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The bar is being raised on successful training delivery, and on-the-job performance improvement is the newest gauge of effective learning transfer.By Cal Wick, Roy Pollock, and Andy Jefferson

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You’ve just put on a terrific training program. The evaluations are outstanding, participants’ comments are supportive, and

scores on the post-test prove that a lot of learning took place. You feel great. You and your team believe you have scored a big win and your mission has been accomplished. There was a time when that might have been true, when delivering a great training program was sufficient. But not anymore. Global competition, market pressures for performance, and the recent eco-nomic downturn have moved the finish line. There is a new criterion for training success: improved performance on the job. Training’s job isn’t done, and training won’t be rewarded with continued investment unless learning is transferred and applied in a way that improves performance. Anything that falls short of the new goal line is at risk. Fortunately, we now know what it takes to turn great learning into great results. This article examines the new finish line and what it takes to reach it. We show that most organizations are falling significantly short of the goal. And we provide solutions: practical steps and the best practices of companies that are embracing this new and more challenging objective for learning and development.

New f n sh l nefor Learn ng

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Who moved the cheese?Back in the “good old days,” training was evaluated by activity—the number of programs delivered and the number of people trained—and learners’ immediate (Level 1) reactions. Business managers accepted the proposition that positively rated training was good, and so more training was better. What happened? The pressure on organizations to perform has increased dramatically over the past two decades, fueled by increasing global competition (for example, The World is Flat) and rising investor expectations. On top of these expectations, the current economic slowdown has affected virtually every-one and has further increased pressure on business managers everywhere. To balance their budgets, company leaders are being forced to make increasingly difficult decisions—to lay off employ-

ees, to close plants and facilities, and to cut back on training. Training is competing like never before with other departments and priorities for increas-ingly scarce resources. In such an environment, organizations can only justify investing in training that is clearly essential to business success and that actually delivers results that enable the company to compete effectively, comply with laws and regulations, retain key employees, and survive in turbulent times. The specific results a business wants to see depend on the nature of the business, the training, and the environment. The results that really matter are always focused on improved performance (see sidebar on page 68). One thing is certain: training results that merit continued investment occur on the job, not in the classroom or on the computer.

Are we there yet?If the finish line has moved, how much further do we have to go? To gauge where training and development is today, we asked 126 learning leaders at the 2008 ASTD International Confer-ence and Exposition to answer this question: what percent of participants apply what they learned well enough and long enough to produce meaning-ful performance improvement? The answers were mixed with good news and bad news. The bad news is that learning leaders overwhelmingly agree that much of the current train-ing investment fails to produce results; they estimate that the performance of only one out of every five or six people trained actually improves. The good news is that training and development can double or triple the value it adds to the enterprise by redefining the finish line and adopting learning transfer strat-egies that have been proven to work.

The New Finish LineTo reach the new finish line, training professionals must treat training as a process; drive follow-through, trans-fer, and application; and better engage managers and participants.

1| Treat training as a process.The incredible surge in business productivity in the past 30 years has been due in large part to process thinking—total quality management, Six Sigma, lean manufacturing, process re-engineering, and so forth. Originally developed in manufacturing, process thinking has been successfully applied to a wide range of business processes. Historically, training was treated as an isolated event. Viewed from a process perspective, however, it is apparent that instruction is only one link in the chain that leads to performance improvement (see diagram on page 69). Like in any chain, instruction is only as strong as its weakest link. Therefore, even if the training is outstanding, weak managerial support can derail the value creation process so that it fails to pro-duce the results management wanted and needed. As workplace learning professionals, we need to move from instructional designers and facilitators to value creation process owners.

How to Get Managers More EngagedManagerial engagement is critical to reaching the new finish line because manag-ers exert a profound influence on whether or not training is applied, and therefore whether or not it creates value that merits continued investment. To help managers help training succeed:

Give them a clearly-defined process to follow. Don’t leave the manager’s role to chance. As Bill Amaxopoulos of Chubb Insurance taught us: “Just because someone is promoted to manager, you cannot assume that he knows how best to maximize the value of training.” Provide managers with a clear, easy-to-follow, time-efficient process that they can use to help their direct reports achieve the new finish line of improved performance.

Make sure that managers know the business rationale and goals of the program. Ensure that the managers of those attending the training know what the training covers, how it relates to the business, and what improvement it is intended to produce, so that they can better endorse and support it. Send a short program description, emphasizing the intended business outcomes with links to a more detailed online description and supporting materials.

