Recently I tried a new product, detergent strips. They were great, and I think I’m a convert from conventional liquid or powder detergent. I couldn’t help thinking, why did it take me so long to try these! They are much more environmentally friendly, extremely efficient, and take up hardly any space on my laundry room shelf. So why did it take so long to try them, and what can we learn from this when thinking about training and staff development.
Knowledge of a Different Way
The first thing is the knowledge that there is a different way of doing things. These laundry strips are not sold at the grocery store and are still relatively unknown. Because of that, one of the barriers to starting to use them was even knowing they existed. I can’t remember where I heard about them first, but the company had to spend money to help get the word out that this even was an option when thinking about how I do my laundry. In the same way, when we are thinking about new and innovative ways to do training, we have to actively explore and learn about other ways of doing things that we have always done one way. For our staff, we can’t assume they are even aware that there are different ways of doing things that they have always done one way. Training and development play a crucial part in ensuring that they are even aware of new and innovative approaches to their work.
Repeated Exposure to New Ideas
I can’t tell you how many times I saw advertising for this company, but it was certainly more than four times. The final combination that got me to purchase this new product was sponsored content on YouTube (which we will discuss in the next section) and a targeted ad on my Gmail account. Repeat exposure to new ideas played a big part in my willingness to try something new. When we plan our training, we need to incorporate multiple exposures to develop changes in behavior or ideological shifts. In the same way, we can’t expect one isolated training or development exercise to convert them to new ways of thinking.
Endorsed By a Trusted Figure
We are creatures built for human connection. Although I saw other online advertising for these laundry strips, it wasn’t until I saw a trusted vlogger promote this product as part of a sponsored video that I started to investigate it. Sponsored content has been toted as the way of the future because it takes advantage of parasocial bonds. According to verywellmind.com, parasocial bonds are ones in which we form one-sided relationships, where one person extends emotional energy, interest, and time, and the other party, whether a celebrity or sports team, is entirely unaware of the other’s existence. So what does this part of my laundry detergent conversion have to do with training? It emphasizes how meaningful relationships are. The stronger the relationships between leaders and followers in an organization, the more likely they are to change.
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