Well it’s been a few months now since I rolled out our LMS at our organization and FORCED (at least that’s what the staff think) the staff to complete 6 mandatory course. I humbly admit that I failed in a few aspects of this roll out. I wouldn’t say my initial plan was at fault, more so my follow up when the masses did finally start to use the system.
One step I would do in another was would be to send more progress reports out weekly (for this initial launch) to the management team on how users are completing the mandatory course task. [The system was live for 6 months with basic classroom registration, then 6 mandatory courses were launched hospital wide.] Had they known more frequently the progress we may have had more compliance early on. I think this would have eliminated some of the confusion and “broken-telephone” conversations about the material that spread throughout the organization. I think it may have also eliminated much of the trouble shooting I had to do as everyone tried to login at once, however this did find some fatal flaws the system had as well.
I would also increase tutoring sessions (what we call “lunch and learns”) to assist those new to this format of learning and would spread them out not only to occur at the start of the launch, but also in the middle of the “mandatory package” time frame. Even more importantly having a few sessions at the end when everyone was scrambling to complete the courses. It seems to completely slip my mind that the late adopters that would login and try to do the courses were also those that needed the most help in learning how to use and navigate the system.
This was our first true year of having staff use the LMS for mandatory training. The management team didn’t start to make sure their staff had done the courses until after the 4 month deadline and once staff did start going in more frustrations from those that are less computer savvy emerged. I had, at this point, moved on from the “implementation/orientation” phase of the LMS and had lost my own interest and sympathy in training staff that didn’t bother to “come out” to learn about the new system during the initial rollout. I’d advise others that are starting out in implementing their systems to prepare themselves that when they are keen to rollout the new system, it may be months before the staff of your organization is ready to listen to you. Finding that enthusiasm in yourself (again) to go out there and be as energized, enthusiastic, and willing to show it off the system are as key the first day for the early adopters as it is when the others come to you knowing they too must figure out how to use the system.