I’m constantly asked by harried HR managers how we can ensure the learning from our soft skills training courses is sustainable back in the workplace.

The problem is that all too often people go on a training course, think ‘that’s interesting’ and then go on with their lives pretty much as before.

HR managers want to make sure they’re getting value for money and, what’s more, they want the training to actually change behaviours in the workplace. And so do we.

But change is not easy.

People are comfortable in their patterns and even when there’s a benefit to changing them they don’t always want to make the effort. And of course it does take effort.

There are definitely things that trainers, in partnership with HR managers and line managers, can do to help.

As trainers our role is to make the programme as interesting as possible. Keeping delegates awake is job number one, then we can engage them with the material and if we do that they may remember a good bit of what we cover on the day when they get back to the office.

Working with HR managers and line managers, we can ensure that preparation for the programme and follow up happens. If we can get conversations going between line managers and delegates, beyond the usual “What are you doing today? A course? Humph!”, that will go a long way towards encouraging participants to apply their learning.

Tying learning outcomes into personal development plans and encouraging line managers to acknowledge achievements helps.

You can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink

At the end of the day though sustainable learning really comes down to the delegates. They have to want to change their behaviours, adopt new skills and put in place new and more useful patterns of behaviour.

On our training programmes we not only encourage them to do that, we actively tap into their motivators to ensure it happens.

And when delegates contact us after the event to tell us of their successes we’re delighted to acknowledge them.

It is after all why we love our work!

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