Photo by: Studioroman via Canva
I recently heard a trainer exclaim, “I tell my students that if they don’t learn, it’s on them. I provide the information and if they don’t write it down, well…too bad!” Needless to say, I was somewhat taken aback but not surprised. It’s not an uncommon approach to training. Working for a company that prides itself on effective training and doing our best to ensure learners can apply their new skills on the job, that is the kind of thinking we try to nudge in a different direction. Sure, to some degree it is the learner’s responsibility to…well…learn. But also, it’s not solely the trainer’s or the learner’s job to ensure the transfer of skills. It’s a team effort which involves the organization, manager/supervisor, trainer, and learner.
So, how can the “team” make training stick? Here are some suggestions for all levels:
The Organization
- Support a learning culture—one that promotes continuous learning.
- Invest in the training by providing the resources to do training well. department
The Manager
- Get behind the organizational goals of promoting a learning culture. Take steps to market your training internally and share training successes with stakeholders.
- Be on top of learning opportunities for your team and support their initiatives as well.
- Provide post-training support, in the form of mentoring/coaching and observation, to ensure the skills that were taught are being transferred effectively.
The Trainer
- Provide ample opportunities throughout the training for learners to record their “ah-ha” moments or critical points in an action plan or journal.
- Ensure your training includes presentation, application, and feedback for each task (and sub-task) covered in the training. Training won’t stick unless the learners get a chance to practice what they’re learning.
- Provide post-training follow-up support. Allow learners to submit questions or project samples for review and feedback once they are back on the job.
The Learner
- Learn – be present, follow instructions, have a positive attitude, do your homework, and participate.
- Be proactive – don’t be afraid to ask for help, feedback, and support after the training.
What are you and your organization doing to promote and support training? What do you think you can do to improve the effectiveness of your training?
Consider our How Adults Learn workshop for more on the importance of skill transfer and how to create a training partnership in your organization.
