The Association for Talent Development (ATD) reports most companies spend $1,273 per employee on learning annually, yet only 20% of this investment results in the transfer of new skills or knowledge on the job.
If the learning is not being transferred, and the new knowledge and skills are not sustained, what’s the point of training? How can this be resolved?
The answer is to have a learning sustainment plan.
Learning is not a “one and done” event. Leaders, managers, and supervisors need to:
- Know the business objectives for the training
- Be part of the training development
- Understand the learning objectives
- Have a plan to coach and manage learners after the training is complete
Most instructional designers have no problem getting leaders, managers, and supervisors to assist with the first three bullet points. The challenge is getting them to commit to the last one. We understand these positions have many responsibilities and it’s easy to think, “I’ll get my team some training and then they’ll be able to…”, but that’s not always the case.
What can leaders, managers and supervisors do? We have two suggestions.
- Have regular 1 to 1 meetings.
Every leader should be meeting with their team members on a regular basis. During this meeting, it’s a good time to ask:
- What did you take away from the training you completed?
- What have you tried to implement? Was it successful? Are there any challenges?
- Is there anything else you learned that you want to try?
- How can I support you?
- Establish ‘reconnect’ sessions
A reconnect session is an opportunity to bring a group of learners together to talk about skills or knowledge they have learned. This can be done virtually or in person. A general rule of thumb is to have these sessions 30, 60, and 90 days after a learning event. During these sessions, a leader might:
- Present a case study for learners to analyze/discuss and apply what they have learned
- Ask learners to share examples of how the knowledge or skills learned helped them do their job more effectively
- Ask learners what challenges they continue to face and ask their peers for advice
- Provide any updated or new information pertaining to the learning topic and answer any questions learners may have
There needs to be an end-to-end plan for training – from conceptualization to sustainment – in order for companies to get their full return on their training investment. The time leaders, managers and supervisors spend ensuring the knowledge and skills are not only transferred, but fully embedded in an employee’s performance, will contribute to the job satisfaction of each employee and the overall success of the business.
Need assistance creating training for adult learners? We can help!
We have over 25 years’ experience developing successful online training, onboarding, and orientation content from documents, presentations, and videos.
We’ve developed ProcessLMS™, our learning management system specially designed to manage, track, and deliver courses online.
Reach out and we can chat about the right solution for your organization.