8 Steps for Inspiring Social Learning
By Natalie Darby
A single training event, even with amazing content, is never going to be a silver bullet for fixing compliance issues. What makes a difference in reducing business risk and compliance related costs are opportunities to learn from leaders or peers and opportunities to practise new skills. Modern Learning requires continuous, incremental learning, and this is best achieved through social learning.
At Crafted Learning we use an 8 Step Learning Change Plan to inspire social learning. The strategy involves planned, periodic communication which supports a consistent message and continually prompts discussions. Here are the steps we follow, along with a Cyber Security example.
Modern Learning requires continuous, incremental learning, and this is best achieved through social learning.
1. Purpose. Document the purpose of the training or learning event to inform all decisions going forward.
Example: We need our team to be Cyber Smart to protect our valuable information from cyber criminals and to reduce the risk of an expensive cyber attack.
2. Target Behaviours. List new behaviours to be started, behaviours that need to be encouraged, behaviours which need to stop and behaviours to continue.
Examples: Start being suspicious of emails which may be a scam, use a passphrase instead of a passcode, check domains, lock computers when not in use.
Stop clicking on links and attachments without first checking, leaving devices unlocked.
Continue reporting of suspicious emails to the IT department.
3. Define Success. Document how success will be measured. Measures must be directly linked to the purpose and target behaviours.
Examples: A decrease in the click through rate on safe phishing emails, sent as part of a campaign to test compliance.
An increase in scam emails reported to IT.
A decrease in the number of emergency responses required for cyber breaches.
4. Case for Change. Craft an elevator pitch which succinctly states why what we are doing is important. This is then used to engage key people and repeatedly in communications.
Example: Cyber Security is one of the biggest risks to our business. We all need to be Cyber Smart and prevent criminals from accessing our valuable information. Use the acronym S.C.A.M. to help you remember to be Suspicious, Check, Act cyber smart and Manage cyber threats. Together we can be a Human Firewall so our business can continue to …
5. Key People. Identify people who will inspire conversations and correct behaviours.
Sponsor: CFO who can promote the financial consequences of a cyber attack.
Key influencer: CIO who can promote the importance of being Cyber Smart among managers.
Managers: to influence teams from a place of authority and who can contextualise the message for their team
Change Agent Group: use a change agent group if available to be the first to complete learning or be involved in its review or development.
All staff: eLearning to provide fundamental information on being a Human Firewall and being cyber smart by implementing S.C.A.M.
6. Communication Plan. Create a communication plan to give your audience something to talk about on a regular basis. Use different channels and key people to reinforce concepts. Incrementally add to your organisation’s knowledge base.
Month 1: reinforce your burning platform by finding and sharing an article which is current and topical. The new Australian Cyber Security Centre is a great source.
Month 2: reinforce key learnings by sharing a breach notice related to a STOP behaviour.
Month 3: send managers / supervisors a relevant article and impress upon them the important role they have in changing behaviours; have managers personalise a message and share with their teams.
Month 4: reinforce positive behaviours and keep the ‘water cooler’ conversations going by celebrating a success, such as a potential cyber attack / scam email which was caught and reported to IT.
Month 5: reinforce the new business culture by having your sponsor record a message for the organisation thanking them for great results, e.g. have the CFO record a message on the great click through rate and a story about what a breach has cost other organisations.
Month 6: recognise and tackle issues head on by publishing an interview with someone who was initially resistant to implementing S.C.A.M. For example, an interview with an iPad user who initially didn’t understand how to check links and who can talk about what they do.
7. The 3 R’s. The 3 R’s. Before putting the plan into action consider reward / recognition, resources and risks. These three things help to keep your message consistent and topical.
Reward / recognition: Use ’employee of the month’ or other scheme to recognise individual or team achievements for completing learning and for great results such as low click through rates.
Resources: Create simple acronyms and icons which can be used on every piece of communication and learning tool. For example: tip sheets with the icons and acronym, Cyber Smart thumbnails for clickable links, themed posters for Human Firewall and S.C.A.M.
Risk: Consider what could derail your plan. Build in buffers for reviewing learning and communication content. A simultaneous campaign on ‘acceptable use’ of computers so people do not become fearful of using technology.
8. Action List. Create a list of actions and schedule tasks to keep momentum going over a period of 6 to 12 months
If you’d like a copy of the Learning Change Plan template you can download it for FREE from the Resources page.
Download the FREE Change Plan Template
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