5 Ways To Change Behavior Through High Impact Learning

Learning and development is a booming industry with $83 billion spent annually in the US and nearly $360 billion globally. Yet these efforts are not consistent with performance. A recent study shows both the need for learning and development as well as the failure of current efforts:

• 70% of employees claim they don’t have mastery of the skills necessary for their jobs
• Only 12% of employees apply new skills from learning and development programs to their jobs
• Only 25% believe training measurably improved their performance (McKinsey survey)

Whether trying to retain employees, increase capacity or pivot toward a new strategy, organizations need to change their learning and development approach and adopt higher impact techniques that drive new behaviors and habits, and ultimately performance and engagement. Checking the boxes by offering trainings or workshops on specific needed subjects is the first step, but merely doing so does not equate to learning.

Creating High Impact Learning

For learning and development to be impactful, add value, and improve performance it must offer the right content and lead to behavior change and new habit formation. Neuroscience and adult learning research show that high impact learning happens when two conditions occur: when people develop personal insights, and when there are shifts in actual behavior in the form of new behavior adoption and habit formation.

1. FOCUS on what is critical, not all-encompassing. Rather than taking the all-encompassing approach and trying to pack in every lesson, insight or topic, focus on what is critical. Instead of filling the allotted time with as much as possible, target the specific desired behaviors that will drive results. People will learn and apply more! Learning should be built around 3-5 principles and a set of related core habits.
2. PRACTICAL APPLICATION of behaviors that make a difference. Provide habits that participants can put into practice and apply immediately. Teach the core habits that drive results and track them. Each session should have a clear set of behaviors that can be applied immediately and tracked, to reinforce and measure learning and application.
3. SOCIAL LEARNING to enhance insights. Learning happens most effectively when people learn together – sharing insights, experiences and perspectives. With virtual delivery, participants may be physically distant, but they can be socially engaged. Design virtual and in-person programs to facilitate social interaction, peer-to-peer learning, and leverage the benefits of learning in a social environment.
4. REINFORCE through practice. While learning may start during a workshop or training, behavior change takes place in the process of practice and reinforcement. Design programs to maximize opportunities to reinforce the new skills and desired behaviors.
5. SPACING learning so it sticks. Learning takes place and lasts when it is spaced out over time – allowing learners the time and space to absorb, reflect, practice and adjust. Build programs with spacing – not just overnight, but with a week or two between sessions.

COVID has forced almost every organization to, at first, put training on hold, and then to rethink the feasibility of conducting training virtually. Many organizations have been surprised, that virtual training, when done well, can not only be a substitute for in-person workshops, but at times may offer benefits that drive High Impact Learning with sustained behavior change that are not possible with traditional face-to-face learning. With in-person classroom training, rarely is it cost and time effective to spread the learning out over time. And unfortunately, even if possible, most face-to-face learning is limited to the time in the classroom and does not have opportunities for reinforcement. Likewise, in-person workshops may offer practical applications, but due to constraints, rarely builds in opportunities for learners to reflect and get feedback and coaching on their successes and challenges with the new behavior implementation.

Whether taking place in a classroom or in a remote environment, learning and development is more effective and leads to greater sustained behavior change when incorporating the 5 fundamentals of High Impact Learning: focus, practical application, social learning, reinforcing, and spacing.

Consider the following questions:

• How many of your learning and development programs provide all 5 High Impact Learning fundamentals?
• What are a couple of 5 High Impact Learning Fundamentals that you can start applying right away?
• What have you learned about learning and development from having to react to COVID, that you will continue to use and apply in the future?