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Learning Practice

How we can help you

 

At Solutions House, our mainline business practice is Learning and Development. Simply put, we design and deliver learning programs that meet the needs of our clients and their learners. We apply creativity as a strategic design principle that is always in service to the higher goal of clarity. Our solutions range from instructor-led training to e-Learning to board games and illustrated “Solutions Maps” to simulations that can run for hours or even weeks. Regardless of the approach, there are threads common to all of our custom work:

 

• We Build, You Own. Our work is commissioned for you, the client. Our hearts and minds go into each project; however, our copyrights and retained interests do not.
  
  
• Proven Process. We follow a rigorous process of needs analysis, scoping, and confirming objectives and constraints. Our series of designs and deliverables involve client participation and approval each step of the way. It has been a collaborative process since the beginning: You are part of our team, and we are part of yours.
  
  
• Longevity. We build solutions with an eye toward sustainability. Beyond environmental impact, we are mindful of the longevity of each deliverable, the shelf life of the program and your ability to deliver it.
  
  
• Transfer of Ownership. We pour our blood, sweat and tears into each program, with the goal of transferring final ownership to you as quickly as possible. The only annuity we seek is repeat engagements.
  
  
• Quality. Work, like a book, is judged by its cover. We are careful in creating projects that are as error-free as possible. We deliver solutions that have visual appeal, accessibility and brand compliance. We also focus on outcomes that either match initial designs or have variations that are accounted for and approved by you in advance.

 

Our custom work falls into four categories:

 

Instructor-Led Training

We design courseware that can be delivered by your facilitators or by ours. We create interactive, highly accessible materials that equip your facilitators to deliver with excellence, or we can draw from our network of “rock stars”–the very best facilitators in the industry. Our designs are clear, clever and concise whether we start from scratch or rebuild training you already have in place. From retail merchandising and operations to sales training to business finance, we’ve developed custom-tailored solutions and are experts at rebuilding solutions already in place. We can do the same for you.

 

Board Games and Maps

Maps and board games have been one of our strongest offerings since the beginning. Imagine your team of learners gathered around a table-sized (or computer-delivered) visual, engaged in discussing key strategic messages related to your business. The unique mix of metaphor, story, quantitative data and even playfulness all increase retention and encourage discussion. Whether the solution is a one-hour exercise or a two-day intervention, the programs can be largely self-facilitating or guided by your facilitators with little advance training. Our capabilities are well established, as our programs have been used to train millions of new associates at some of the largest retailers in the world.

 

Simulations

Simulations are one of our passions. Invite our organizational change experts and learning engineers to design a simulated world that looks a lot like your own! Your employees will actually experience and practice the new behaviors required to bring about the desired organizational change. Dynamic visuals and disarming "gaming" techniques lower defensiveness and increase engagement. Because they are delivered live in your company, your people are the engines of learning and feedback.

 

e-Learning and Video

Our e-Learning has been used in thousands of locations over the years. We build these programs on our own or partner with firms that are fully dedicated to more complex e-Learning deliverables. Although the medium is different from our live programs, the design integrity and instructional rigor are the same. We also produce videos for clients to use as part of e-Learning modules or as standalone products.

 

 

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Custom Learning Development Process

 

At Solutions House, we have been building best-in-practice learning programs for quite a while now. And we’ve honed our approach into a disciplined process that ensures shared expectations, clear deliverables… and value delivered to your organization every step of the way.

 

Phase 1: Initiation

Once a contract is signed, our account executive works with our learning consultant(s) and project manager to ensure a seamless project launch. The account executive and project manager make sure the project team understands enough about your organization and its unique challenges to create an impactful learning solution targeting your business and learning objectives.

 

The project manager ensures that all project management documentation is prepared and organizes a series of kickoff meetings with our team and yours. The intent of these meetings is to ensure that all appropriate groundwork for a close partnership is in place. It also eases our transition to the analysis and design phase of the project.

 

Phase 2: Analysis & Design

We begin this phase with a meeting where all design team members–from both your organization and Solutions House–work together to form a clear vision of the program. Next, we lead you through a series of data-gathering meetings with our learning consultant(s) and your subject matter experts (SMEs) to uncover what learners need to know in order to be successful. You review the output of these meetings in a proof-of-direction document and detailed level design document (DLDD). These two documents give you a crystal-clear roadmap for development of the custom learning program.

 

Phase 3: Development, Review & Testing

We know you don’t like surprises. Neither do we! During the development and review phase of our custom development process, you’ll be delighted to see the deliverables take shape according to specifications in the DLDD. This includes a series of content review cycles with your project team, SMEs and key stakeholders.

 

Your confidence will increase even further when you see the program in action! After all, that’s the best way to determine whether the instructional and learning goals have been met. The testing cycle includes a pilot test of the program delivered to a group of learners from the target audience. Together we focus on your participants’ reactions to instructional materials to ensure the program plays out in the classroom or in an e-learning environment exactly as planned. Feedback is gathered and incorporated into the final design.

 

Phase 4: Final Development & Production

This is the exciting moment when you see the final program spring to life! After signoff on the pilot test, program materials go into final development, followed by professional desktop publishing and editing. This “branding” adds an additional level of engagement… and further connects the materials to the identity of your organization.

 

Phase 5: Implementation (when applicable)

Once the custom program materials are finalized, we work with you to determine train-the-trainer needs. If commissioned, we can develop an appropriate strategy and materials to ensure your people are prepared for a flawless implementation.

 

Phase 6: Closeout

This phase is very important for the successful transfer of completed materials. We close all projects by conducting debrief meetings with our project team and yours. What worked? What could have been better? What additional value would you like to receive in the future? We take your feedback seriously and use it to improve the planning and execution of future development initiatives.

 

Communication Throughout

From the initial project kickoff meeting through all subsequent phases, we conduct weekly project meetings with our team and yours. Additionally, our chief designer conducts frequent one-on-one meetings with your key project stakeholder(s) to ensure you’re satisfied that every project commitment has been fulfilled.