ooking after our own mental health and that of others is always a priority, all year round. Mental Health Awareness Week, though, is an opportunity for each of us to take stock and understand the factors in our lives which positively or negatively affect our state of mind. Keeping our mental health on an even-keel, appears (for most) to require consistent fundamentals. No matter how much we might sometimes rebel against structure, organisation, familiarity and logic, we have a deep need for it.
That being said, this needs to be blended with our need for expression, exploration and creativity.
I am pleased to say that in my role at Competence, I am part of an organisation that prioritises getting the right mixture of structure and freedom and offers that to its users. Our platform/app (also called Competence) takes users on a ‘common-sense' journey to successful outcomes. As a basis, the focus is on always understanding what needs to be done, options for how it should/could be done and understanding progress towards targets at all times. The security this brings is the springboard for growth and development.
Making things make sense is another guiding principle. In my earlier career in the late 1980s and early 90s I remember how the Leisure sector spent considerable energy in finding ways to provide customers with a ‘Wow!’ or ‘Wow +1!’ experience. Studies subsequently revealed, though, that customers are perfectly happy with the basics done well and their expectations being met. This is a valuable lesson for us as a software provider. We know how tempting it is to show off the full capabilities of what our system can do - we love the vast array of functionality within our system - but realise the priority is for it to make sense to the individual users. If people want more functions, they can have them, but it is usually most effective to follow the KISS principle (‘Keep It Simple, Stupid!’).
Technology is our strong ally in this pursuit. Throughout my working life, the phrase “I just want to be able to do my job!” has been vocalised/shouted by myself and colleagues as a daily anthem. The recipient of this ire being anything from a wonky photocopier to a lack of resources, but also, all too often, IT systems. It needn’t be this way! At Competence, our intention is to ensure technology makes learning more straightforward and intuitive for the user.
Just in the way that it is easy to pick up and understand how a social media app functions, using Competence requires minimal technical expertise. Our focus is and always has been, to ensure provision of everything the learner actually needs (with the rest hidden until you do). To us, this is a common sense approach.
At Competence, we use technology to provide the optimal learning experience. Our platform is designed with learners, employers, tutors, assessors, managers and awarding organisations in mind. We are also a training provider in our own right, meaning all content and functions have been rigorously ‘road-tested’ and refined over time. The result is that we help the learner to fast track their own progress, we reduce the obstacles to development and make the learning experience easier and more fulfilling. We look to make a positive contribution to the mental health of those we serve.
If you are an educator, this Mental Health Week, ask yourself if your current Learning Management System and/or Virtual Learning Environment does everything you need it to, in the way you want it to.
If you think that maybe your own work satisfaction could be even slightly improved by removing reasons to shout at technology, we’d love to discuss how we might assist.
Let's talk: send an email to info@competence.team if you'd like to discuss your next project.
