Hello, training leaders! Recently, I bumped into a nursing leader who remembered me from programs I conducted for her client many years ago. It was heartwarming to hear that she insisted her front-line managers experience the program because she's a "super fan"! Knowing that she still uses the tools and techniques we taught her as a new manager made my day. It's moments like these that remind me why we're so passionate about this career—making a real impact in people’s lives.
We all know that delivering effective training is just half the battle. The real challenge lies in making sure that the knowledge sticks with your learners long after the training session ends. If you worry that your programs don't have that stickability factor, don't worry—we've got you covered! In this blog, we'll walk you through some practical tips and strategies you can use before, during, and after your training sessions to ensure your learners not only absorb the material but also apply it in their day-to-day work and can recall it well into the future.
Pre-Training: Setting the Stage for Success
- Needs Assessment and Goal Setting
- Understand Learner Needs: Conduct surveys, interviews, and assessments to understand the specific needs and gaps of your learners. This helps in tailoring the content to be relevant and engaging.
- Define Clear Objectives: Establish clear, measurable learning objectives. When learners understand the goals, they can focus their attention on key areas.
- Design Engaging Content
- Create Real-World Scenarios: Design training materials that reflect real-world scenarios and challenges that learners might face in their roles.
- Prepare Learners
- Pre-Training Communication: Send out pre-training materials, such as articles or short videos, to prepare learners for the upcoming session.
- Set Expectations: Clearly communicate the agenda, objectives, and any pre-work required. This helps learners to come prepared and engaged.
Bonus Tip
Make Key Learnings Memorable: Use mnemonic devices, acronyms, or memorable phrases to help learners easily recall important information. For example, if you’re teaching "Managing Change Resistance", an acronym like "SHEF" (Surface, Honor, Explore, Follow-up) can make the steps easier to remember and apply in the moment.
During Training: Engaging and Interactive Delivery
- Active Learning Techniques
- Interactive Sessions: Incorporate activities like group discussions, role-plays, and case studies to make learning interactive.
- Immediate Application: Provide opportunities for learners to apply concepts through hands-on exercises and real-time problem-solving.
- Continuous Feedback
- Real-Time Feedback: Encourage questions and provide immediate feedback. This helps in clearing doubts and reinforces learning.
- Peer Feedback: Facilitate peer-to-peer feedback during group activities to promote collaborative learning.
- Engagement Tools
- Use Technology: Leverage tools like polls, quizzes, and interactive whiteboards to keep learners engaged.
- Storytelling: Use stories and examples to illustrate concepts, making them more relatable and memorable.
Bonus Tip
Use or Be a Dynamic and Empathetic Facilitator: People remember things when they have an emotional experience during the learning. Make them laugh or feel something important and the learning embeds itself in their brain.
Post-Training: Reinforcement and Application
- Follow-Up Activities
- Post-Training Assessments: Conduct follow-up assessments to measure retention and understanding.
- Action Plans: Help learners create action plans to implement what they've learned in their daily work.
- Continuous Learning
- Micro-Learning Modules: Provide short, focused modules that reinforce key concepts over time.
- Resources and References: Share additional resources such as articles, videos, and tools for further learning.
- Community and Support
- Mentorship Programs: Pair learners with mentors who can provide ongoing support and guidance.
- Evaluate and Improve
- Feedback Collection: Gather feedback from learners on the training's effectiveness and areas for improvement.
- Iterative Improvement: Use the feedback to continuously refine and improve your training programs.
Bonus tip
Application Sessions: Create facilitated groups where learners can share experiences, challenges, and solutions with a few weeks of the training. See below for a step by step guide.
Conclusion
Making training stick with learners is an ongoing process that requires careful planning, engaging delivery, and continuous reinforcement. By focusing on these pre-training, during training, and post-training strategies, training managers can significantly enhance the retention and application of learning, ensuring that the investment in training yields tangible results. Remember, the goal is not just to deliver content, but to create lasting, impactful learning experiences. These attendees today will be senior leaders someday and if we give them the right experience today, they will be ardent supporters of training and development in the future. Keep developing your super fans!
