51job Training | Making Training Stick

Organizations invest millions of dollars in training to develop employees' skills and increase overall productivity within their companies. Still, research shows that the best training in the world won't translate into changed behaviors back on the job unless initiative leaders and participants understand their roles and responsibilities before, during, and after any training initiative.

Before Training: Setting the Context
"Why do we have to learn this?" is a question that students always ask. Research indicates that this question needs to be answered--especially for adult learners. If people don't understand why they are learning something, only 10-23% of individuals will do something different as a result of training. Organizations and individuals need to work together to map out how skills and concepts to be learned in an upcoming class will be used back on the job.

For champions of a training initiative this means making sure that the training is aligned with the vision, goals, and strategies of the organization. It also means communicating this alignment to department heads and frontline managers and explaining why attending this training and learning this skill set is more important than anything else competing for their direct reports' time.

For participants, this means making a list of specific questions to have answered during the training, or asking how the session applies to current or future job responsibilities. The clearer the participant's expectations are for what they want to get out of the training, the greater the chance that they will achieve those expectations.

During Training: Learning and Practicing
Once the context has been set and participants are ready, the next step is to learn the new skills. If participants are going to internalize and apply what they are learning, they need opportunities to practice new behaviors and conversations with feedback from peers or mentors before attempting them back on the job.

For leaders of training initiatives, this means that the training design must include a chance for participants to practice what they have learned by interacting with the material through exercises, role-plays, games, and simulations. During training, it is ideal to have participants move back and forth between studying concepts and applying them; between acquiring skills and practicing them.

From an individual standpoint, this means constantly thinking about what is being discussed in class and how it applies back to real-world situations on

the job. For example, if the course is about communication skills, think of ways to apply learnings with colleagues; if there is a chance to role-play scenarios, use colleagues as case studies for the activity. If the course is on leadership, make it an opportunity to actively define personal leadership philosophies. If the course is about problem solving, select a problem from personal experience to address during the training.

After Training: Applying New Skills and Behaviors
Good post-training strategies make sure that there is a support plan in place for using and applying the learning after class is over. It is at this stage that the application of new skills and behaviors begins to gain traction, since the focus is on helping participants take what they have learned and apply it to the job.

For initiative leaders, this means "checking the homework" and holding participants accountable for using what they have learned. It also means providing participants with tools and resources that support using the new skills back on the job.

For larger training initiatives this can be an automated process that uses an online system to keep track of people's progress. To use this type of system, the facilitator reserves the last hour or two of the training class to have participants complete a goal sheet. Each participant sets two or three goals for new behaviors to use, or new ways of acting on the job. Then they project the impact that meeting those goals will have on their job and on the organization. Every two weeks the participants receive an email to remind them of the goals they have set, along with instructions to go to a personalized web site to update their progress.

Another powerful way to support the training is to provide coaching as the primary follow-up strategy. Research has shown that coaching improves application back on the job from 20-80%. In addition to providing an accountability component, coaching helps people diagnose, prioritize, and plan a course of action. Three telephone sessions over a six-week period can help participants turn what they have learned in the classroom into practice in the workplace.

Summary
Top management demands that training not only culminate in results but also supports the organization's business objectives and strategies. Training that is not set up properly or not supported well back on the job yields poor results. To ensure best results, sustainability requires process, commitment, and follow-through. When delivering training, make sure that people receive support, realize the expectations, and accept accountability for doing things differently.

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