This is part of our ongoing series, Interviews with Learning Leaders.
Jann Iaco is an eLearning and training specialist with home goods retailer Crate&Barrel. Originally an actor with degrees in theatre and directing, Jann has more than 15 years of experience in the learning and development field. She is a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP), and she volunteers on the Board of Directors of the Association for Talent Development, Chicagoland Chapter, and as a facilitator with ATDChi's Workplace Learning & Performance Institute. She was a presenter at the 2015 Chicago eLearning & Technology Showcase.
How did you get into the learning and development field?
It was accidental, like so many "accidental trainers" in this field. Because of my background in theatre, I was comfortable standing in front of groups of people. I was a natural at demonstrating work processes to others. Crate saw my skill set, and as the business grew, so did the need to train new hires and get employees ready for the next big season. I was building training and delivering it, and then all of a sudden I was a trainer. I eventually took the WLPI (Workplace Learning & Performance Institute) for more industry and foundational knowledge, and that led to the CPLP. I am most passionate when sharing something I have learned with others.
How did you learn eLearning—what was your journey to proficiency?
Not the best way—it was trial by fire. We purchased an LMS and selected Articulate for the purpose of converting some of our live training to eLearning. It was a tough economy at the time, so we didn’t purchase any instruction on how to use Articulate. I guess we thought if you knew PowerPoint, you could do Articulate.
The ah-ha moment for me here is on training in general. I will never want to train anyone the way I learned eLearning. It is not the best way to learn. I called it the “hunt-and-peck” method of learning. I used the Help key, the Internet, and trial and error. It takes too much time and is not productive.
What's your advice for eLearning design on a budget?
Make it look the best you can while watching your budget. Be cautious about spending on beautiful images and purchasing characters. First think about your own resources within the organization. It looks best when eLearning reflects what the environment looks like for the learning audience. For example, if the learner is in a distribution center, often photos to purchase on expensive websites don’t look like the people in your audience. Photos should reflect what people look like, doing real tasks. Some creativity will help create a database and montage of your own characters. In some courses, using photos of your own work surroundings and people will create a realistic environment. And stay ahead of legal by making sure to get releases signed as you go!
For voiceover work, I utilize the talents of my coworkers. I have done my own narration in many courses. It’s good to have some variety of voices, where appropriate. I was looking to save on outside talent expenses, so I sent an email to coworkers and said, “We need your voice in eLearning and would love your participation. If you’re interested, please send me a voicemail reading the passage I’ve included in the email.” I never mentioned the word audition. Twenty people responded, and I ended up using most of them over the last couple of years. It’s fun for them, it saves money, and it allows you to create your courses at a faster pace.
Your background is stage and theater. What do you bring from that world when you're facilitating a group?
I bring energy and passion when I’m in front of a group, but it isn’t about being center stage. I enjoy the process of leading people on a journey. My passion for theater translates to instructional design, as well as facilitation-building, as well as delivering. Storytelling is key. The hero is the learner, and we are taking the learner on an adventure. There are challenges, a protagonist, and an antagonist. There is an ending and resolution. The hero arrives with new learning and understanding.
Are there specific challenges with training in retail?
One of the biggest challenges for talent development in the retail field is building training time into tight budgets. There is never enough time for training. I think many companies are good at hiring the right people. However, after the initial training, there’s often a lack of progression beyond that point. In addition to a lack of budgeted training hours, it’s often too hard to pull them from their job functions for continuing development. My company is not alone in this challenge. As a way to overcome constraints, we started producing microlearning in the form of short, micro-byte videos ranging from 2 to 6 minutes, and they’re having an impact. They focus on features and benefits of the product, and how to sell it. Managers show them during short 15-minute huddles with their teams. It has been exciting and successful. As learning leaders, we have to change the way we are delivering to stay relevant to the business. We can’t expect the business to adapt to the old way of training. A few years ago, I would never have believed we would be doing micro-videos; now it makes sense.
Topics: Training and Facilitation, Interviews with Learning Leaders