Think back to when you were in college, or even high school. Maybe there was a certain class you weren't crazy about. It wasn't in your major and you couldn't fathom any of the information being useful once you tossed your graduation cap skyward. If you had a test coming up, you waited until the night before to start cramming all the textbook knowledge you could into your brain. Then you went into class the next day, (ideally) aced the test—and by the end of the next week forgot everything you'd just "learned."

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

You're out of the classroom and graduated to the workplace, but old habits die hard; there is still a lot of this cram-style learning going on all around you. Think of the trainings you've gone through at work, both formal and informal. How much of these do you remember? How many takeaways do you actually use day-in and day-out? Probably not many, if there were no formal learning tools or formal assessments to reinforce the lessons.

Ongoing learning and assessment opportunities should ultimately help you achieve your full potential.  But if learning resources are not readily available and assessments do not reinforce the content, their value is lost. You need access to self-directed and peer-to-peer learning opportunities in addition to formal training structures. "Micro-learning," where you can pick up information in quick, easily digestible, informal conversations with managers and peers, is a powerful ongoing learning tool that not enough companies currently take advantage of. These informal chats help to reinforce ideas and keep you, your peers, and your managers all on the same page. And because you are on the move, these chats have to be mobile too, so solutions that enable these coaching, feedback, and career growth conversations to move along wherever you go are absolutely essential.

But, what are skills without recognition? Even the most upbeat of employees could get sidetracked or frustrated when the effort it takes to learn new skills isn't properly measured or recognized. That's why managers need the ability to assess skills and assign training directly linked to the needs of the business and your own individual growth as a person and as a member of the overall team.

iCoachFirst recognizes that you want to be the best team member you can be, and connected learning and assessments are crucial to becoming a superstar employee. iCoachFirst delivers self-directed and peer-to-peer learning opportunities, with adaptable goals that can be modified to create a truly agile learning environment, all within an efficient and integrated application. Plus, managers are able to create and deploy post-training learning checks and other surveys and assessments right from the system for holistic learning measurement and reference, meaning your efforts won't go unnoticed. You can even take iCoachFirst with you on the road, with mobile access to ensure learning happens on-the-go and in-the-moment.

Learn more about how iCoachFirst is transforming performance management in this whitepaper.