James Avery Artisan Jewelry

Ouellette partners with leaders and teams to support company growth, strengthen culture and drive business initiatives, with a focus on leadership development and a human-centered approach that builds connections, personal evolution and positive team experiences. Before HR, she served as Manager of Retail Communication and Training, developing role-based training, creating content for events and new processes, migrating Retail content into Cornerstone and training leaders on the LMS. She also oversaw Training Store Managers, building a framework for training.

Across 31 years at James Avery, Ouellette progressed from Sales Associate to Store Manager, Training Store Manager and Retail Operations. It has given her a deep understanding that people are at the center of the work – the customers, the Associates who serve as the face of the company, the manufacturing teams that produce the product, and all the support teams within corporate.

Training can be viewed as a necessary step in rolling out a change, program or process. Stakeholders have layers of information to convey to their audience and often seek approaches to streamlining their communication. They opt to weave this communication into training, thinking it is a failsafe way to get all of the details in their users’ hands. But filling training materials with extraneous information can reduce the effectiveness of the content. The key is focusing on adult learning principles, which highlight autonomy, life experience and real-world application. This shifts the focus onto the people receiving the training.

What it looks like in practice:

Tell them the why. Adults seek to understand why they need to learn something before they start giving it their time. Start by explaining the value the change will bring to their work. Any new change, program or process should have an established business value. This principle can be attained by sharing the expected impact with the audience.

Give them autonomy. In the planning phase, consider both the content of the learning materials and how the learner will gain this new information. Deliver a learning experience where people have some control over how they consume the material. For digital modules, include self-directed pathways for the learner to choose their own adventure. For in-person training, invite participation in different ways such as discussion or role plays.

“The key is focusing on adult learning principles, which highlight autonomy, life experience and real-world application. This shifts the focus onto the people receiving the training.”

Connect new learning to existing experience. Unlike children, who are blank slates learning about the world, adults have a vast wealth of knowledge gained through their life. Show how the new learning can enhance their experience, or how it prepares them to take on a new process or technology. Do research, talk to the target audience to understand their experiences. Use this context to design scenarios or knowledge checks which incorporate real factors that will resonate with the learners.

Help them solve real problems. Adults have a desire to learn when it enriches their position in professional or social roles. As a part of the learning process, take a challenge these learners are facing and show how their new knowledge can lead to positive solutions. Utilize a case study analysis. Discuss with the audience how to apply a fresh approach based on their learning, and what impact they can foresee as a benefit.

Make it tangible. Keep your learning grounded in solving problems rather than focusing on the subject. Adults are not looking to become experts in the subject of your content. They are, however, looking for a tangible learning they can apply and see value in. Learning that is heavy on theory can come across as abstract. Be disciplined – include only what is essential to your learning objectives. Efficiently cover critical material and get to the application for the learner to make a strong connection with their experience.

When stakeholders lead with curating the learning experience, retention and application follow, resulting in their audience using their new knowledge to improve their work. Utilizing adult learning principles provides a framework for assessing what information is essential to include in learning materials or communication channels. This focuses learners on the key points and how this new information can impact their lives.