Strategies to Enhance Learning
Participants leave our programs with individualized action plans that detail how they will apply on-the-job what they have learned in the classroom. However, that is often not enough to ensure rapid and effective transfer of learning back to the work site.
Some studies have put the amount of information retained from traditional training programs as low as 5%.
Participants have busy work schedules. They get behind while away at training and once back at work, forget to apply what they’ve learned. If not used immediately, the learning fades away.
Managers sometimes don’t support the new strategies and don’t provide adequate time for the learning curve to take hold.
A High Return on Your Training Investment Requires
Effective Transfer of Learning from Classroom to Workplace
The key to learning transfer is immediate and repeated application on the job.
The planning and follow-up systems designed by Krieger Solutions, LLC can dramatically increase on the job application by keeping the new learning out in front, so it gets put to use. Follow-up also provides opportunities for learners to get support and coaching as they implement these new skills and strategies. We provide many of these strategies at no cost or for a nominal fee.
These learning transfer systems include:
Advance Planning
Participants meet with their manager prior to the workshop to review the program and set individual, measurable goals. (Krieger Solutions can provide a customized template to guide the discussion.)
Manager Follow-up
Participants meet with their managers after the training to review their action plans and track progress. (Krieger Solutions can provide a guide for this discussion)
Individual Follow-up
We can send participants reminder copies of their action plans several weeks after each session with some notes to assist them in implementing these plans.
We also provide coaching sessions by e-mail or phone for participants in need of extra support or guidance.
Group Follow-up
This can take several forms:
- Peer-to-peer support – on-going conversations with “coaching partners” identified in the training. Coaching partners meet during the workshop to review how they can apply the material they have learned in class. They schedule time to review progress and coach each other through any challenges. (This is especially effective for multi-day programs.)
- Trainer-facilitated small-group follow-up – formal sessions of 90 minutes to two-hours each, scheduled 4-6 weeks after a workshop in which participants meet to discuss progress they have made and help each other solve problems they’ve encountered in implementing new skills and strategies. (Krieger Solutions can facilitate these sessions or train your staff to lead them).
- Trainer-facilitated on-line follow-up – an informal electronic dialogue.
Participants share questions, successes and concerns. The trainer filters these to protect confidentiality and to ensure nothing sensitive or harmful is shared publicly. The trainer provides input and facilitates the dialogue.
Having participants work together to solve problems and share successes following training has a number of added benefits. Follow-up sessions:
- build a culture of peer support and learning
- promote creative, hands-on opportunities to apply the skills learned
- build coaching, communication and team work skills
In these sessions, the trainer serves as a facilitator and subject matter expert when needed.
Krieger Solutions, LLC will work with you to develop the follow-up model that will give you the best return on your training investment.
Evaluation is another important part of any training program. Click here for information about our evaluation process.
To see specific program outlines, click here.