Transfer of Training

You’ve got to be kidding me!

We just crossed over the 5 minute mark of his story, and this is all I was thinking.

Another department manager asked me for some help. He was having some trouble with two employees, who weren’t getting along, and he desperately needed me to hear out his story.

The problem for me was I already knew the answer, so it was a struggle having to listen to all the details.

It was another 5 minutes before he tuckered himself out. The story was finally over, and his look of desperation meant it was time for me to offer up some advice.

My advice: “Do what we just learned in our offsite training, last week.”

He slumped in his chair. I can’t remember all the excuses he gave for not wanting to and not thinking it was useful, but I do remember being frustrated with him for wasting my time, since he already had his answer.

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This is a great example of Transfer of Training, a subtopic of Cognitive Intelligence under Cognitive Readiness. Transfer of training is applying the knowledge and skills acquired during training to a targeted job or role.

Some of you will stop here and brush this off as something you already know. Wait! Take a moment to think about the story above. How often have you found yourself in that situation? How often do you hear a teammate complaining about a problem, that they have full knowledge of how to solve, but they don’t or haven’t applied this knowledge?

Take yourself for example; how often do you go to training and leave it there, read a book and just shut the cover, or watch a video just to close outage window? How often do you actually transfer the training you’ve acquired?

People are lazy with short attention spans.

There are also things that can get in the way, like:

•  Lack of motivation for the lesson
•  Minimal reinforcement of the new knowledge or skill
•  Work environment interference
•  A non-supportive culture
•  Zero accountability

Let’s take a look at what you can do for yourself and to help out your team so you can transfer your training.

Action 1: Relevance

What’s in it for them?

Engage the student(s) by making sure the training is on point and useful. Don’t just check the training box, make sure you and your team need the information. You’ve sat in mandatory trainings before, you know what it feels like to be disengaged.

When the training is relevant, people will focus. But, added bonus, they’ll also recognize that you’re listening to them and have their best interest in mind.

Action 2: Recall and Repetition

Boost memory through active recall and spaced repetition.

When situations arise, where you can use your training, actively recall the specific training material. Bring up the title of the book, the name of the instructor, or the goofy template that you’re using. You spent time and money on the training so highlight it every time you use it.

For example, any time I talk with a stubborn person, which never happens, ever, I don’t even know why I thought up this example, I bring up the book ‘Think Again’ by Adam Grant. Why? Because a) it’s a great resource on the topic and b) I want to use one or some of the tactics within. By mentioning the book, it helps me to remember and, as an added bonus, it gives credibility to the tactic.

Action 3: Review

Spend time with your team reviewing the training.

Don’t just use the training tips and tricks, improve them. Reflect back on the situations and remind yourself what worked, what didn’t, and what you can do to improve the short comings. This also helps with the first two actions. Through review, you can ask if the tactics were actually relevant to the situation, if not, search out alternative trainings. Through review, you’ll add the active recalls and spaced repetitions.

I, personally, train on what I know and what worked for me. And, I improve my training from the feedback and stories I receive on my training. I don’t ever think my or any others’ training is perfect.

Training shouldn’t be looked at as simply another tool in the toolbox. It shouldn’t just be an additional thing that may or may not be used in certain circumstances. Training should be deliberate, as in, this is a skill that will serve you, this is a great way to learn and use this skill, and we will solve problems using this skill, regularly and specifically, going forward.

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A couple of weeks went by, and I bumped into that department manager. He was still in a bind. I asked what he had tried, and he replied nothing. He was still frustrated though. Go figure.

Later that day, I walked past his office, he wasn’t in there, but I knew where his copy of the training manual was from when he shared his long story all those days ago. I pulled it off the shelf and left it on his chair.