Too often we provide learning opportunities for our team, yet we forget to provide occasions to practice, apply and discuss the learning. We mistakenly think this is unnecessary, yet we all know we can’t go to the gym one day and run a marathon the next. We need to practice new knowledge and skills in the right way, to ensure behavior change.
This task can seem both simple and a challenge. With the switch to hybrid work, employees may feel adrift if they have learned something new and been provided no guidance for application and practice of these skills. Having structured opportunities to implement the learning will ensure your learning investment is achieved.
Practice Is The Key to Capability
No one ever mastered a skill on their first try… Letting participants practice their new knowledge and skills helps ensure that they will remember and apply the information they have learned
Perfect Practice. Makes. Perfect!
It is essential to ensure that participants use the new knowledge they have gained in learning events in the manner intended. Practice without feedback, will not achieve the desired results. Some strategies that can be used to ensure your participants are benefitting from your learning sessions include:
- Create opportunities/chances for learners to revisit and practice the lessons learned- whether they are leadership concepts or technical skills.
- Provide real-world or genuine problems that learners can relate to and solve by applying their new knowledge and skills.
- Provide feedback, guidance and coaching as participants begin to apply their new knowledge and skills. This ensures perfect practice, or practice of the new skills in the manner they were intended, which leads to behavior change.
Keeping these best practices in mind will allow you to deliver learning experiences that change behaviors and improves bottom line results.
