As a reinforcement specialist, you worked hard on your reinforcement programs, you used all 7 principles, created the perfect reinforcement lever, and had a great score on your S.A.F.E. Assessment. What can go wrong?

How you introduce your reinforcement program can create problems.

The success of your reinforcement program begins while your learners are still in the training phase, and your trainers have a large impact on how well the reinforcement program goes.

RELYING ON THE TRAINERS

A classroom trainer is the ambassador for your reinforcement program. It is crucial to the success of your program that a trainer understands the reinforcement process and helps to provide purpose and value. Professional trainers are important stakeholders and can be used in the development process. They can add value when determining reinforcement objectives. Use the 10-step approach and involve the trainers. Use the trainers as a test group or use their expertise early in the development process.

Your reinforcement success relies on each trainer’s understanding and implementation of the program. Trainers often don’t understand that the reinforcement program does not replace the training. Explain that your reinforcement program is a continuation of the training and helps the learners to apply what they have learned.

Even if the trainer has been involved in the design process, do not underestimate his or her role in the learners’ on-boarding. You can help the trainer by focusing on two moments: (1) when you finished your design of your reinforcement program (prior to a training event) and (2) at the launch of your program during the training.

The sooner a trainer is involved in your reinforcement program, the better he or she will be able to emphasize the importance of the reinforcement program during the training. Prior to your training event, you should:

• Invite the trainer to participate in the reinforcement program. This will allow the trainer to experience the entire process before any of the learners do.
• Check with your trainer and make sure he or she has a complete understanding of your reinforcement program.

During your training event, your trainer should:

1. Introduce your reinforcement program at the beginning of the session. This introduction is meant to trigger the curiosity of the learners and should be short. The trainer should do this at the beginning of the training session because it allows him or her to connect the (classroom) training to your reinforcement program throughout the training sessions.
2. During relevant moments, the trainer should draw connections between his program and topics in the reinforcement program. Work with your trainers to determine these moments and what to say. Examples include:
   • “You’ll receive a useful video messages on this topic.”
   • “There will be several assignments in your reinforcement program covering this topic.”
   • “Look for messages in your reinforcement program with a very interesting white paper on this topic.”
3. On the last day of training, have trainers introduce examples of reinforcement messages and explain the reinforcement process. What objectives did you select? How does reinforcement work? What is a series of messages? Why does this help the learner . . .? This introduction should last about 10 minutes. My best advice is to provide a slide deck that trainers can use or spend time during the e-learning explaining reinforcement.

We see too much misunderstanding during the collaboration between a reinforcement specialist and a trainer. The trainer is unclear about what reinforcement is, the connection between the training event and the reinforcement, and what the reinforcement program involves and how it will help the learners apply what they have learned. This ambiguous situation, combined with an overloaded training event, can lead to the trainer spending only a few minutes at the end of the program introducing your reinforcement program.

You don’t want your hard work to be introduced just before the learners are ready to go home as: “Oh yeah, by the way, there is a reinforcement program.”