Make sure managers know what their direct report aims to accomplish. Managers should receive a copy of their direct reports’ goals for putting learning to work. Don’t leave the communication of program goals between participant and manager to chance.

Give managers specific guidance on how to coach for maximum value. One reason that managers don’t more effectively coach for learning transfer is because they aren’t sure exactly what to do. Several of our clients have found that while no manager will ever voluntarily ask them for a detailed coaching guide, when they do supply one, it is used effectively. Make sure the guide provides specific how-to advice and not just generalities such as, “meet with your direct report.”

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When we studied highly effective learning programs, we found that they were managed as end-to-end processes by the application of six disciplines, beginning with clearly identifying the required business outcomes and end-ing with documenting the results. Like Six Sigma manufacturing plants, the most productive learning organizations continually monitor the process and look for opportunities to improve it—including steps they do not own.

2| Drive follow-through, transfer, and application. The second key to reaching the new finish line is to drive follow-through, transfer, and application. Moving the finish line means making the period we used to consider post-training—and not our problem—part of our purview. It means planning, tracking, and man-aging learning transfer as an integral part of the overall learning experience. This is critical, because as Ken Blanchard aptly put it, “To change behav-ior and get the results you want, you need structure, support, and accountability.” Structure, support, and accountability for follow-through are in marked contrast to

the typical approach, in which we hope that a miracle will transform the course into results. Driving follow-through can take a number of forms, from email reminders, to teleconferences, to reconvenes. In our experience, the

most efficient and effective approach is to use a computer-based follow-through management system. Such systems allow a small training staff to

monitor and support a large number of trainees by automating many of the administrative tasks. Regardless of the specific approach used, the following elements are essential:

• reminders maintain share of mind and slow the forgetting curve

• progress reports underscore the new finish line and accountability

• sources of support help learners through the rough spots when mastering new skills

• collaboration helps learners stay connected and share lessons and experiences

• a “final exam” or report out, during which people are accountable for summarizing their progress and accomplishments, underscores the new finish line.

3| Engage managers and participants. When we asked learning leaders where the process of turning learning into results broke down, the most frequent answer was in the post-course period. And when we investigated what went wrong, the evidence most often centered on a lack of managerial engagement.

Training’s job isn’t done, and training won’t be rewarded with contin-ued investment unless learning is transferred and applied in a way that improves performance. Anything that falls short of the new goal line is at risk. Fortunately, we now know what it takes to turn great learning into great results.

% o

f Res

pons

es

Estimate of learning Transfer

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%0-5% 6-10% 11-15% 21-25%16-20% 26-30% 30-35% 35-40% >40%

The chart below depicts learning leaders’ estimates of the percent of program participants who transfer what they learn to the extent that improves performance.

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Two recent studies confirm this conclusion. At Pfizer, 360-degree assessments were repeated several months after a leadership develop-ment program and compared to preprogram results. The program produced definite improvement, provided the participants’ managers were actively engaged in the pro-cess. Participants scored statistically significant gains if their managers were actively involved during the post-course period. In contrast, participants who attended the same program but whose managers were not actively involved showed no performance improvement or made much smaller gains. A separate study at American Express also underscored the managers’ impact on training effectiveness. Those participants who achieved significantly better results after the training were four times more likely to have had conversations with their managers about how to apply the learning than those who produced little or no improvement. Other measures

of managerial support were all significantly correlated to increased performance improvement. The study authors concluded: “The true impact of a training program will best be predicted by the work environment participants return to after the event. More specifically, this refers to the type of leader they work with and report to after their respective training.” In other words, whether or not managers and participants actively engage with one another regarding the training program can spell the difference between success and failure. Since it is in their best interest to do so, why don’t managers coach more frequently to ensure that the training sticks? Because managers are not sure what the course covered, they are not confident about how to coach or facili-tate learning transfer, or they lack the time to do so. The learning function can address the first two obstacles by making information about the course readily available to managers and by provid-ing them with practical guides on

How to Clarify the New Finish LineThe first and most critical step of succeeding in the new economy for training and development is to clarify what the business really wants and needs. Although the request may be presented as “we need a course in X,” business leaders don’t really want a course, per se; they want the benefit of improved performance that they expect the training program to produce.

We have found four questions very helpful in defining the business objectives—as opposed to the learning objectives—for training and development programs:

What is the underlying business need or opportunity that prompted the request?

If the program is successful, what will participants do better and differently afterward?

How could we confirm that this is happening—who would notice, or what metrics would change?

What are the measures of success—that is, where’s the finish line? What evidence do we need to show (how much and by when) for the program to be considered a success?

