A previous supervisor once told me “bring me solutions, not problems.” His point wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk about problems. His point was that before I came to him with a problem, I should take some time to think about viable solutions and bring both the problem and possible solutions to the table to discuss.

As we look out on the horizon of next year’s work and we think about all of the priorities that we have I’m sure similar questions are swirling around your head: What training solutions and content do we need to create? What topics do we have to coverWhat current content do we have that we need to update? How do we really make a difference? How can we create impactful training experiences and then how can we reinforce that learning also give learners just-in-time performance support? It can feel daunting. It can feel like the balance of solutions and problems is heavily weighted against us.

How To Prioritize Solutions

So how do you prioritize solutions when everything seems important? Training is so key to an organizations success in terms of creating an efficient and effective workforce that gets results but also in retaining your top talent through continuous learning opportunities. YOU as a learning leader are important to the success of your company but how do you make sure you are focusing your energy on the rightest things and how do you get all of the things done?

One way to “bring solutions, not problems” to the table is to figure out what you should be using your internal talent and resources to build in-house versus what can you outsource to save time and money (caveat here – find a reliable partner so you can do this without sacrificing quality, plus good OTS providers allow for some customizations to their content – so you can still feel like the content is “yours”).

To determine when building content internally may be best versus when to use an off-the-shelf provider ask yourself the following question: Is this topic specific to my company? If not, then off-the-shelf could be a very viable and effective solution.

Let’s go through a few common scenarios:

  • Product Training – this one goes in the “You” bucket. You and your team know your products better than anyone else, so it makes the most sense for you to focus your time and energy here.
  • Changing Healthcare Landscape – this one is industry-specific but not specific to your company. Using off-the-shelf content here frees your team up to work on those company-specific projects.  Also, with a reputable OTS provider like CMR Institute, updates to content are included, so you and your team can stay focused on your company projects but sleep tight knowing that your learners are getting the most up to date information.

As you think about your to-do list for next year and those planning meetings you will be having with your leadership, laying out how you can supplement your training strategy with off-the-shelf resources for non-company specific topics is a way to bring an effective and affordable solution to the table.

CMR Institute is considered an OTS provider, but we’re so much more. We help our clients determine learning strategy, map content to roles and competencies and implement and evaluate training solutions. We have a resource library of over 400 blended learning resources including microlearning, podcasts, application tools, and coaching guides. If it’s been a while since you’ve talked with us, we’re worth a second look.

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We understand that a real-world education looks different for all learners. That's why we partner with real-world training experts to develop customizable learning pathways that meet your unique needs.

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solutions@cmrinstitute.org