.759 --> 00:06:58.399 you want. Right. Do you want associates who feel 00:06:58.399 --> 00:07:01.519 drained by, you know, outdated PDFs and long 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:04.500 manuals? Or do you want people who are energized, 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:07.180 confident, and actually equipped to do their 00:07:07.180 --> 00:07:09.360 best work? Seems like an easy choice when you 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:11.759 put it that way. It does. And it really highlights 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:14.560 how much impact the method of learning can have. 00:07:14.699 --> 00:07:17.100 Definitely and maybe just a final thought to 00:07:17.100 --> 00:07:20.839 kind of chew on mm -hmm Think about how often 00:07:20.839 --> 00:07:23.019 maybe not just in retail, but in any field maybe 00:07:23.019 --> 00:07:26.540 even our own lives How often do we force these 00:07:26.540 --> 00:07:29.759 square pegs into round holes when it comes to 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:32.220 learning? How many other parts of our work or 00:07:32.220 --> 00:07:35.360 even our personal development could be well transformed 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:38.509 if we just? design the learning experience to 00:07:38.509 --> 00:07:41.149 truly respect how the learner naturally operates 00:07:41.149 --> 00:07:43.009 in the environment they're in. That's a really 00:07:43.009 --> 00:07:45.569 powerful question to end on, designing for the 00:07:45.569 --> 00:07:47.589 learner, not just the lesson. Exactly. It's about 00:07:47.589 --> 00:07:48.750 meeting people where they are.