What do you do if your team is resistant to using video technology for training and development?

1 Address the barriers

Before you introduce video technology to your team, try to understand what might be holding them back. Some common barriers are lack of skills, equipment, time, or motivation. For example, some team members might feel intimidated by the technical aspects of video production, editing, or sharing. Others might worry about their appearance, voice, or privacy on camera. Some might think that video is too time-consuming, expensive, or irrelevant for their learning needs. And some might simply prefer other modes of learning, such as reading, writing, or discussing. To address these barriers, you need to communicate the benefits, provide the support, and offer the flexibility that your team needs.

2 Communicate the benefits

To persuade your team to use video technology, you can demonstrate how it can help them reach their learning goals. Video technology can stimulate multiple senses and cognitive processes to improve information retention and recall, and enable the demonstration and practice of complex skills or scenarios in interactive ways. Additionally, it can increase engagement and motivation of learners with feedback, recognition, and social connection, as well as expand access to learning resources with anytime, anywhere, and any device learning. Moreover, it can reduce costs and environmental impacts with digital and cloud-based solutions. To communicate these benefits, you can use examples, testimonials, or case studies of successful video-based learning initiatives in your organization or industry. Alternatively, you can ask your team to share their own experiences or expectations of video technology and how it can help them improve their performance or career prospects.

3 Provide the support

When introducing video technology to your team, it is important to consider the level of support needed to use it effectively. This support can come in different forms, such as providing compatible equipment and software, offering training or coaching on how to use video technology for learning purposes, creating guidelines or templates that outline the best practices, standards, and expectations for video-based learning, establishing a feedback system that allows learners to give and receive constructive feedback on their video-based learning outcomes, and building a community of practice that fosters collaboration. To provide this support, you can leverage the expertise and resources of your IT, HR, or L&D departments, as well as external consultants or vendors. Additionally, you can identify and empower the early adopters or champions of video technology in your team and encourage them to mentor or coach their peers.

4 Offer the flexibility

Introducing video technology to your team is essential, and it should include respecting their preferences and needs. This can mean allowing learners to choose the type, format, and length of video that suits their learning style, pace, and level. It can also mean giving learners the option to use video technology as a standalone or complementary mode of learning, depending on the learning objective, content, and context. Additionally, learners should have control over the time, place, and frequency of their video-based learning, while also being encouraged to experiment and innovate with video technology. Furthermore, soliciting learner feedback and suggestions on how to improve video-based learning is important. To offer this flexibility, you can use a variety of video technology tools and platforms, such as video conferencing, webinars, podcasts, screencasts, animations, simulations, games, or VR. You can also design and deliver blended, personalized, and adaptive video-based learning programs.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?