How do you work with managers to ensure learning transfer?

Training should always have a purpose that helps individuals and strengthens the organization. Making sure training efforts are tightly connected to these increases support from field managers and adoption by users. Trainings based on "just because" or "one person had an issue" will fail quickly.

One of the key element of my training programs is the Post Module Assignment (PMA). Our PMAs are designed in consultation with functional leaders of the organization. We will have a focus group discussion with the functional leaders and their team on specific issues related to the modules we are teaching. For example, in our recent module on Project Management, the functional team shared the consequences of poor communication among various stakeholders resulting in project issues. Valuable data like this is great input for us design customized training where learners discuss possible solutions. We always seek approval from the functional leaders before finalizing the PMA to ensure no confidential data is shared in the PMA.

Make it personal for the managers. Create a visual safety picture for them to grasp. Give examples of data, injuries, trends, pictures etc. Dependability, and Responsibility and Awareness are the things we teach and train every team member, why should managers be any different? The buy in starts with management. When team members see management are taking safety seriously and supporting the Safety Manager, the lead by example kicks in. Spider-Man uncle Ben said “ With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility”. Not saying mangers have super powers but they do have responsibility to engage and make our workforce a safe environment.

The buy in from managers is key. With their support staff will hear the need for training from more than one source. With statements of expectation from a leader, the engagement commences. Knowles' adult learning principles clearly indicates that adults are focused on achieving goals. When the staff see how the training aligns to the same goals of their own, they see the relevance of the training and engagement begins.

We had a simple approach : 1. Goal. 2. Activities needs to be accomplished. 3. Behaviours and skills each activity required to execute it to the highest levels of performance. 4. Essential competencies. 5. Gaps if any against each. 6. Design training to get participants fill those gaps. That would mostly give desired results ....

We've found this to be the best way to improve learning retention and buy in. If a delegate's immediate manager is actively involved in working with the delegate in setting objectives, discussing learning goals and building commitment to the learning opportunity, then there's a much greater chance of the person being immersed in the elarning, with ideally a good knowledge of where they need to concentrate on applying the learning sessions

In my experience, having managers actively participate in training design and delivery is a game-changer. It not only fine-tunes the training to be job-relevant but also fosters a culture of shared accountability and continuous learning. This strategy turns training from a 'one-off event' into an 'ongoing process,' increasing both ROI and employee engagement. It's a win-win that no organization should overlook.

Involving managers in setting training priorities and expectations is very crucial. Managers have traversed the path and they are well equipped to share what worked for them and what didn’t. It’s not necessary to design the training exactly on the manager’s ideas, but they can be a good support. Also, post training, it’s not only the trainees, even the managers need to be held accountable on the outcome. Periodic reviews and reinforcements in a collaborative manner is a must.

Managers should be involved in both the design and delivery of training programs. When I built and taught team workshops, the leaders who contributed to the content helped me customize it to address very specific business goals and challenges. When the content was delivered, teams were more likely to engage with it because it addressed their needs. When leaders co-facilitated trainings with me, while still giving everyone on the team a voice, it added credibility to the content and underscored its role in growing the business. In addition, when the leader contributed AND listened respectfully, it created a safe environment where employees participated, shared ideas and issues, and most importantly, showed up as themselves.

Research in behavioral science has demonstrated that a simple way to increase willingness and ongoing participation in training is to let those responsible for administering the trainings have a say in it. This is a great strategy to increase buy in from managers while also helping them build valuable skills in T&D, curriculum building, coaching, workshop facilitation, and much more.

We implemented a Mentorship program to support regular knowledge exchange between employees on all levels. It includes a certified training for Mentors and preparation program for Mentees to be, and is accompanied by a dedicated communication platform. We believe in the importance of everyday work environment support to foster personal professional growth, encouraging talent development at the same time. This way we want to ensure regular knowledge exchange based on respective inhouse know how for the benefit of all parties involved. It is never too late to start cultivating productive feedback.

A simple method is the impromptu follow up with a participants manager. Nothing formal, cumbersome or time consuming. Just a quick ping asking the manager for feedback or if the participant found the session helpful can open communication and draw out useful information.

