Businesses are always looking for ways to shrink onboarding and maximize uptime for valuable positions. In our years of experience, Top Applicant’s experts have seen and heard many strategies at work. But one of the most effective has been the implementation of a strategic instruction model. Learning soft skills shouldn’t be hard, so we hope you enjoy meeting the SIMs!
Educational settings traditionally employ strategic instruction models to enhance learning and empower students. However, their principles and methodologies can also translate to the business world as employees develop, improve, and drive long-term success.
Going Beyond the Blackboard
At its core, SIM is a structured approach to teaching that emphasizes explicit instruction, guided practice, independent practice, and feedback. When applied to business, it becomes a framework for delivering training, developing competencies, and building a high-performance culture.
Key Components of Strategic Instruction Models in Business
To learn how you can implement a strategic instruction model in your business, we look to the key components of these models that ensure success for students and employees alike!
Explicit Instruction
Let us be clear: the first step is to communicate learning objectives, provide step-by-step explanations, model desired behaviors, and offer ample opportunities for guided practice. This approach can be applied to onboarding new employees, introducing new software or processes, or developing leadership skills.
Guided Practice
You also need to provide opportunities for employees to practice new skills under supervision. This can be achieved through role-playing, simulations, or on-the-job coaching. If you’re already doing this with interns, why not open up learning opportunities for your employees as well?
Independent Practice
Encourage employees to apply their newly acquired skills in real-world situations. This could involve project-based learning, job rotations, or self-directed development initiatives.
Feedback
Provide constructive feedback on performance, focusing on specific behaviors and outcomes. This can be accomplished through regular performance reviews, 360-degree feedback, or peer-to-peer coaching.
Using Your SIMs
Onboarding and New Hire Development
SIM can be used to accelerate the onboarding process by providing clear expectations, structured training, and ongoing support.
Leadership Development
By focusing on explicit instruction, guided practice, and feedback, SIM can be used to develop leaders at all levels of the organization. Starting small and growing from there is a great way to ensure every level of your leadership knows the score. Our experts spent years building the skills they needed to get where they are today. Strategic instruction models give your best and brightest the clearest path to progress!
Cross-Training
SIM can enhance the overall performance of your team. By providing clear processes, role-playing opportunities, and constructive coaching on technique studies, your team can learn from each other with guidance from trusted leadership! Two employees for the price of one? Sign us up!
Customer Service Training
By focusing on empathy, problem-solving, and communication skills, SIM improves soft skills. This leads to greater customer satisfaction and loyalty! With more consistent, quality contact with every customer, your business can reach farther than ever before.
Managing Changes
Much like innovative changes in education, a revised strategic education model can be used to drive organizational change. By providing clear communication, training, and support to employees, you can empower the future of your company from the mailroom to the corner-office!
Maximum SIMpact, Minimal Risk
To successfully implement SIM in a business setting, it is crucial to align the model with the organization’s overall goals and objectives. Additionally, ongoing evaluation and refinement of the program are essential to ensure its effectiveness.
By adopting a strategic approach and leveraging the power of your unique strategic instruction model, your organization can create a culture of holistic learning that leads to lifelong success!
We’re SIMplifying Workplace Education
There are so many ways education can inspire constructive change in the workplace. So why keep your head buried in the sand? Build your profile on Top Applicant and see why thousands of professionals are using the hiring platform designed with the human element in mind.
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