Supporting change: anticipating the needs for new skills

There are several steps involved in creating the necessary conditions for staff members to adjust to the demands involved in new approaches, and to identify the opportunities these approaches might offer them.

First and foremost, it is vital to help them develop a deep awareness of the changes that are taking place and to give them new points of reference; this must be done in a spirit of complete openness. It's then important to get people behind the change by precisely identifying the opportunities it provides.

And for the whole change process to work effectively, managers must be given the vision they need to help them foster their team members' development.

New Learning Technologies play an increasingly significant part in the success of this kind of transition. CrossKnowledge solutions allow companies to implement complete, long-term change support programmes:

• They make it possible to train people individually or collectively, teaching them new skills, showing them how to launch new products, or getting them up to speed on new services;
• They provide highly customised training paths and offer a service that fits the needs of people on the move;
• They give line managers simple tools they can use with their teams, making it possible for them to assume a coaching role and to support their co-workers by helping them develop their skills;
• Skills measurement systems make it possible to monitor team progress towards target skills on a daily basis, and to get a precise picture of critical needs and areas of risk.

By offering original, innovative solutions, new learning technologies make it possible to resolve a three-fold equation:

• How to rapidly integrate new management practices when the company is spread out geographically.
• How to train large numbers of people so that they understand new products, processes or services, at significantly lower cost than traditional methods.
• How to promote loyalty and retain talent by enhancing the employer's image