Training vs. Learning - An Event vs. a Process | Fierce

BLOG-03.05.14

Each month Fierce gathers together as an organization to share what has impacted us over the month. It’s a time to reconnect and re-energize. This week our training department talked about their deep passion for how, at its core, Fierce is not a training company – it’s a learning company.

So what’s the difference?

Training is an event; learning is a process.

The reality is when organizations expect one or two days of training to magically transform their cultures, they’re setting themselves up for disappointment. True behavior change happens when the heads and hearts of learners are engaged both in the classroom and beyond.

Below are three easy ways to continue your employees’ learning post-training.

#1 Ask for Commitment

You can’t ask someone to change their behavior and learn new habits if there is no interest. So if you’re bringing training, ask what type of training your employees want to receive and then get a commitment on how they’ll use the training. Some of our clients ask each learner to pick an accountability partner and commit to reporting out once a month on how they are using Fierce and its impact. Each partner is responsible for sending the other’s response to their Learning and Development department.

#2 Provide Examples

Learning can be like one of those eye spy pictures, where you don’t see the image until someone points it out to you, and then it becomes so obvious. Perhaps your learners want to take their new knowledge and flex their new muscle, yet they are drawing a blank on where they can do that in the “real” world. Provide a list of meetings or pieces of the business that the training should start to impact. This way you know the learning is being applied to areas that matter to the business and your employees don’t have to re-invent the wheel.

#3 Identify Champions

There are always those employees that pick something up quickly or have passion around a specific type of learning . Identify who your champions are and leverage their enthusiasm and skill to keep the learning going. It’s not about playing favorites but rather allowing those who are taking the material and running with it to blaze the trail. Give them opportunities to share their wins and their struggles. By providing a platform for their voice, you keep the learning going for everyone.

How do you continue the learning?


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