| |NOVEMBER 202419INSIDERConsider the last learning session you attended, whether it was a multi-day conference or a mandatory workshop. Can you easily recall the topics covered? What did you put into action because of the learning experience? Have you integrated the language with your team to establish common practices or a new standard? Or, like many of us, did the materials end up saved on your computer or buried somewhere on your desk in the hopes you would find time to revisit them later? Throughout my life, I have attended multiple learning events. There are countless times when I left a session or conference overwhelmed. My free swag bag was full of printouts and notes I planned to revisit once I was back in the office and all caught up with emails and anything else that cropped up in my absence. Learning itself was not the issue. The problem? Reinforcement was lacking, and I doubt I am alone in this experience. So, what are leaders to do? Is it as simple as hanging a sign? Well, it depends on the complexity of what learning needs to take place and what behaviors need to change. How can leaders sustain learning and drive behavioral changes so learning does not turn into a one-time event? Signs like the one in the restaurants serve as one mechanism, but here are three additional suggestions to consider:1. Teach someone Else- Share your newfound knowledge and insights with a colleague or your team. Reviewing what you learned and teaching someone else helps learning stick, and it creates a sense of accountability. 2. Practice- Most people cringe when you suggest role-playing, but how about implementing a learning lab or a lunch & learn? Provide materials as pre-work and encourage attendees to come prepared for an interactive discussion. A facilitator can use the materials to initiate the conversation so the team can share best practices, challenges, and key takeaways. End with a commitment and preschedule follow-up `practice' sessions.3. Set Goals- Start small and check in with yourself. The first goal might be to review the materials you brought back with you in your swag bag- schedule time on your calendar for this. The next goal might be to implement a single aspect of these resources. Keep progressing and setting goals, one by one. In a world where we are all flooded with information, reinforcement is vital for effective learning retention and behavior change. Think about those simple restaurant signs urging employees to wash their hands. They serve as a reminder that we all need gentle pushes to turn knowledge into habits. Leaders must implement strategies beyond the initial learning event to ensure lasting impact. By sharing, practicing, and setting goals, we can bridge the gap between learning and tangible application, creating a culture of reinforcement, continuous growth, and improvement. In a world where we are all flooded with information, reinforcement is vital for effective learning retention and behavior change
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