Turning Learning into Action: A Proven Methodology for Effective Transfer of Learning
Emma Weberamazon.com
Turning Learning into Action: A Proven Methodology for Effective Transfer of Learning
Threatening people with punishment or encouraging them with reward is not going to be much better when trying to motivate people to change. The most potent form of motivation is intrinsic motivation, which comes from within the individual and is fostered when that person can feel autonomous, competent and related to others.
In their book First Break all the Rules authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman detailed the result of two huge research studies undertaken by the Gallup Organization over a 25-year period.
Having an opportunity to personalize the training and reflect on how the new information and skills could help an individual is key to transfer of learning and yet this process does not happen in groups.
To maximize learning transfer at this stage evaluation needs to be scheduled for two to three months after the programme so that the impact of the training can be accurately measured in terms of what benefits have been realized as a result of the training.
Without proper engaged reflection and personalization of the material to the participants’ own situation – and the transference of those observations into a concrete action plan to put in motion as soon as the individual is back at work – nothing will change.
There are, I believe, five reasons why the missing link has remained missing for so long: no ownership; wrong objective; obsession with content; obsession with evaluation; focus on learning not on change.
People don’t change by being reminded to change. In fact reminding them to change could have the opposite effect.
How the training is delivered makes very little difference to whether or not people will use that training in their daily working lives. Training professionals could and do argue that this is incorrect.
There are two distinct parts to effective training. The first is the transfer of learning to the participant. The second is the transfer of learning from the participant into the workplace, as evidenced by behaviour change.