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Capture and Share the Learning

HOW MUCH MONEY does your organization spend on conferences for team members? How much learning is lost when little or no information is shared and/or implemented when they return? As we discussed earlier, some of the best learning occurs through critical reflection on events (see Tip #26: Foster Critical Reflection and Tip #33: Conduct After-Action Reviews), and there is no better way of reflecting than to share what has been learned by others. This does not need to be a thirty-minute presentation—it can simply be a one-or two-point discussion touching on the highlights.

This tip can be a great springboard for powerful discussions, but often these opportunities are overlooked. Think back to the last conference you attended. What were the topics of four of the sessions, and what were their main points? We suspect that few readers could answer this. So ask those around you to share and use the information they have gained. You could even take it a step further and set it up as a stretch assignment (see Tip #16: Stretch Your Team—Always.) so they have to actually use what they’ve learned. Many training and development theorists suggest that the best way to transfer training into behavior change is by practicing the new behavior regularly and frequently.

A variation of the LCS model we described earlier (see Tip #26: Foster Critical Reflection) can be used here.

We are confident that for those who attended the seminar, telling others about the experience is an excellent review for them. Teaching is the highest form of learning and it’s likely that the conversation will spark further dialogue. Bottom line, what are people doing with the information they have learned?