Give me the transcript: 7 reasons video falls short for manager training

Clients often ask why our performance support for managers is primarily text. They ask, “Isn’t video taking over the learning world?”

We answer, “Not for managers.”

Ever skip to the transcript in a TED Talk? Happy that iPhones now give you a transcript of voicemails so you don’t have to listen? Love browsing around in Wikipedia? These examples get at the reasons why managers tend to prefer text to video.

7 reasons video is less than ideal for manager training:

1. Too slow for busy managers. Managers are often busy, stressed and stretched. They want fast answers to their problems. Video, even a five-minute clip, feels painfully slow. Just give me the transcript. We can read and scan a lot faster than we can listen. This is one big reason adoption rates are so low for video-based learning solutions.
2. Management problems aren’t linear. Videos are good for linear, step-by-step, how-to videos. Like how to create a Wordpress site (for example, I used a Lynda video course to build Jhana’s initial product in Wordpress). By contrast, management is messy. It deals in context and emotions. Every situation is different. Thus, managers tend to prefer the ability to quickly scan across and within articles to find what is directly relevant for their situation. Like Wikipedia for managers.
3. Managers can’t relate to the actors. You lost me at “hello.” Managers tell us they quickly disengage if the actor or animated character in the video doesn’t “look like me” or “fit my context.” This isn’t surprising given management is so context-dependent.
4. Video ages poorly. Videos produced 10 years ago look like videos produced 10 years ago. This turns off managers. Or the learning and development team has to commit to frequent, expensive upgrades.
5. Video is hard to tweak and update. Unlike text, video is next to impossible to improve iteratively based on feedback (this might be changing with the latest generation of tools for creating animated video).
6. Video is awkward to watch in an open office environment. What will your direct report think when you fire up the video on “How to manage out a failing team member?”
7. Learning styles are a “neuromyth.” A common justification for video-learning is that some people learn better through video. False! Learning styles aren’t a real thing. This myth has been particularly pernicious in the learning and development world.

Put aptly by Lindsay Buydos, a former learning and development business partner at Groupon:

“We understood that effective managers were the key to performance and retention. When we were looking for a training tool for these managers, we looked into several, including some expensive video platforms… we discovered that adoption rates were not rising for our employees. They simply were not interested in the format. [We found that] a text-based approach paired with an accessible platform and relatable content greatly improved our adoption rates and our managers’ ability to excel.”

Now, video isn’t all bad! Video is great when a task/skill is visual, like learning Wordpress or Adobe Photoshop. Further, some people simply don’t like reading. We also find short video-based interviews with experienced managers are a helpful complement to our text-based listicles.

But please don’t make video the center of your manager training efforts. Your managers will thank you.

What do you think? How have you found video and/or text as training tools for your managers?

Want to develop great managers at your company? Learn about Jhana and request a demo at www.jhana.com.