By Lisa /Ayala, Schlumberger.
2015-2018 SAPinsight Leader Board Member.
Training, adapting, networking, leading change, driving adoption, increasing proficiency…these are all objectives we set out to achieve with our Super Users.

Learning is about the journey, not the destination. The activities for Super Users are intentional by design to instill the purpose and value of a network.  Knowing who to contact to escalate and who to refer a question to is just as valuable as knowing how to solve a problem.  Meeting and engaging with Super Users in other locations or functions is critical to ensure the connections are made before it is time to call on them.

Communication is the medium we employ for learning, with a variety of methods to share knowledge and gain insights from the experts.  When Super User Leads or Program Managers “onboard” Super Users to our program, we define a curriculum to ensure a broad spectrum of learning experiences.  Throughout the preparation period, the Super User participates in classroom training, self-study courses and hands-on practice labs.  This engagement through the learning journey continues as the Super User builds proficiency while conducting data validation and user acceptance testing of the new solution.  These learning activities focus on the application of concepts to practice, in preparation for the impending cutover to new business system and process.

• • Learning over Time – Learning occurs better when information is consumed, or tasks are performed over an extended period.

• • Learning with Repetition – Through repetition, learning increases faster early on, and exponentially slows down over the number of repetitions.

• • Learning without Use  – When repetition or reinforcement is not adequate or appropriate, forgetfulness can and will occur.

These remain true today, even as technology and our methods have advanced.  Time is the biggest factor when training Super Users, as these learners are subject matter experts in their business roles, with full time responsibilities critical to business demands, while also balancing the additional training activities.  Our approach to onboarding is a longer duration with shorter individual training sessions.  This achieves the first objective, learning over time, while allowing us to ensure repetition and reinforce with frequent use.

During the onboarding process Super Users are the learner, on the receiving end of the knowledge sharing and training activities.  After deployment of the new solution, the Super User becomes the teacher, guiding end users, focused more on the giving side of the learning experience.  This is when all the learning-to-date transitions to focus on the full learner experience.   This on-the-job training ground is full of opportunities to demonstrate real-life examples, communicate workarounds and lead by example as Super Users form the local support model.  For the Super Users, the learning experience increases in both pace and dimension as regular updates and technical clinics provide new capabilities and improvements to the business systems.  This creates new opportunities to train end users in their location, teaching them to help themselves first, then enlist the help of their Super User to answer the more challenging questions.  Continuous learning on the part of the end user is now bolstered with enhanced productivity and strengths as these learners move through rapid growth to exploration of their newfound skills.    And in the meantime, a successful Super User network is thriving and growing as the learning journey continues, to support and sustain through continuous improvements for business continuity!