Blink and Miss: On Millennials & Overcoming Attention Span Disorder

I read recently that millennials have an attention span of 12-8 seconds - even less than that of a goldfish!

I know that most of you already know that but, what are we going to do about it?

As a creator of content it almost turns me into a ball of knots to think that I have no time to catch attention of the people I am trying to catch attention of - go figure!

I have also been reading up on disruption as a technique to catch attention but, I honestly do not believe that attention grabbed that way can be held for too long. It can be used as a one-time-odd gig to pull people in but, it doesn't guarantee that they'll stick around.

So, what can I do to grab those roving eyeballs and turning heads to stay in place and glued to what I want them to see - my content?

I pondered for a couple of weeks on this and meanwhile, kept rewriting my draft here. I spoke to some of these so-called 'dreaded' millennials and found them not much different than me in habits and behavior. Except for one BIG difference - they were way more relaxed in their approach towards life and that they pursued things with passion. If it clicked for them then, they'd move mountains to work on it.

No wonder then that there are so many web influencers who are perhaps half my age but, they have huge following on web portals and social media. They may not be sharing the best, most polished content but, they were dedicated and honest in their postings. They are also interacting with others in their network. They have grown because they actually read what others were writing, cared to comment and strike up conversations. Plus, they are sharing personalized messages and views on what works and what doesn't. There is a lot of care in the chaos if you look at it closely.

Which led me to believe that they were actually not lacking in attention department but, were pretty high on the passion front. They like to be appreciated and in turn are ready to appreciate other people's handiwork albeit it is a personalized and honest attempt and I am not talking of the bloopers videos!

So, wow! Therein lay my answer.

Buried in the discussions on lack of attention we had forgotten that, we are equally inattentive when it comes to things we don't care for. But, the difference between Gen X and the Millennials is that the later are passionate in their pursuit of what holds their fancy. It does not matter too much if it doesn't bring home the bacon but, it does make them feel appreciated. There are so many of them touring the Earth like vagabonds on tight budgets to be able to click pictures of remote places and share them with the world. There are those who are religiously blogging about their newborns and toddlers or baking recipes. They don't care to follow the tried and tested path unlike their predecessors.

It all fell in place the other day while interviewing a girl for a corporate role, I asked her the age-old HR question, "where do you see yourself five years from now?" I was smugly settled thinking she'd make up a long story about climbing the ladder to the top but, she stole my thunder with, "I want to start my own bakery and be a famous TV food host." She was so convinced that she was going to achieve it by watching YouTube videos of other famous cooks and chefs and baking up a storm in her kitchen. She didn't come from a very well-to-do family nor did she look like someone who had everything provided for her by her doting parents. On the contrary, she was contributing to the family income.

I loved her answer and it made me rethink everything that is being said about the Millennials. They are not seeking what the Baby Boomers had not already asked for. Then why do we criticize them for putting themselves and their families first?

We couldn't even say that to our folks at home forget at job interviews.
  
After that I decided to look into each and every bit of content that I have been working on and asking myself:

• Is is great?
• Does it make an emotional connect?
• Is it focused?
• Is it easy to understand and follow?
• Does it make an impact?

And the most important question:

• Will it stop me in my tracks if I had not made it myself?

The last question is the most important. If we are able to answer it honestly. A whole lot of issues that we face with audience attention disorder can be done away with if we can answer that one from our guts.

So, my take on creation for the supposedly ADD Millennial audience:

• Keep it simple
• Keep it focused 
• Keep it useful
• Don't preach
• Make it your own

Unless we can honestly tick all the boxes, keep reworking. You will hit the sweet spot! (Pun intended) 

The Instructional Designer as a Bespoke Tailer

'Instructional Designing is boring!' I often hear many younger teammates complain. The lack of creativity often turns many towards trying out other more creatively-paying jobs abandoning ID by the wayside.
But, I have always disagreed that argument. An ID's job is NOT boring. On the contrary, it is no less interesting than that of a Fashion Designer's or Bespoke Tailor's!
"Training becomes boring without interactivity." This was the very first input I had received when I started off around 14 years back as an ID.
"But, how much interactivity?"
That is a pertinent question to ask especially when you are creating content for classroom training purposes. Because, in a classroom, the trainer is the helmsman who keeps things going. S/he needs to have a grip over the class. If the content is too interactive, the trainer may have a tough job keeping things together. Unless of course it is an outdoor training camp or a theater workshop. Then of course, the approach changes.
Similarly, while developing creative content which could be either, game-based, story-based or audio/video-based, it is important to know your audience and then, think what would work for them before running with a current fad.
Remember that the latest in fashion does not work for everyone. A stylist or a fashion designer would suggest different clothes to enhance the personality of each client. A dress is often designed keeping in mind the demography, body type, age, season, fashion, purchasing power and finally the outfit to make an impact by enhancing the personality of the one wearing it.
Similarly, Creating training content is like high-end or bespoke tailoring. You need to cut the cloth according to the requirement and keep in mind the personality of the wearer. It may not be as glamorous a job as a fashion designer's but, it is very similar. The idea is to cut the cloth according to need.
Many IDs often think that theirs is a very non-creative line of work. They are not thinking out-of-the-box. A good course material always reflects the ingenuity of the Instructional Designer. They are like well-tailored suits. The cloth is cut and stitched to accentuate the wearer's body and highlight their best features while hiding the flaws. Similarly, a well-designed course should also work for the end user by not just being good to look at but, also allowing them to learn and apply the newly-acquired skills at work thus enhancing their career.
If you don't study your end users or recognize their needs, the training content you create for them is unlikely to make any impact on the learner. No matter how creative, interactive, beautiful, knowledgeable your training material, it will only work if it is relevant for the end-user and enhances their skills and boosts their careers. Just like a beautiful but flashy outfit would look out of place on an elderly person but, works wonders on a younger wearer and vice versa.
To be able to make hard-hitting training course, an ID needs to get inside the mind and working life of the end user. The ID also needs to speak to the manager, the customer and the company head honchos to understand what is it the vision of the organization and where does the target audience fall in the scheme of things. As a dress must be designed keeping in mind the need and the occasion when the wearer is going to put it on. A party dress cannot be worn to work.
Then there is the content itself. It pays to remember that a Subject Matter Expert (SME) is NOT an ID. An ID needs to pick and choose the relevant and discard the rest this is very important. It is often difficult for the SME to do so. Not every tailor can be a designer. Can they? But, a fashion designer need not be an expert tailor. Their job is to make their clients feel confident of facing the world in the clothes designed for them.
Finally, the medium of instruction, how will the training be delivered? Will it be on an online platform? Will it be delivered face-to-face? On a mobile phone? As a book or workbook? As a hands-on training? These factors also have an impact on the course design. Each medium needs to be handled differently and an interactivity used in one for the same course cannot be reused in another - at least not without making proper adjustments to make the activity/ game/ story fit in with the medium. As cloths are designed keeping in mind, season, trend, age, lifestyle and many other factors.
If your assessment is correct then your course design solution is definitely going to make an impact on your learners' careers just like a designer dress on a fashionista. At the end of the day both the Instructional and the Fashion Designer help their clients by making them face the world with confidence.
But, don't forget the Jazz. It helps keeping the story moving in the classroom or in a self-learning session.
Happy designing folks!