Giving L&D a nudge

Giving L&D a nudge

On the whole, colleagues understand the importance of constant learning, and in times of unprecedented change – from increasing regulation and statutory requirements to automation and new technology – keeping skills updated and relevant is key to staying on the front-foot.

Why, then, do we so often see a reluctance to engage with L&D?

For learning and development practitioners in the UK and beyond, we’ve found the real challenge is in getting people across organisations to engage with and drive their own learning. Why the hesitancy?

To help find an answer, we’ve dived into the world of behavioural economics and nudge theory. Are there any learnings from science that can help us identify and erase the barriers to engagement?

We’ve got into a cycle of constant spoon-feeding to get our teams to engage with learning. I can’t seem to break the cycle.”

But first: what is behavioural economics?

Simply put, behavioural economics applies insight from psychology to understand the reasons behind the decisions we make. In practice, this insight can then be used to influence behaviour.

These influences can be identified and utilized to several ends. While it is frequently applied in psychology, we also see it being used in fields such as sales, politics and even healthcare. Examples include replacing an opt-in organ-donation scheme with opt-out; switching chocolates and sweets for healthy snacks on supermarket checkout displays; or even etching a housefly into the urinals at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport to improve aim. All of these are examples of ways in which the environment can be tweaked to change behaviour.

To help predict our behaviour, behavioural economics makes use of cognitive bias – a well-established theory outlining the systematic errors that commonly occur in our thinking (also known as heuristics) – often because we’re trying to take mental shortcuts, or because we’ve become used to a certain way of thinking.

What’s your bias?

Although experts differ on how many cognitive biases exist, some of the most common include:

The bandwagon effect

doing something simply because everyone else is doing it

The framing effect

a common sales tactic of placing an expensive drink next to even more expensive drink, and suddenly the “expensive” one seems reasonable by comparison.

Confirmation bias

seeking out opinions, views and information that align with what you already believe. This is prominent in elections, where people only take in the arguments and information put to them by the party or candidate they already support.

Availability bias

overestimating the importance or relevance of something due to how readily available that information is, and scanning through headlines rather than reading the full context of the articles.

The ostrich effect

avoiding negative or disturbing information to avoid the issue; for example people tend to stop monitoring their investments during economic downturns.

So, how could these biases have an effect on your learning culture? And can you use them to your advantage?

Cognitive bias can make behavioural change difficult. Certainly a propensity for seeking out information that fits with existing beliefs won’t lend itself to changing habits that could potentially be unproductive. How, then, can we use our understanding of cognitive bias to our advantage and nudge people in the right direction?

Tweak your message with ‘framing’

Framing is all about how you present and describe options or opportunities.

We’ve seen a uptake in L&D opportunities just by changing how we talk about them and positioning them as the skills leaders look for when they consider promotion.”

Make it the norm

Behavioural economics tells us that the power of ‘FOMO’ can be key to getting people to act.

Top tip:

Try using language like “70% of leaders have already taken part in this training” or “80% of people who used this course have found it helped them achieve more in their roles.”

Anchor it with your strategy

Referring back to an ‘anchor point’ of something people already believe in (like your values or strategy) can help you secure buy-in.

We’ve really aligned our learning with our strategy, and now people see their development as a crucial part of achieving our future vision as an organisation.”

Make the most of the ‘IKEA effect’

In general, people feel a lot more passionate about something when they’ve had a hand in creating it.

Top tip:

Leaders can make or break engagement across any organisation, so get them to play a part (however small!) in developing L&D activity. They will be more likely to champion your programmes to their teams.

Just like a limited edition product line, the idea of scarcity can help you rally your teams.

We’ve started saying ‘limited places left’ on some of our training programmes. It’s not always true – but it definitely can work!”

Create a VIP experienceAnd if all else fails…

… take it away. Research agrees that the threat of losing something is a lot more motivating than the thought of gaining something.

Top tip:

Instead of talking about the skills and opportunities people will gain from your L&D programmes, let people know what they’ll lose if they don’t engage – like competitive advantage among peers.

How nudge thinking and behavioural economics can keep the wheels turning*

*and not always in a good way

10 times fewer people bought jam after being offered 24 different samples in a supermarket trial, compared to those who were offered six. This is ‘decision paralysis’: too much choice can confuse us, while a reduced number of options can increase sales.

of decisions we make use mental shortcuts like intuitive judgements, common sense and ‘guesstimates’.

decrease in ‘spillage’ at Schiphol Airport after fly decals were placed in the urinals for men to aim at.

Automatic actions nudge us towards binge watching, and falling down YouTube rabbit holes. Next episode loading in 10, 9, 8…

Endless updates and regular ‘achievements’, known as the ‘Ludic loop’, keep us playing games (like Tetris) and scrolling social media. Also used by Uber to stop drivers logging off.

of high school students said they were below average in leadership ability. This is the illusory superiority of the Lake Wobegon effect: our natural tendency to overestimate our abilities in relation to others. This can be useful for L&D professionals to remember at performance review time.

The number of calories diners reduced their intake by when asked at the counter if they wanted to decrease their portion size.

Virgin Atlantic offered groups of pilots feedback and different incentives to nudge them towards more fuel-efficient practices. Every group in the trial improved, including the control group: just being in the study nudged their behaviour.

Nudge me: seven examples that alter behaviour

1

Default rules: automatic opt-in to the organ donor register / office printers set to double sided to save paper

2

use executive summaries, synopses and streamlined processes to increase understanding and engagement

3

norms: believing ‘most people behave in this way…’ will steer people towards similar behaviour. American electricity company Opower sends Home Energy Reports which compare household energy use to neighbours, encouraging people to reduce energy consumption.

4

Convenience: making healthy eating options more visible and less expensive increases uptake

5

people are more diligent when they think they’re being watched

6

regular reminders with actionable prompts (pay your bill here, update your software with this link) get people to act

7

Precommitment: publicly signing up to something increases the likelihood of success e.g. sponsored marathons, Stoptober, Veganuary – same applies to workplace initiatives.