Nudge Learning is about providing positive reinforcement or a gentle push or a little guidance in the right direction. Nudges are effective because they exploit important features of how our minds work. We often rely on automatic, default thinking. This is differently from the rational, step-by-step kind of thinking we would use to solve problems. Instead of calculating costs and benefits, we often make decisions based on other features. We also tend to have self-control problems, valuing benefits in the present more than possible costs in the future. And we generally suffer from inertia, preferring to take no action at all, even if the default option is not ideal.

INFLUENCING KNOWLEDGE:
In compliance, we tend to have a culture of training, but not a culture of learning. We push out annual training that long and boring and then give them a knowledge-check immediately after you just gave them the info. It’s a known fact that employees click through as fast as they can or open a second screen and multitask as they go through it. It has become a check-the-box, CYA activity and no real learning is taking place. There is also the “Forgetting Curve” which essentially stages that knowledge slips out of our memories over time unless we take steps to keep it there.

A regular drumbeat of short, entertaining reminders and reinforcements or “Nudges” helps reinforce key learning points while keeping important information top of mind. Having some entertainment value associated with those nudges helps to gain access to more training and comms channels, i.e. you can put those nudges in more places and play them in higher rotation without message fatigue. Having some entertainment value associated with those nudges helps make emotional connections which improves the stickiness of learning.

INFLUENCING COMPLIANCE CULTURE:
It’s important to remember that more often than not, improper behavior doesn’t occur because of a lack of knowledge. There are other influences at play. People are impacted by their social environment (their peers) and the leadership environment (their boss and their bosses boss). It’s also important to remember that most people feel like they have integrity, so when it comes to ethics & compliance training, they tune it out. This is another reason why Nudges are helpful.

A regular drumbeat of short, entertaining Nudges promoting speak up culture and the support system of people, policies and resources helps impact the social environment and create psychological safety. It’s advertising. It can influence behavior and decision making to increase the likelihood that they will do the right thing.

Effective frequency is a concept that basically means you have to interact with a message multiple times before it will sink in. So whether the focus is on knowledge retention of risk areas or impacting speak up culture and psychological safety, a steady stream of short, entertaining Nudges is an efficient and effective way to minimize risk.

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Ronnie Feldman is the CEO & Creative Director at Learnings & Entertainments, a learning content provider made up of comedians and entertainers with a focus on corporate risk. www.LearningsEntertainments.com