Sustained change from learning for sustainable results

In terms of people development, we have seen a great evolution from training to learning to a blended method that delivers business results. In preparation, top management and their human resources departments must work in partnership to identify the business goals and the training interventions required to achieve them.

From several years of experience with the many research sources, we have come to the conclusion that to be effective, learning should follow an advanced five-phase development platform, a comprehensive process that allows organisations to execute and sustain positive changes in their people and culture. 

Such a platform is derived from the fact that the traditional development or training session does not deliver any return on investment. We have all been through training, but think back and try to remember how much you remember and can apply the knowledge acquired from those sessions. If you are like most people, it isn’t much. Moreover, in today’s busy and competitive world, you can’t afford to waste your time in a boring training session. 

Every year, organisations spend millions of baht on training and development but at the end of the year, many still complain that this investment bore no fruit at all – most importantly because it does not lead to change, let alone sustainable change. 

The first of the five phases is the Introduce and Initiate stage, where the participants in each development programme are informed of the expected outcomes as well as the entire learning process. Once complete, stakeholders are prepared for what is coming and are curious and excited about what the programme will lead to.

The second step is Baseline and Measure, which allows participants in the programme to understand the gap between where they are now and where they want to be through a benchmarking process. In essence, this is the observable on-the-job changes that can be seen when finished. From here, change is tracked and measured during and after the programme to determine its impact.

Then it is time for the Engage and Inspire phase, where all stakeholders who are going to be part of the change or the development process come together to understand clearly the programme goals, the process and their roles in it. Most important, they understand the need to get engaged and understand that change is both necessary and positive. This is because through this phase, they create a vision of success and define ways to implement the programme together. 

Next is the Build and Integrate step, in which participants will be developed through a series of learning interventions built around related sets of capabilities. Each intervention is designed around the 70-20-10 development model that can include online, workshop, on-the-job and social learning interventions. 

In this sense, participants can learn, practise and begin to apply and integrate their new capabilities on the job immediately to see what works, and they will all know what success looks like and in what situation or context they can use their new capabilities.

In addition, supervisors, peers and direct reports are encouraged to support the process through sharing, feedback and coaching.

Last but not least is the Consolidate and Sustain phase. Once the formal development process is completed, all stakeholders will have to come together to consolidate the best practices for future use on the job. The community creates and implements a clear sustainability plan including any support interventions for participants to use when going back to work that can drive the sustained application of the identified capabilities/culture at work. 

All in all, the above learning process is the essential component for driving and sustaining successful development of people and cultures within organisations. It will ensure that what the companies have invested in time or money will bear returns as well as expected results, that is, sustainable people transformation. 

My final note is that when the old and traditional training method rarely delivers change, isn’t it time for you to consider investing in another method that ensures sustainable results?

 

Boonchai Pongrungsap is the senior consultant of APMGroup’s leadership and talent development business unit. He can be reached at [email protected].