These questions help you move from order-taker to performance improvement consultant and make it easier for training to prove its value.

One other question is crucial. In addition to training, what else (rewards, support, or systems) needs to be in place to achieve the desired results? This emphasizes that training alone rarely encompasses the whole solution, and management has to get involved to see the results they want.

how to get their money’s worth from their direct reports’ participation in training programs. The third obstacle—not enough time—really means: not a high enough priority to spend time on. Convincing overworked managers to devote time to ensuring learn-ing transfer requires helping them to understand the value of the new finish line and how much they influ-ence whether or not performance improves. It also requires convincing senior management of the need to hold managers accountable for sup-porting learning transfer if they want to protect the investment of precious resources in training.

SummaryThe world has changed. In the current economic climate, training and devel-opment must reach a new and more challenging finish line: reliably improving performance and demonstrating its contribution to business success. Doing so requires expanding your thinking beyond instruction to embrace the whole process by which learning becomes results. Ap-ply process thinking, such as the six disciplines, which have proven to be a helpful mnemonic for integrating a disciplined approach to the complete learning experience. Find ways to better engage man-agers and participants in the transfer process, and make follow-through, support, and application part of the overall design. Learning organizations that have focused on the new finish line for learning have found that they can dramatically increase the value they deliver and earn themselves a place at the table. Are you ready? T+D

Andy Jefferson is president and chief ex-ecutive officer of the Fort Hill Company co-author of Getting Your Money’s Worth; Jefferson@forthilcompany.com. Roy Pollock is chief learning officer at Fort Hill and a Kellogg National Leadership Fellow; pollock@forthillcompany.com. Cal Wick is the founder and chairman of Fort Hill and recipient of the ISA’s Thought Leadership Award; wick@forthillcompany.com.

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Like in any chain, instruction is only as strong as its weakest link. Therefore, even if the training is outstanding, weak managerial support can derail the value creation process so that it fails to produce the results management wanted and needed. As workplace learning professionals, we need to move from instructional designers and facilitators to value creation process owners.

Preparation

ExpectationsCompeting Priorities Opportunity to

useRewards or Recognition

Delivery

Perceived Relevance Instructional

Design

Feedback and Coaching

Follow-Through Management

Reinforcement by Manager

Instruction Transfer and Application

new finish line

Results

The diagram below shows the main steps in the value chain for turning learning into results, and several factors that affect success.

How to Turn Training Into Results: The Six Disciplines

1| Define business outcomes. The first step is to rigorously define how the training initiative will contribute to the organization’s mission and produc-tivity. After successfully completing the training, what will learners do differ-ently and better that will contribute to business success? Traditional learning objectives are not sufficient; they define what will be covered or learned, but not how it will be used to benefit the business. Program objectives should clearly state the expected business outcomes and how success will be measured.2| Design the complete experience. Plan and optimize the complete learning experience—not only what happens in the classroom or learn-ing module. Maximizing the business value of training and development requires designing and managing all three phases of the process: Phase 1: preparation in advance of formal instruction, including the devel-opment of “learning intentionality” through discussions with supervisorsPhase 2: the structured learning experience, which may be virtual, instructor-led, action learning, or any combination thereof

Phase 3: transfer and application, continued practice, and learning on the job. The evidence is clear: Whether learning is transferred and applied on the job depends as much on what happens in Phase 1 (before) and Phase 3 (after), as it does in the training itself. 3| Deliver for application. Ensure that the learning program delivers for application. Present material in ways that emphasize its application, motivate participants by illustrating benefits, and prepare them to put their learning to work. Link all content to business needs and realities. Use examples and exercises that are credible and relevant. Take goal-setting seriously. Ensure that participants are able to apply what they learn to their daily work. 4| Drive follow-through. Put in place systems and processes that drive follow-through, learning transfer, and on-the-job application. Treat learn-ing objectives like other business objectives: Be sure they are tracked, measured, and rewarded, not put in binders and forgotten. 5| Deploy active support. Balancing accountability with support produces better results than just one or the other.

Provide learners with ongoing support to assist them in applying new methods and mastering new skills. Make sure managers know and agree with their direct reports’ development objectives and that they are committed to support-ing their achievement. Finally, provide additional support through instruc-tors, peers, and coaches (internal or external), job aids, and printed or online guides to application.6| Document results. Treat the investment in training and development like any other corporate investment. Measure the results and evaluate the impact to ensure that the program is producing an adequate return for stakeholders. Drive continuous improvement by comparing the actual outcomes to the expected results and actively seeking ways to enhance subsequent iterations.

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