Full Case Study: Supporting Long-Term Application of Learning
Building Tools and Guides for Coaches and Managers
Can you relate?
You put a lot of time and resources into developing a program. Pilot sessions received rave reviews from learners and manager alike. A few months later when you check in to see what sort of impact the program had on the people trained, you discover that very little of the learning stuck.
The Real-Life Situation
We were developing an onboarding program for sales professionals. The client was investing a lot of time and money into building a high quality experience for these newly hired employees. We needed to ensure that what they learned didn’t simply fade away after the program ended, but instead became integrated into their ongoing ways of working.
The Role(s) I Played
Coming up with a strategy was collaborative, however, I was the LXD who designed the materials we ended up deciding upon.
Approaching the Challenge
First we discussed what the biggest challenges might be to long-term retention and application. We were confident that the quality of the program meant learners would leave our sessions fully intending to put what they learned into practice.
That left: 1) uncertainty around how to use what they learned on-the-job when situations didn’t exactly match training scenarios; and 2) insufficient or inconsistent support from managers who weren’t aware of or aligned with the training.
We built three tools to address these challenges, one of which I am not sharing due to an NDA.
Coaching Tools
The new hires had access to coaches during their first few months on the job. We had reports that coaching was seen as highly valuable, but that its quality and content differed across coaches and learners.
I built a tool in Excel sectioned according to key competencies. For each competency, I provided sample diagnostic questions along with suggested activities to either fill in skill gaps or enhance existing strengths.
After being trained on how to use the tool, coaches were able to provide consistent, high quality support, responding in a timely way to any struggles new hires were having in applying their skills on-the job.
Manager Support
Manager support was two-pronged. I was less involved in the important task of getting them on board with the goals of the program.
My focus was on developing a resource that provided managers with week-by-week guidance on what types of questions to ask their new hires and suggestions on what to hold them accountable for.
I aligned the guidance with a company-wide coaching tool for managers, providing templated prompts and suggestions for goal setting and tracking.
Respecting How People Learn
Our brains are designed to preserve resources, to take the path of least resistance. Learning something new and changing behaviour is effortful. When people are rushed or uncertain, they will tend to default to old ways of understanding and doing. As such, we need to ensure that the environment learners return to is conducive to them applying their learning, until the new way becomes the default way.
Facilitating Application
People don’t always learn something and intuitively know how to apply it. Sometimes we need to explicitly show them, through examples, demonstrations, and ongoing application support to ensure generalization of learning across a variety of contexts.
Outcomes That Matter
Achieving outcomes that matter inherently involves considering how to support ongoing momentum and sustained behaviour change. Without this, even the most impressive outcomes will fail to actually accomplish anything.
So What Happened?
I exited the project before the implementation results started to come in, but I can say that the client was thrilled with the tools and confident in their ability to support ongoing application of learning.
Actionable Insights
- Don't assume that the people who will support your learners will automatically know how to do that well. Provide them with tools and guidance.
- Remember that to design effective learning experiences, you can't stop putting yourself in your learner's shoes once they exit the training session. You need to consider the environment they are returning to as well.