The most challenging part of the learning transfer cycle is what happens after the training. This is due in part to how quickly we forget things after we step out of a classroom, our prior behaviors that have been ingrained in us for years, and time constraints in the workplace. In addition to coaching, reinforcement, and opportunities to apply the learnings, managers should consider aligning the most relevant learnings and practices from trainings to personal performance goals. That way, both the manager and employee are held accountable and can assess how well the knowledge transferred and was put into practice over time.

Connecting well with learners frequently during the whole training cycle gets you better results and should be done by respective Manager A quick briefing on why the training helps in setting the tone as well as the goal for the learner Regular catchup on the during the training demands for more efforts from the learner Post training it is very important to set up productivity and quality targets with timelines Reward the great performances, that really works Constructive feedback and coaching is critical to boost end results

To work with managers to support learning transfer, the key here is to define learning objectives and align with the working objectives at that time. You should make this in the first step of learning need analysis and setting learning objectives. You can sit with managers and set the alignment with them on learning objectives, specifically to answer the question: - what the learners can/are able to do/change after the finishing the training session? - how to observe that behavior change when they come back to work after training? - which are the next tasks/jobs/projects the learners will do using this training session's knowledge & skill right after the training? - how the learners will apply in those tasks/jobs/projects? etc

Monitoring and evaluation is essential to assure we are learning from our techniques and applying education appropriately. How can we get better if we don't know where we aren't doing well?

Customized Training Content: Work closely with managers to tailor training content to their team's needs and job roles. Involve managers in selecting or customizing training materials to make them relevant to their teams. Manager Involvement in Training: Encourage managers to participate in the training program alongside their team members. Managers can serve as role models during training, showcasing the importance of applying new skills in the workplace. Post-Training Support: Collaborate with managers to develop post-training support mechanisms, such as job aids, coaching, or mentoring programs. Ensure that managers are aware of available resources to reinforce and support the application of newly acquired knowledge and skills.

A great way to ensure that learning transfer is taking place is to implement "Learning Circles" that are sponsored and attended by Managers to create milestone events of applied learning feedback, outcomes, challenges, celebrate small wins by having the voice of peers learning from each other which creates a continuous learning application cycle.

To ensure effective training transfer, it's crucial to include managers in the process when creating the training, based on the desired outcomes and maintain open communication with managers. Collaborating with managers to set clear expectations, and then provide ongoing support and resources to help managers teach back the newly acquired skills among their teams.

In the immediate term, I advise managers to book in time with each team member a week after they’ve attended a course or workshop to ask them how they are using what they’ve learned. Prior to this, is helping the manager get crystal clear on the outcomes the training/development activity needs to ensure. What does success look like if this training works? How will we know?

An approach I used to use when I was a manager was to encourage team members to design and deliver short events, where they shared with their colleagues what they’d learned from a course or event. This is backed up by research led by Aloysius Wei Lun Koh which examined the learning benefit of teaching. One of the main findings of the research was that ‘teachers’ demonstrated better learning when they had taken the time to internalise their understanding, rather than reading out what they’d learned from notes. Therefore, encouraging people to pull together a short presentation, along with one or two activities, could be a way to help aid reflection, increase understanding and further embed learning.

Gamification is a great way to invoke competitive spirit of the managers. Its also a medium to learn from managers who get good participation / engagement scores for the batches they conduct trainings for. Opens opportunities for peer learning as well.

Communicating the value of training to employees is essential if you want them to engage with it, retain the information, and apply it. What is the benefit to them? If you can't answer that question, revisit the content's objective and your messaging and adjust accordingly.

One more point I would like to add. I believe it's a wise practice to assess progress after training and the implementation of newly acquired knowledge whenever feasible. When a set goal is achieved, it's important for the office to celebrate the development of the staff, the improved workflow efficiency, and the potential for growth within the company. Training is not just an option; it should never be underestimated or taken for granted. Instead, it should be commemorated and valued.

Evaluate what you offer against the following questions: 1. Is this training enabling the learner to do something or do it better? 2. Are you addressing the issues that are relevant to the learners and their managers? 3. Are your examples/scenarios mimic real life? 4. Is your content easy to understand and retain? 5. Does the learner know what to do post-training? 6. Is it easy for the learner to access the resources?