The challenge: You want to move to a digital learning approach for leadership development, but you are concerned about keeping human connection alive. You need something that uses technology, but you are teaching soft skills. You want to make it fun and engaging, but you want learners to take it seriously. The answer? BLEND like no one’s watching.

Blended leadership learning journeys have been around for years―it’s nothing new. What is new is the range of options available to create a blended learning journey, fueled by new digital learning solutions, in an ever-increasing number of expanded options. Knowing where to start can be overwhelming and hard. The key is finding a strategic way to bring different learning elements together to accomplish your learning outcomes while simultaneously engaging and exciting the learner. At the same time, you must also ensure the applicability of learning.

Just as great chefs must determine the best ways to balance the combination of food, seasoning, and cooking techniques, so too must learning professionals bring together content, learner needs, and modalities to create the right blend. And while learner tastes are varied, there are a few essential ingredients that can guide any new creation.

Why is the BLEND more important than ever? Because digital solutions create more collaboration but offer less connection and can leave leaders feeling like they’ve been offered a feast, but they still walk away from the table feeling hungry. We need to appeal to all learners—those who want more technology and those who crave greater human connection. We need to engage extroverted learners who thrive on conversation and introverts who need time to process their thoughts and express themselves using the written word. We need to keep the experience interesting and varied to avoid learner fatigue. The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that the way we work doesn’t need to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Blending thoughtfully and intentionally isn’t hard if you follow a few core principles, ensure you have the right ingredients, and blend and season to taste.