The Road Map to Greater Training Success

How would you navigate and get to your destination if you didn’t have a map, GPS, or your phone? That’s the question Amanda Hagman, chief scientific officer at workplace training provider Atana posed during the beginning of Tuesday’s ATD25 session, “Transformative Training: Leveraging Learning Leader Theories for Effective Workplace Interventions.”

Nearly all people have had the experience of not knowing where they’re going. Learning theory is like a map, continued Hagman, “helping us get to where to want to faster, smarter, and with fewer wrong turns.”

Co-presenter Cody Cox, associate professor of industrial/organizational psychology and organizational behavior at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, shared why L&D practitioners should use learning theory in crafting their workplace interventions, citing the wealth of knowledge that theories bring and the fact that they work. That method leads to greater success and can help L&D teams connect initiatives to the values of their organization.

Hagman and Cox shared several theories on paper, talking through three of them during their session: social cognitive, goal orientation, and self-determination.

Returning to the map analogy, Hagman explained that through social cognitive theory, people learn by observing others and seeing the results of their actions. The journey may include direct and observational learning. Environmental factors can influence the journey. And the path may lead to self-efficacy when behaviors become persistent. Practitioners can use the theory to model desired behaviors and include reflection and feedback to reinforce learnings.

Cox expanded on goal orientation theory, where learners either adopt a fixed or growth mindset. The idea rewards effort and growth, not just performance.

Then, Hagman shared an overview of the self-determination theory and how it can fulfill human needs through the confluence of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Some theories can encourage manager involvement in learning, increase performance in regular tasks, or reinforce a shared organizational identity.

The presenters posed a reflection prompt to the audience: What is it you’re already using, what is easy for you, and what works for your organizational culture? Cox advised finding one primary theory to lean on, as that tends to be more successful. Be sure to use language that the learner audience understands, stressed Hagman.

Attendee “homework” is to think about a training program they want to implement and how learning theory could affect it. Questions include:

• What does success look like?

• Who is your audience?

• What do you want them to do after the training?

• What are your key performance indicators?

To identify potential barriers or challenges to implementing a training intervention, consider:

• What do your learners resist or misunderstand?

• Are there environmental or cultural blockers?

• Do you face challenges with such issues as engagement, change management, learning transfer, or leadership support?

Read more about ATD25 at conferencedaily.td.org.