Pg 112- "Participants mistakenly assume that knowing the leadership content and doing it are one and the same. Of course, they aren't the same at all, so participants usually return to the office and apply only a fraction of what they studied. When leaders and training designers combine too much motivation with too few opportunities to improve ability, they don't produce change; they create resentment and depression."
In other words...
Information without Application leads to Frustration.
There are only three staff development sessions I have been a part of that have truly stuck.
1. Apple One-to-One Training.
We learned about the program and then instantly applied it on a project. For example, we were taught iMovie and then instantly put into groups to make our own iMovie. We showed our iMovies to the group and then debriefed on the process. The training lasted for a week, not just one day.
2. Math Acamdemy
We learned math concepts and lessons from college math professors from Cal-State Fullerton. The following week, we brought in volunteer students, taught them the lessons, and then debriefed later that day. We meet several times throughout the year to receive further training and share ideas. We were observed in action several times throughout the year. The academy lasted 3 weeks, with 4 or 5 follow up meeting through the year.
3. Classroom Walkthroughs
We learned about the concept, techniques, and format, then went and conducted them. We debriefed that same day. We set up opportunities throughout the year to continue to practice the skill. It was not a one shot deal. We continued to refine our practice and debrief. This spanned at least 7 days through the year.
The common theme was putting the knowledge into action immediately or very soon after the training. We debriefed about the process and shared ideas and questions. We were provided opportunities to touch base throughout the year with follow up training. We scheduled opportunities to apply what we had learned. We did not leave it to chance. We took the time necessary for proper learning to occur, it wasn't crammed into one day!
