The doctor analogy – can it help you in L&D?
Paul Matthews
Learning & Development Expert. Strategist, Author & Speaker. Architect of the People Alchemy Learning Workflow Platform. Helping L&D Professionals Make a Difference.
If you are a trainer and feel that you have limited influence as to what goes on after the training event, think about the problem a doctor faces.
They have a short time in the consulting room and then they send the patient on their way with some advice and perhaps a prescription. It is then down to the patient to follow the advice and take the tablets, read the supporting material, do the exercises, eat the right foods and so on.
Having said that, there are some things the doctor can do that will 'stick' better; for example, if the doctor puts some stitches in a wound, it is unlikely the patient will rip them out.
Whether the patient follows the advice or not will largely depend on their state of mind and trust in the doctor, and whether what is being asked is easy enough to do.
A good doctor will set the patient up with the tools and support that will enable healing after leaving the surgery.
A good doctor also knows that healing happens after the consultation, not during it. He has that brief period to do the best he can to set things up so that healing is optimal.
He seeks to extend his reach beyond the consultation to influence the patient during the whole healing process.
How can you use this doctor's mindset when you are designing your learning programme?
My best wishes, Paul
Trainer ? Coach ? Speaker ? Author | communication performance | leadership transition | career transition
1 天前Love this comparison
A Passionate and Purpose-driven C-Suite Executive who is intentional and deliberate about creating individual and corporate change.
1 天前Conclusion: Extending Your Reach Beyond the Training Room A Training Transfer SME does not just design training; they design workplace transformation. Like a doctor, we must set up our learners for success, ensuring the learning process extends beyond the training event into real-world application. This is the difference between a $1 billion training budget that delivers no ROI and ROE and a $1 billion training strategy that drives measurable business impact. Now, to my fellow HR and L&D professionals—how are you ensuring that your training is curing the real problem, not just prescribing knowledge?
A Passionate and Purpose-driven C-Suite Executive who is intentional and deliberate about creating individual and corporate change.
1 天前During Training (Performing the Procedure) A doctor doesn’t just hand out a prescription and walk away. Instead, they intervene, perform a procedure if needed, and give precise, tailored advice. Similarly, training should be interactive, experiential, and designed for transfer. Tools like behavior modeling, simulations, and commitment devices act as the trainer’s equivalent of surgical stitches—making it harder for learners to ‘rip out’ new behaviors. Post-Training (Healing & Follow-Up Care) No doctor assumes their patient is fully healed the moment they leave the clinic. Similarly, training is only the beginning—real learning happens when employees apply new skills on the job. Managers play the role of “caregivers”—ensuring learners stick to their prescription through coaching, reinforcement, and accountability.
A Passionate and Purpose-driven C-Suite Executive who is intentional and deliberate about creating individual and corporate change.
1 天前The PDP Model: Designing Training Like a Doctor Designs Treatment As a Training Transfer Effectiveness Advocate, my expertise in Training Transfer Effectiveness challenges the passive role of trainers. Instead of simply delivering knowledge, trainers must think like doctors—designing treatment plans that ensure workplace application. Here is how: Needs Validation Process (NVP): Diagnose Before You Prescribe. A doctor doesn’t prescribe medication without understanding the symptoms. Likewise, training should not be the default solution without a structured needs validation process. Our PDP Training Transfer Effectiveness Model ensures that training is the right prescription before implementation. Pre-Training (Prepping the Patient for Success) Just like doctors educate patients before surgery, trainers must prime learners before the event. Set expectations: Why is this training happening? What impact will it have? Align stakeholders: Line managers must be involved early—like family members supporting a patient’s recovery.
A Passionate and Purpose-driven C-Suite Executive who is intentional and deliberate about creating individual and corporate change.
1 天前Hello Paul Powerful Analogy by the way. My contribution may seem long do bear with me. This is a topic of passion for me. This analogy between trainers and doctors is powerful—it highlights the critical truth that transformation happens after the training, though some transformations do happen within the training. Some doctors rely on prescriptions and follow-up care, trainers must therefore design for Training Transfer Effectiveness—ensuring that learning translates into real-world application. The Multi-Billion Dollar Training Problem: The corporate world spends billions annually on training, yet research shows that only about 15-20% of what is learned in training actually gets applied on the job. This isn’t just a problem—it is a global business crisis. Organizations are bleeding resources, investing in training that doesn’t move the needle on performance. And just like a doctor who watches patients ignore medical advice, trainers see employees return to their desks with no behavior change. Cont'd from the next comment.