Why Training Alone Fails
Many organizations believe that if they just provide training, employees will magically change their behaviours. But knowledge isn’t action. If employees don’t apply what they’ve learned, the effort (and money) is wasted. After decades of running leadership programs, I’ve realized that real change requires more than training. Courses shouldn’t be standalone but rather part of a larger change strategy. Here are a few ideas on how to make training stick as part of driving change.1. Define the Change You Want to See
What is the change you’re trying to bring into the organization that you believe training will solve? Training isn’t just about delivering information—it’s about shifting behaviours. When considering training, ask yourself:- How is this training part of a larger change strategy?
- What specific behaviours need to change?
- How will you measure success?
2. Address Resistance to Change
One of the first things organizations will face in any change is resistance. When change happens, people can feel threatened even if the change is positive. I remember a time when I led a multi-million dollar change management project for a client that was going through the largest IT transformation in the company’s 75-year history. The change was complex and required large teams - from the organization as well as multiple suppliers providing the tech change. What I observed was that if change isn’t done well, staff aren’t as motivated to learn the system, so it’s critical that training is part of a successful change management process. Doing training as a standalone solution can cost your company in immeasurable ways. Even the best training won’t work if employees don’t buy in. If they see it as a corporate fad or don’t fully understand the reason for the training or the change you’re trying to implement, they’ll revert to old habits shortly after the training is completed. It will simply be a checkmark on their list of things they have to do. Before training happens, be clear on the change you’re trying to create. Clearly communicate why the training matters—before, during, and after in the context of the larger change effort. Use real stories to show the importance and impact of the training. Make it personal. Make it matter!3. Post-Training Reinforcement
Research shows that people forget a significant amount of what they learn within 24 hours unless they apply it immediately. Ouch. Training should never be a one-and-done event. Learning must be active, not passive. An excellent way to make learning active is by having staff apply the learning immediately or have them teach someone else what they’ve learned. Consider providing stretch assignments to learners or have them provide a summary of what they’ve learned to the team/organization.4. Create Powerful Learning Opportunities
Learning doesn’t stop when the training ends. You can continue the learning by incorporating the following:- Create Communities of Practice (CoPs) for peer learning at the end of the course. CoPs can meet throughout the year to apply and share their learning with one another.
- Have learners identify Accountability Partners to reinforce new skills and support each other in their commitments to apply certain behaviours or achieve certain goals.
- Follow-up with Coaching: Studies show that coaching combined with training drives the highest retention and application rates. Individual coaching helps learners create more accountability to embed new skills within their context in a timely way. Group coaching allows teams to learn together, troubleshoot challenges, and reinforce habits.
