Enablement 101: Understanding the Enablement Industry, Pathways, Skills, Resources
What is Enablement? How do I transition into Enablement? What are the different pathways? What skills do I need? Where can I get resources to learn?
This article is yours!
We know you may have heard about Sales Enablement. But is that all there is to this growing field you can explore as a NoCode Techie?
Did you know a teaching or administration background equips you with relevant skills needed in Enablement roles?
Keep reading to find out.
This article was written based on Jess Armooh‘s interview with Kamara Amogu, an Enablement expert currently leading Operational Excellence at Norebase.
What is Enablement?
Enablement is the process of ensuring people have the resources, tools, materials, and support they need to do their jobs effectively and excel in their roles.
According to Kamara, “Enablement professionals are like first aid or support to the generals on the battlefield. They help sergeants (the people they enable) recover, improve, and prepare for the next mission”.
Jess also added that “Enablement professionals are facilitators of things. They are like lubricants, ensuring everything is moving smoothly without friction”.
So…
Based on the definition and analogies above, is Enablement a field you’d like to explore?
If you’re interested in improving the way we work and helping others succeed, enablement might be the right fit for you.
What are the Types of Enablement?
Enablement is one of the fields that’s still growing. And while Sales Enablement is common, you’ll also find enablement activities and professionals in:
- HR
- Change Management
It’s worth noting that team-specific enablement is not as common as it is in Sales. For instance, there’s enablement in areas like Operations – for Product teams. That is Product Operations. However, it’s not widely used.
Learn more by watching Part 1 of the interview below:
Now, why should you care about Enablement as a NoCode Techie transitioning into Tech?
Enablement is one of the growing fields in the tech space and while there are not many opportunities yet, some pathways into the field allow you to leverage your current skills from various backgrounds.
How Do I Transition into Enablement?
Just like any field, when transitioning into Enablement, you need to…
- Identify your strengths, interests, and goals – as discussed in the first section.
- Acquire the relevant skills and learn the tools (more on that shortly)
- Network. Network. Network!
- Go find a role and apply!
We know, it’s not that simple. And it takes time. But that’s ‘’just’’ it.
So…what will this transition look like?
What are some of the enablement pathways?
2 Pathways into the Field of Enablement
Presently, most people in the Enablement field or those who transition into the field usually have a background in education. Think teachers and administrators in the education sector.
Hence, two pathways with such a background would look like:
- Administration/ Operations → Enablement
- Teaching → Instructional/Learning Design → Enablement
Administration/ Operations → Enablement
From an administrative point of view, chances are you have one or more of the following skills:
- Processes and Technology
- Curriculum development
- People management
- Stakeholder management
- Project management
- Data analysis
So with an admin experience, it’s easier to transition straight into enablement by leveraging the above skills.
However, with a teaching background, you need to transition into instructional design first – before enablement.
Teaching → Instructional/Learning Design → Enablement
From a teaching point of view, you can easily transition into instructional design if you have/learn:
- Adulting learning principles
- Data analysis – (you have this from working on student scores term on term)
From there, you can transition into Enablement by helping with:
- Project management
- Operations – onboarding, etc
The transition from learning/instructional design into Enablement comes in when you’re tech savvy – can explore different tools, understand a bit about the product, team, or whatever it is you’re speaking to (enabling), and have data analysis skills, among others.
Learn how learning design serves as a bridge between teaching and enablement and how you can differentiate enablement from learning design by watching the video below (from 18:00) ~3 mins:
Top 13 Skills Good Enablement Professionals Have
- Communication: to deliver engaging and impactful learning solutions, and to build trust and rapport with others.
- Problem-solving: to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the learning solutions, and to adapt to changing needs and situations.
- Data analysis: to measure the effectiveness and impact of the learning solutions, and to make informed decisions and recommendations for improvement.
- Project management: to manage the scope, time, cost, quality, and risk of the enablement project, and to coordinate the resources and tasks involved.
- Documentation: to provide clear and consistent instructions and information to the learners and users, and to facilitate the maintenance and update of the tools and resources.
- Content creation: to provide engaging and relevant content that helps the learners and users acquire the knowledge and skills they need to use the tools and resources effectively and efficiently.
- Stakeholder management: to identify, engage, and manage the expectations and interests of the various stakeholders involved in the enablement project, such as clients, sponsors, managers, etc.
- Needs Analysis: to identify training requirements, assess learner needs, and recommend appropriate solutions.
- Instructional Design: to create effective learning experiences by analysing needs, designing content, and using authoring tools.
- Video Editing: to manipulate and arrange video footage for engaging educational content.
- Graphic Design: to create visually appealing visuals, infographics, and layouts.
- LMS (Learning Management System) Management: to oversee the administration and organization of an LMS platform.
- Writing: to create clear, concise, and tailored learning materials.
Recommended Enablement Resources
About 90% of the articles and resources that appear on page 1 of Google’s search results page for queries on Enablement are about Sales Enablement.
By now, you know sales is not all there is to enablement.
So we’ve done the work to get the resources for you. Find below resources Kamara Amogu recommended for anyone looking to transition into Enablement.
Tools to Learn
- Video creation: Iorad
- Learning management systems (LMS): Canvas, Moodle, Thinkific, Eduflow
- Design: Canva
- Presentation: Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, Articulate Storyline (not necessary if you’re working in an org with an LMS that does everything)
- Video editing: Final Cut Pro, Adobe Creative Suite, Loom
- Project management: Asana, Todoist
- Content management: Google Drive
- Documentation: Notion, Google Suite
- Storage: Google Drive
- Anything that helps you create resources
Books
- Map It: The Hands-On Guide to Strategic Training Design by Cathy Moore. Learn more here: Map It: The action mapping book – Training design – Cathy Moore
Courses
- Instructional Design for eLearning by Marina Arshavskiy
Videos
- Devlin Peck on Instructional Design
- What is Enablement? Understanding the Enablement Industry
- How to Become an Enablement Professional
Newsletters
Communities
Next Steps
Enablement is a growing and diverse field that offers many opportunities for NoCode Techies like you. And you can transition into the space through different pathways – depending on your current skills and experiences.
If you’re interested in the field and need help navigating your transition into Enablement, don’t hesitate to reach out to Kamara Amogu – she’d be more than happy to assist.
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