Learning Transfer to the workplace ! 12 Levers, IAF session

Melanie Martinelli of Switzerland has conducted a wonderful, flowing 100 minute online zoom workshop on the most important part of training - the Learning Transfer part ! Which deals with Donanld Kirkpatrick's 3 rd level and 4 th level evaluation . That is , behavioral level and results level , which takes place through learning transfer.

It was for an IAF Members only session, conducted for IAF India members . It was thoroughly enjoyable and well researched session .

There were 12 levers that influence Learning Transfer from training room to the work place. Since 100 minutes was not sufficient to discuss all levers threadbare, we focussed upon 3 . They were :

(1) Transfer Motivation (2) Support from supervisors and ( 3) Transfer planning.

SUPPORT FROM SUPERVISORS : Break out room and plenary discussions followed on how to get support from immediate supervisors of our participants groups ! One way is - to involve the supervisors at the client contracting or training design stage . If we don't involve them during the beginning, they will not cooperate and take onus or ownership ( of learning transfer of training ) , post training . Second part is , sending them a questionnaire before the training and during the design stage.

Making the immediate supervisors feel how important they are in the whole plan and they , in turn, telling their direct reports ( our participants ) how important this training is. Some SELLING also needs to be done ! Selling the supervisors, the BENEFITS of learning transfer & how it will help them to achieve THEIR KPI s, KRA s and OKR s etc.

If time is short, conducing 2 short meetings with the immediate supervisors, online or off line, 20 minutes BEFORE and 20 minutes meeting AFTER our workshop, about the workshop and why it's being conducted and what is their ROLE and what are their BENEFITS if they help, will enhance the possibility of great learning transfer.

Transfer Motivation : Is it a MUST for all trainings ?

Transfer motivation is important - but NOT for ALL trainings . For instance, a legal training, an ethics and compliance training, for a safety and precautionary training , Due Diligence or Risk management training , a mandatory ' check in the box ' trainings, do not require a great motivation on the part of learner. All change management, and behavioral trainings , soft skills trainings, sales trainings need motivation on the part of learner to transfer the same to the work place.

Does every training requires immediate learning transfer to the workplace ?

NOT everything requires immediate learning transfer . For example, new product launch trainings in the FMCG segment , new upcoming policy change trainings, new technology initiative trainings, may need learning transfer a month or 2 later.

We should not OVERLOAD our trainee with the information , like this !!

One crucial learning was ' ask the participants to write down 2 ' SMALL BABY STEPS' they are going to take, to transfer their learnings from your session !! Just 2 baby steps. They should be SO SMALL that , not implementing them would be impossible ! But they should come with an implementation date and time and how !

That is, SMART BABY STEPS , the learners will take, at the end of your training session .

Melanie Martinelli was cheerful, enthusiastic, energetic and flowing ! From start to finish . If English is not her first language, like for most of us Indians, it's all the more creditable !

COMMENTS : It's just a brief account. I can't write here everything. What is one important point that every one should know ? That I missed ? This question is for other IAF attendees !

Lastly for non IAF members, please consider joining IAF, which ever country you are from .