Tips on prospering in the downturn from the eLearning Network

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) February 5, 2009 -- The advice – based on a presentation at the recent Learning Technologies event in London by the eLN’s chairman, Clive Shepherd – is freely available on the organisation’s website (http://www.elearningnetwork.org/content/ten-ways-thrive-downturn-part-1). It is available in two formats: as a narrated presentation and in text form.

Shepherd said: “Last year, Jay Cross warned us to ‘be aware that the magnitude of the financial meltdown is almost beyond comprehension. I can foresee training departments being eliminated almost entirely.’

“Today’s evidence is undeniable that training budgets are being cut and that, as a result, jobs are being lost,” he added.

“Anyone who works in learning and development needs to be doing all they can to ensure that they come through this period relatively unscathed - hopefully with their job intact - and still providing a valuable service to their employer or customers. That’s why the eLN is publishing its guidelines for success in these difficult times.”

The eLN recommends that you:

1. Engage with the technology because technology:
• Reduces travel, saving tons of money and the planet as well

• Connects people with ideas and other people

• Increases accessibility and flexibility

• Is what ‘Generation Y’ wants and expects

2. Use the language of business because employers interested in performance, not learning.

3. Promote your brand inside and outside your organisation. You can:
• Add credibility to your professional status by touting your membership of associations and professional bodies – such as the eLN.

• Upgrade your qualifications.

• Start a blog.

4. Be proactive in coming up with solutions that will help your organisation get through the current crisis. If you leave it to senior management, they’ll make daft decisions because they’re not the experts on learning and development: you are.

5. Learn from others – watching out for good ideas that you can adapt to your own interventions. A good source of case studies is the eLN’s one-day events and webinars.

6. Take advantage of bargains
To keep busy, suppliers will be more willing than usual to cut margins – but you need to ask.

7. Become more efficient
Efficiency is about doing more for less. The first step is to get rid of those nice-to-have interventions, which have been running for years but which may not anymore be addressing a current need.

8. Maintain quality
If you put out a poor quality product, then you may put your learners off - permanently.

9. Harness people power
Just give people the tools to help themselves.

10. Get networked
Networking gets you in touch with trusted sources of information that you can call upon when you need it - whether those sources are human or digital.

“If you’re interested in e-learning, we’d love to have you in our network,” said Shepherd.

For further details of the eLN visit www.elearningnetwork.org

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e-learning     Economic downturn