getAbstract’s motto, “Know better. Do better. In 15 minutes” directly speaks to Darren’s challenge. As Darren explains: “getAbstract’s microlearning opportunities make it easier for people to invest in their learning. getAbstract lowers the barrier to entry, enabling people to learn something valuable on a tight schedule.”

Plus, the summary format makes it easier for people to sift through learning content and find what’s relevant. “I love being able to find relevant content and swiftly synthesize it and put it into action. The short summary format enables me to home in on the most essential, important nuggets very quickly.”

Nevertheless, Darren has discovered that simply making learning content available is not enough to motivate people to take advantage of the learning opportunities. “To create learner buy-in, learning must be infused with a purpose,” he explains.

Partnering with getAbstract’s Customer Success Manager enabled the People Team to distribute learning content in a highly targeted manner, such as by curating summary channels with key readings related to CFCU’s core competencies.

Another customized channel features the senior management team’s top reads. The latter has been the company’s second most visited channel, which speaks to the effectiveness of customized content curation. Featuring these channels prominently on CFCU’s getAbstract portal increases the visibility of getAbstract content, and helps people access relevant learning resources quickly.

Furthermore, Darren partnered with getAbstract to develop targeted learning resources that address specific areas of emphasis. For example, over the past year, psychological safety has been a priority topic. On multiple occasions, leaders distributed specific getAbstract content to help people prepare for group discussions on the topic. Through email campaigns and on the company’s learning experience platform, the People Team has been distributing curated content packages with relevant and bite-sized learning options, including summaries, courses (Actionables) and “Meeting in a Box” discussion guides. The success of the learning campaigns on emotional intelligence-related topics is reflected in getAbstract’s user statistics: “Growth Mindset” has been the most visited channel in 2023, and book summaries on The Fearless Organization, Mindset and Crucial Conversations have been the top three downloaded reads.

Having open team discussions where people feel safe to share different perspectives is a valuable component of fostering psychological safety. As Darren puts it: “We can all consume the same material but if you ask people for their perspectives, you will get many unique insights. And that's the fodder for really good conversations.”

“getAbstract summaries are great discussion starters,” Darren continues. “Having participants read a summary or complete an Actionable gives them a basic level of knowledge on the topic so they are prepared to share what they’ve taken away from the learnings.”

Darren and getAbstract are currently curating content for CFCU’s new Leadership Fundamentals (LFun) program, which will address various key topics related to leadership. Leaders will be asked to read summaries and complete Actionables to prepare for group sessions.

Actionables are 15-minute microlearning tools that prompt learners to put their learnings into action. Because of their hands-on approach to learning, Darren considers them an ideal learning tool for the LFun program: “Besides conveying content, Actionables offer an opportunity to reflect on the learnings and apply the skills afterward. People are asked to go beyond just consuming content and think through what they have learned, which makes learning more of an experience.”

CFCU’s learning initiatives with getAbstract has successfully increased people’s commitment to invest in personal development. Currently, almost half of the CFCU workforce (45%) is registered with getAbstract, with the hope of expanding this number in the future.