More often than one might think, users have very limited knowledge of the digital tools they use on a daily basis. Even with extremely widely used software, such as Word or Excel, plenty of people don’t know many basic functions. There is a lot of “muddling around” and accomplishing tasks in a roundabout way – every single day anew. However, skills with online tools and in data analysis are lacking particularly often (see as well this DMI Blog).

People don’t want to expose themselves. They don’t want to admit that they don’t know functions that are important for their daily work, or that they have difficulties with them. That’s why nobody even talks about it. This is especially true in corporate cultures where mistakes are “bad” and should be avoided.

However, this can be countered effectively: Simply by providing competence training that is flexible, individual, and demand-oriented!

That means above all else:

– Social learning in small groups with and from others: This promotes flexible learning without fear of exposure

– Co-creation by the learners: This ensures learning just those functions which are really relevant to their own tasks

– Learning at work, from colleagues as “experts”: This way, everyone can be an “expert” for certain functions, help others and thereby consolidate their own knowledge

– And individual online learning: To repeat things as often as necessary – and when it suits you best