Be different!
I’ve been reflecting on the key to success in the transfer of learning and what makes us different.
I feel able to comment having clocked up over 3000 clients and over 10,000 hours refining our craft.
However, it takes more than just building up hours of experience. We think it is our understanding of the logistics of learning transfer that puts us above and beyond the rest. Behavioural change is at the heart of what we do, but often when people are putting together learning transfer solutions, they separate the logistics from the behavioural change. Or, they allow the logistics to drive the behavioural change.
We can take an example from the vast amount of behavioural change solutions at the moment that are online. Logistically, an online solution is pretty easy to manage. There is a high level of control, it’s easy to deliver into people’s inbox and you can get visibility by tracking what people say and do.
That kind of online process is for me, logistically centred and has a very limited function within behavioural change. It does not drive the change we know is necessary. We know that we need reflection and ownership to create behavioural change. So where are these fundamentals taken care of within an online solution?
Conversely, you have other transfer of learning methods that centre on behavioural change, such as Executive Coaching. It’s great that they are driven by behavioural change but it is unlikely that logistically they are set up for scalability and measurement.
Often when looking at learning transfer, we’ve identified that the logistics will either make or break a project.
What do I mean by logistics? I mean (for example) getting people to truly commit and sign up for the process. In my book you’ll see that we get people to physically sign our learning action plans. This is a logistical action because they are documenting their goals, but it also has elements focused on behavioural change because they are putting their signature to it.
‘Logistics’ also includes aspects like rescheduled or missed appointments. As people’s priorities change after learning, it is an immense task to manage the logistics of this whilst getting them to stay committed to transferring their learning. We accept that everyone sometimes misses a meeting. We know that transferring learning is not the top of everyone’s priority when they are back in the day-to-day business, but it is something that needs to be achieved as part of the day-to-day.
We mapped our rescheduling process into a flow chart recently – and boy! Talk about epic. It’s a detailed piece of work. Over the years we have developed a firm but fair system and when people refuse to take the system seriously and are not willing to step forward, we have processes to communicate that back to the client and manager. But equally for those who are living in the real world, where day-to-day can get in the way, we have logistical processes in place that support these people to complete their learning transfer process.
Our logistical success guarantees complete satisfaction to our clients, and if ever a client is not completely satisfied with our services, we will, at the client’s option, either waive professional fees, or accept a portion of those fees that reflects the client’s level of satisfaction.
So I urge you when you’re planning your learning transfer strategy and process, really consider if the approach you are investigating covers behavioural change with a clear methodology and also has a logistics strategy in place. Don’t separate out behaviour and logistics – have the two hand in hand, as that will get you phenomenal results.
If anyone wants to have a chat with me about the type of logistics and systems that we have in place, please feel free to pick up the phone – as always I’m happy to talk learning transfer at any time.
Get in touch with emma@leverlearning.com if you want to start the year ‘being different’, and ensuring your learning initiatives really make an impact.