Case Study: Expanding Learning Opportunities Through Stakeholder Engagement
Client Overview
A mid-sized oil and gas producer with 1000 employees was in the process of expanding its operations across multiple locations. While they had an internal learning and development (L&D) team, they needed comprehensive, industry-specific training to onboard new employees and upskill current staff.
Initially, the company sought out a limited selection of courses to keep their training budget under control. However, they understood that bringing multiple departments and stakeholders into the decision-making process would be key to a successful implementation.
Challenge
The company’s original plan was to license only a small portion of EKT Interactive’s Oil 101 course. They intended to cover just the basics of upstream operations for their new hires in field positions. However, given the number of stakeholders involved—including managers from human resources, operations, and business development—there were differing opinions on how much training was truly necessary.
Their L&D team faced a few challenges:
- Balancing the needs of various departments, each with different expectations for the training.
- Staying within a tight budget while ensuring the training program added value across the organization.
- Aligning key stakeholders around a single, cohesive training plan.
Solution: Collaborative Review of EKT Interactive’s Course Materials
EKT Interactive’s team worked closely with the client’s L&D department to provide full access to the Oil 101 course for a comprehensive review. Multiple managers across departments participated in evaluating the course modules, allowing them to understand exactly what content was available and how it could benefit their teams.
Key Benefits of the Collaborative Review Process:
- Broad stakeholder involvement: More stakeholders were able to engage with the course materials directly, giving them a clear picture of the value offered by the content. Managers from operations, human resources, and even the executive team were invited to review the content, which helped build alignment across the organization.
- Modular flexibility: As stakeholders explored the full course catalog, they realized that the modular format allowed them to tailor content for various teams. What started as a request for upstream-focused content quickly expanded to include midstream and downstream modules as well.
- Increased buy-in: The more stakeholders reviewed the content, the more they understood its relevance to their teams. Their initial concerns over budget were replaced by a focus on ensuring that all teams were receiving the right training.
Results
Initially, the company planned to license only an hour of EKT Interactive’s Oil 101. However, after a thorough review, stakeholders across the organization agreed to invest in 50% more content than originally planned. The extensive review process not only led to greater buy-in but also to a more comprehensive training program that covered a wider range of topics than initially anticipated.
Key outcomes included:
- More comprehensive training: The final program included not just upstream content, but also midstream and downstream modules, providing employees with a well-rounded understanding of the entire industry.
- Enhanced stakeholder support: By involving more managers in the review process, the L&D team built a stronger case for expanding the scope of training, ultimately receiving approval for a larger budget.
- Cross-departmental alignment: With buy-in from all key stakeholders, the company was able to align its training goals across different teams, ensuring that everyone—from field operators to back-office staff—received relevant and impactful industry training.
Conclusion
This case demonstrates the value of engaging multiple stakeholders in the decision-making process when implementing a learning program. EKT Interactive’s comprehensive course materials provided clarity and confidence to managers across the company, helping them see the broader potential for employee development. The more stakeholders reviewed the content, the more they recognized its value—leading to a 50% increase in the scope of their training investment.