7 Signs That Your Current L&D Program Is Overwhelming (And Tips To Lighten The Cognitive Load)

When it comes to learning in the workplace, there are endless amounts of topics and competencies that are available and encouraged to be learned. With such a vast availability of knowledge and education, training can easily become overwhelming.

Red Flags your Training Program is Causing Cognitive Overwhelm 

1. Information Overload: Employees feel a sense of frustration and incompetence for not knowing enough. 
2. Misplaced Priorities: With too much information available, learning priorities have become misplaced and it’s unclear on what to learn first. 
3. Burnout & Stress: Accelerated feelings of fatigue and strain with training tasks. 
4. Poor Knowledge Retention: Diminishing value and applications of learning in the workplace. 
5. Ineffective Presentation: Monotonous and tedious formats that are simply not part of a learning recipe for retention. 
6. External Distractions: Eliminating and reducing interference with learning starts with offering multiple ways to learn. 
7. Lack of Context: Providing background and a frame of reference puts the need for learning into focus for all employees. 

So, the question is – how can an organization avoid cognitive overwhelm? 

The goal of any training program is for employees to learn, retain, and make use of the training. To accomplish this, it’s imperative to give employees training that they can handle and in a format that makes sense for them. When organizations supply a one-size-fits-all training program, knowledge retention is put at risk, as well as employee engagement. There are several actionable tips to help lighten the learning load and boost employee engagement. 

Employee Engagement Tips 

• Provide context for how the training will help them in their daily functions 
• Keep the training simple and concise 
• Break down the tasks into manageable steps 
• Be aware of different learning styles and how the information is presented 
• Pay attention to the information flow 
• Utilize questions that promote knowledge retention 
• Minimize distractions and have scheduled training times 

Check out the great work that Meridian customer, K12, has done to educate and retain teachers, administrators and support staff at K12-powered schools.