Always the concern of the learning & development officer in any business is making sure that the those learned skills are an effective investment for the individual and the business.
At TEG our guidance goes like this:
Align Training Objectives with Organisational Goals:
To ensure seamless integration of training outcomes, it is crucial to align the learning objectives with your organisation’s overall goals. By clearly defining the desired outcomes, both the L&D agency (TEG) and the organisation can work together to design a program that addresses specific skill gaps and contributes to achieving strategic objectives. This alignment sets the foundation for successful implementation.
Pre-training Preparation:
Before employees attend a session, it is essential to create an environment that encourages learning and prepares them for the upcoming experience. This can be achieved by setting clear expectations, sharing relevant pre-training materials, and engaging in pre-training discussions. By providing context and priming participants, you can enhance their readiness to absorb and apply new knowledge.
Customisation and Practical Relevance:
TEG strives to deliver programs that are tailored to the specific needs of your organisation and its employees. Generic training content may not always resonate with participants or address their unique challenges. By customising the session materials, real-life examples, and case studies to reflect the workplace context, participants will be better equipped to apply their learning directly to their roles.
Active Learning and Hands-on Practice:
Learning & development programs should foster active learning rather than passive consumption of information. For example at TEG we encourage participants to engage in hands-on activities, role-playing exercises, simulations, and group discussions. By actively applying what they have learned in a safe and supportive environment, participants can build confidence and develop practical skills that they can readily implement back in the office.
Post-Training Support:
Support after the training is critical for reinforcing learning and ensuring successful implementation. TEG provides follow-up resources such as job aids, reference materials, and more where participants can continue to exchange ideas and seek support.
Additionally, managers can play a vital role in supporting employees’ implementation efforts through ongoing coaching, feedback, and recognition.
Create an Implementation Plan:
To bridge the gap between training and implementation, organisations should encourage participants to create individual implementation plans. These plans outline specific actions they will take to apply their newly acquired skills in their daily work. By setting measurable goals, identifying potential obstacles, and defining timelines, participants can structure their implementation process effectively.
Evaluate and Measure Impact:
To gauge the effectiveness of training implementation, we encourage the organisations we work with to establish evaluation mechanisms. This has included post-training assessments, surveys, and performance evaluations. By collecting feedback on the application of new skills and measuring the impact on individual and organisational performance, your organiation can identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to future training initiatives.
In summary: Effective implementation of learned skills is the key to maximising the impact of learning and development programs. By aligning training objectives with organisational goals, customising content, fostering active learning, providing post-training support, and creating implementation plans, your organisation can ensure that employees apply their new skills back in the office. We play a critical role in guiding organisations through this process, ultimately helping them achieve their desired outcomes and drive success in the workplace. We look forward to working with you soon.
